My first 1700s silver! (HALF REALE)

[cam9457]

My first 1700's silver! (HALF REALE)

I was out today with an md buddy even though we had a fresh coating of snow today and found a 1781 silver coin! I think it's some kind of Spanish reale? It does have a hole drilled in it for some reason. Any ideas as to what it is and why someone would drill such a small hole through it? Thanks for looking and HH!

 

[CRUSADER]

Re: My first 1700's silver! Maybe a reale?

you wouldn't the straight pin being so small would quickly rust away to nothing -- only the tattle tale "rust" mark would be left behind

you misunderstand, I meant I never come across it in my research. I've never found a spanish silver, its on my hit list.

 

[cam9457]

Re: My first 1700's silver! Maybe a reale?

Very nice half reale, old by American standards! The holes actually add some character to the coin as there were several reasons for a hole in a coin. Just to name a few reasons for holed coins, some put them on a string of sort and wore them as a necklace or bracelet as a means of carrying money, buttons, kids whizzer toys and patriotism are other ways holes were put in coins. Back in the early days, money was not so important as many were self sufficient with farms for example. Nice find and HH, Mike
Yeah Mike that's pretty old for around here, that may be a once in a lifetime coin around here

 

[Bavaria Mike]

Re: My first 1700's silver! Maybe a reale?

More plausible reasons for holed coins von Ivan, good stuff and info! HH, Mike

 

[ivan salis]

Re: My first 1700's silver! Maybe a reale?

if you've ever found any british coins marked "lima" --you got "spanish" silver

 

[cam9457]

Re: My first 1700's silver! Maybe a reale?

if you've ever found any british coins marked "lima" --you got "spanish" silver

Not yet Ivan but maybe someday, thanks for all the info, HH

 

[CRUSADER]

Re: My first 1700's silver! Maybe a reale?

if you've ever found any british coins marked "lima" --you got "spanish" silver

technically true but they are not the type on my list

 

[BlackX]

Re: My first 1700's silver! Maybe a reale?

Nice find! And in great shape too!

(Much nicer than the two half-reals I have, one was hammered and the other probably in a fire.)

 

[pjroo33]

Re: My first 1700's silver! Maybe a reale?

It was an awesome sight seeing that coin come out of the ground. I was shocked it wasn't a rosie or merc. That is a coin I would have never dreamed would come from that location. Wasn't too deep either! It's amazing how well silver can hold up after all these years.
Congrats!

 

[CanUDigIt]

Re: My first 1700's silver! Maybe a reale?

Wow! Missed this one! Stunning find! Can't think of many more sought after coins as desired in this country! Congrats!

 

[cam9457]

Re: My first 1700's silver! Maybe a reale?(HALF REALE)

Just to give everybody who pm'd me an idea of the size of the coin, here it is next to a 64' Roosie

 

[homer007]

Re: My first 1700's silver! Maybe a reale?(HALF REALE)

I HAVE A OLD CIVIL WAR COIN WITH A HOLE IN IT THE HISTORY BEHIND THAT WAS THE SOLDERS WOULD LINE THERE COINS WITH A LEATHER STRING AND TIE THEM TO THERE BODY . YOUR COIN MAY HAVE THE HOLE FOR THE SAME REASON

I was out today with an md buddy even though we had a fresh coating of snow today and found a 1781 silver coin! I think it's some kind of Spanish reale? It does have a hole drilled in it for some reason. Any ideas as to what it is and why someone would drill such a small hole through it? Thanks for looking and HH!

 

[cam9457]

Re: My first 1700's silver! Maybe a reale?(HALF REALE)

I wouldn't say anything isn't possible but I just don't think that back then there would be a piece of leather small enough to go through the hole, maybe a piece of modern small diameter fishing line

 

[cam9457]

Re: My first 1700's silver! Maybe a reale?(HALF REALE)

Heres some really close ups of the hole and rust around it

 

[cam9457]

Re: My first 1700's silver! (HALF REALE) UPDATE: hole doesn't go through

I was just messing around with the "hole on the coin and found out it doesn't go through the coin, it's just a weird rust mark and I don't know what

 

[CRUSADER]

Re: My first 1700's silver! (HALF REALE) UPDATE: hole doesn't go through

It looks like it goes through to me, you can see the excess silver pushed out. It maybe filled with stuff but I bet it goes though

 

[cam9457]

Re: My first 1700's silver! (HALF REALE) UPDATE: hole doesn't go through

I tried with the smallest safety pin I have to push it through from both sides and couldn't get it through. I was thinking it was just dirt or rusted over but I couldn't get the pin through for anything?

 

[CRUSADER]

Re: My first 1700's silver! (HALF REALE) UPDATE: hole doesn't go through

I tried with the smallest safety pin I have to push it through from both sides and couldn't get it through. I was thinking it was just dirt or rusted over but I couldn't get the pin through for anything?

trust me it goes though, harden gunk will never be pieced by a pin within bending it. Look at the colour diffference, thats the give away. ie. does the hole look silver?

 

[cam9457]

Re: My first 1700's silver! (HALF REALE) UPDATE: hole doesn't go through

No the hole doesn't look silver, just black. I've just tried a lot of stuff, metal dental pick, small nail and such and couldn't budge anything but rust, just seems strange

 

[CRUSADER]

Re: My first 1700's silver! (HALF REALE) UPDATE: hole doesn't go through

No the hole doesn't look silver, just black. I've just tried a lot of stuff, metal dental pick, small nail and such and couldn't budge anything but rust, just seems strange

Personally the gunk is part of your find. Trust me after years of this type of thing, you will be disappointed if the pin went though. It will feel like you have damaged the goods. Leave it as part of your find, it took years to develop & what good will it do to prove a hole is a hole. Many people clean off iron rust from buckles. To me its the pin & should be left, get what I mean. Its part of its history, leave it & be happy with its story.

 

[cam9457]

Re: My first 1700's silver! (HALF REALE) UPDATE: hole doesn't go through

Yeah, your right, I'll stop messing with it. Just seemed so strange when I was looking at it through the micropscope camera. Even the smallest pin I have was slightly larger than the hole and seemed really strange. It would have been really cool to still have even just a part of the pin that was in it though