Small Sliver of 177? Silver 8 Reales-I think

[VOL1266-X]

While scouting a new CW site for Dman and I to hunt last year, I found this sliver of silver coin near a spring along a road that was used for travel before, during, and after the Civil War. I believe it to be a piece of a 1770s Silver 8 Reales. I am not a coin buff and rarely coin hunt. I did match it up to a coin in a book with Mexican coins. I do know that Union Forces camped near the spring during the Civil War but did not recover many bullets in that area. Excuse the pics since I am still learning my new camera. If anyone can identify it as being something different than a piece of a 8 Reales, speak up please. Thanks for looking and Happy Hunting from "too cold to hunt" chilly Tennessee.

 

[BuckleBoy]

Re: Small Sliver of 177? Silver 8 reales-I think

Oh YEAH!  Pieces of 8!!!  Carlos III

 

[mlhudson]

Re: Small Sliver of 177? Silver 8 reales-I think

silver , just love it, looks reale goooood

happy hunting
keepa diggin

ml hudson

 

[allen]

Re: Small Sliver of 177? Silver 8 reales-I think

sweet piece of old silver...

 

[camb1]

Re: Small Sliver of 177? Silver 8 reales-I think

Great Find. I glad someone could get out. To cold for me.

 

[tymcmurray]

Re: Small Sliver of 177? Silver 8 reales-I think

Just one and I would be a happy camper!!!
Great find!

 

[terpfan]

Re: Small Sliver of 177? Silver 8 reales-I think

Looks like your "piece" of eight has a piece of the date! Great find.

 

[seger98]

Re: Small Sliver of 177? Silver 8 reales-I think

Super find!

 

[DigginThePast]

Re: Small Sliver of 177? Silver 8 reales-I think

reale nice find. Congrats.

 

[dgaughan]

sweet find congrats and hh

 

[Texas Gld]

While scouting a new CW site for Dman and I to hunt last year, I found this sliver of silver coin near a spring along a road that was used for travel before, during, and after the Civil War. I believe it to be a piece of a 1770s Silver 8 Reales. I am not a coin buff and rarely coin hunt. I did match it up to a coin in a book with Mexican coins. I do know that Union Forces camped near the spring during the Civil War but did not recover many bullets in that area. Excuse the pics since I am still learning my new camera. If anyone can identify it as being something different than a piece of a 8 Reales, speak up please. Thanks for looking and Happy Hunting from "too cold to hunt" chilly Tennessee.

Should you ever return to the site where you found it?
Consider going in a circle around the area, ever wideing the circle looking for iron/in any OLD tree/markings on
flat or pretruding boulders or outcropings/ use fieldglasses in a 360-degree circle. Spanish markings might be near or with in site.Do a Google search of Spanish (Spanard)History of the location if possible. (Just a thought!)

 

[EddieR]

Awesome find!!!

 

[kdismuke1]

SUPER FIND.NICE SILVER

 

[DD-777]

Outstanding find Vol!!! Hope you and D get out again soon. Looking forward to your posts...

 

[crazyjarhead]

I don't know what I'm looking at, but why is it cut like that School me, please

 

[VOL1266-X]

I don't know what I'm looking at, but why is it cut like that School me, please

Silver was valuable and I have been told Spanish coinage was 90% siver content. Coins were cut into pieces so the holder could buy smaller amounts of whatever. How would you make change in the U.S. otherwise. Somebody correct me if I have been misinformed but I belive that I read somewhere that Spanish silver was used in the U.S. until 1835. Some CW Soldiers brought Mexican coins home from the Mexican War. I found a small 1797 Reale in the CSA battle lines at a battlefield a few years back. They are common finds in CW sites. Thanks Craze and HH.

 

[Deno]

I have seen 4 or 5 of them come up but have never dug one myself. I want one. Congratulations
on yours. Sweeeet.

 

[crazyjarhead]

I don't know what I'm looking at, but why is it cut like that School me, please

Silver was valuable and I have been told Spanish coinage was 90% siver content. Coins were cut into pieces so the holder could buy smaller amounts of whatever. How would you make change in the U.S. otherwise. Somebody correct me if I have been misinformed but I belive that I read somewhere that Spanish silver was used in the U.S. until 1835. Some CW Soldiers brought Mexican coins home from the Mexican War. I found a small 1797 Reale in the CSA battle lines at a battlefield a few years back. They are common finds in CW sites. Thanks Craze and HH.

Thanks for the info

 

[DigginThePast]

Adding to the info above. The 8 Reales came to be known also as the "Piece of Eight" in modern culture. Its weight was about 1 oz being made of silver thus it was equal to our dollar coin which of course came along later but circulated concurrently until the mid 1800's. The coins were sometimes cut into a wedge or pie shaped piece with eight being the typical number obtained from 1 coin. This piece was also referred to as a "bit" which equaled 12.5 cents thus the later term of "2 bits" for our quarter dollar. Please correct me if my memory is off.

 

[KirkTN]

That's A Great Find. Especially for our part of the country.