What?!? Who cut a silver coin into quarters?!?

The odds of finding the matching pieces is crazy, great finds man!
It was very common to cut them back in the day to make change, and coins from many countries were accepted as legal tender in the US before they had their own currency.
 
Colonists in British North America were not allowed to mint money of their own, even though they often ran out of English coins to use in day-to-day business. Instead, they resorted to using whatever coinage they could get their hands on. The most common coin used during this time was the silver Spanish dollar, which was worth 8 “reales,” a unit of currency in Spain.

Back then, coins were valued by their actual weight in silver or gold, not just on what they looked like. Spanish coins were preferred over other currency because they had a milled, or patterned, edge, which prevented dishonest traders from shaving slivers off the coins without being detected.

In fact, it was expected that, to make change, they literally cut the coins into 8 pieces or “bits.” Hence, the British called the Spanish dollar a “Piece of Eight,” and when they said something cost “two bits,” they meant it cost a quarter of a dollar.

Thanks for the info on bits. I have heard all my life some older guys calling a quarter 2 bits. I never could understand how a single quarter could be two of anything when I knew it was 1/4 of a dollar not two of something. That cleared up a mystery for me.
 
Just a bit of trivia to add.
The colonists were banned from having UK currency, and bartering can only go so far.
Spain had the silver mines, and it's coins were most common.
It took the US a long time to have enough coinage to fill the need.
So, Spanish coins were LEGAL TENDER in the US until 1855!!
 
Referred to as Cut Silver by many detectorist, it was a way they made change, believe it or not. Many things might have been offered up for sal for less than the value of the whole coin. This is not too uncommon with spanish silver.
 
Note that there wasn’t enough US coinage to handle the need.
Took a long time for the US mint to catch up.
So, Spanish coin was LEGAL TENDER in the US until 1855!!

Tom
 
Unbelievably awesome finds! Stuff metal detecting dreams are made of! Congratulations! HH and good luck!
 
Incredible hunt! I would have been pumped over that watch winder and the buttons. Can you post a close-up of the large button with the writing and shank intact?

I've seen a sliver of a Reale get dug a few feet from where I was detecting in a farm field in Kentucky, but haven't experienced it for myself.
 
Incredible hunt! I would have been pumped over that watch winder and the buttons. Can you post a close-up of the large button with the writing and shank intact?

Which button were you talking about? The larger one towards the front left? Back left? Or the broken one? I can't find the specific one that is in the front left - at least it's not in my riker case. I'll look.
 
Which button were you talking about? The larger one towards the front left? Back left? Or the broken one? I can't find the specific one that is in the front left - at least it's not in my riker case. I'll look.

Yeah, that one. Looks pretty nice and I would enjoy seeing the backmark.
 

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Yeah, that one. Looks pretty nice and I would enjoy seeing the backmark.
I can't that exact button but here's a crop from another photo that day. Makes wish I documented my finds well.

I remember trying to decipher the backmark. Waterbury and GILT are clear. BENEDICT is across the top outer ring, too.

A friend told me probably 1830-1840 ish. Benedict & Coe and Benedict & Burnham were in business then.



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k2gleaner
 
Very nice! That early 1800's date is right on.
I'd like to have the problem of finding so many flat buttons that I couldn't keep track of them!

I'm sure you will someday but I think my problem is more an issue of disorganization/multiple hobbies/ADHD. :| I found a good number this winter - my first season of going detecting regularly. I can't wait to get back to this particular site b/c they put peanuts on it (I think). That means it got bedded and it will be FLAT when they are done. I found all of these - and more on another visit - with cotton stalks in the ground. Ugh. I bet that whereever I swept, I only covered 60% of the ground. :)

Here's to hoping.
 
...
Not sure I understand the difference between a reale and pistareen...

Me neither! I don't know much about them. Didn't expect to ever find one. Or two. On the same day. And I've forgotten about as much as I've read about them!



k2gleaner
 
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