ALTHOUGH NOT FULL TIME RELIC HUNTERS WE DO FIND SOME

[NC GHOST TEAM]

GHOST TEAM HOME WEBSITE: http://groups.msn.com/NCGHOSTTEAM/abeachhuntersdream.msnw

Last week we went down to a local beach where they pumped in sand from an inlet used back in the Colonial period. The relics did not come out yesterday (only me) but Lady Ghost was in the gold and diamonds as posted on the "Beach and Water" forum. A friend found a "Hiberina" coin there some weeks before but here goes:

Lady Ghost found a 1804 half penny (Lewis and Clark were making they way across the country)
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[attachment 28863 coin6-6-06.jpg]
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and on the other side of the pier I found a four reales coin cut in half.
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[attachment 28862 2reale.jpg]
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Happy Hunting

 

[bdahunter]

Seriously though, two very nice finds. Maybe dredging isn't always a bad thing after all.

Peace,

BDA

 

[Angela (Australia)]

Nice finds, shame the reale is cut. Had a look at your website. Interesting, nice group.

 

[gcollins]

That sounds Awesome to get to hunt as you stated. I hope that you have many more great finds there!!!! And the two coins are realy old!!
H.H.
Greg

 

[NC GHOST TEAM]

when they ran us out of England, and least my section was, in the late 1600's we didn't have any money over here; we traded in indian money "wampum", tobacco and the likes. Any hard money we got was welcomed as we used it as trade because the worth was in the metal "silver" or "copper" even gold if you were on the high side of ladder. One of the most used coins was the Spanish milled dollar "piece of eight" as it was worth 8 reales. The spanish also had a 2 reales and 4 reales coins. If you had a 4 reales coin and what you wanted cost 2 reales you cut the 4 reales in two even pieces. You paid for the item and went home with a coin worth 2 reales.

We got our money fractional division from that ie: quarter and half of a of a dollar. In the early years of our country the quarter was called "two bits" and the half was 4 bits and 75 cents was 6 bits then the dollar "8 bits".

We had a football cheer that went 2 bits, 4 bits, 6 bits a dollar all for Beaufort stand up and holler.

After that diatribe it all ends up "we needed change." Buddy, could you spare a dime???

 

[Angela (Australia)]

Thank you for your reply and the explanation Ghost! Always wondered how much a piece of eight was worth. Never knew that about cutting the coins and using the pieces as currency. Interesting.

 

[Anonymous]

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[Steve in PA]

Various Spanish cut silver coins found on colonial sites in Pennsylvania.

 

[NC GHOST TEAM]

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[Angela (Australia)]

Thank you for posting the photo of the cut coins Steve! Wow, they look great. I'm amazed at how they were used like that. How did you find them?

 

[Steve in PA]

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[Angela (Australia)]

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