Colonial Trade Silver Coins

Colonial Currency

When the first Europeans started to reconcile with the Americans since 1500 and there was few use for coins. In fact, coins meant nothing to most native people, yet the Europeans established that they are required to trade in them in order for them to stay alive, especially throughout winter.

The simple financial system of the early colonists finally provided way to the society that can be similar to the cities and towns they’d left behind in Europe. Most craftsmen and merchants launching shops in villages along the Atlantic coast, the need for a more refined means of exchange insist that coins be made accessible.

Most of the American colonies were ruled by England under the British empire , and their governments were operated in accordance with charters settled by England’s king. Meanwhile, some of these charters allowed the colonial governments to produce coins, most did not. The earliest English colony to defy this prohibition was the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

Since the England was provisionally without a king (suitable to the aged one having lost his head!), Massachusetts lay down its own mint found in the city of Boston since 1652. The Massachusetts Bay Colony’s issued at Boston was operated by John Hull, facilitated by Robert Saunderson. Its outcome contained mostly of silver shillings, coins treasured at 12 pence.

The Massachusetts Mint later generated small, silver coins worth of six pence, three pence and two pence. Apart from for the two pence pieces, which were dated since 1662, all of the coins produced at Boston conceded since 1652. The colonists need to do this, since a new English king had approach to the throne since 1660.

The colonists effectively maintained their fraud that all of the silver pieces had been produced since 1652 by sustaining to use for almost thirty years. The mint’s initial silver shillings bore basically the letters “NE”, which stands for (New England) on the face and the values XII (12 in Roman numerals), VI (6) or III (3) along its reverse.

These coins were promptly substituted by ones displaying a tree on their face. Three styles of trees were utilized over the 30 years of production: an oak (1660-67), a willow (1652-60), and the most recognizable of all, a pine (1667-82). In Maryland, Cecil Calvert tapered with England’s Royal Mint to create silver coins valued correspondingly at 1 shilling, 6 pence and 4 pence.

These carried without any significant date, but they were produced since 1659, during the Commonwealth period when England had no appointed king and was run by Parliament. The number issued is still unidentified, and they patently distributed only in the Maryland Colony for few years. All of them are considered unusual and most sought after by most collectors today.

This piece of coin is also minted in Maryland were the silver three pence, six pence and shilling pieces struck by Annapolis silversmith John Chalmers. The biggest and smallest denominations portrayed clasped hands along their face, while the six pence shows out a star within a circlet along its obverse, while the clasped hands on the face.

However, the reverse of the three pence displays a branch encircled by circlet. The most often seen assortment of shilling shows two doves pulling along its contrary ends of a either a worm or a serpent, based on individual’s analysis. Though limited, these coins are established often adequate to be collectable.

When established today, these coins are almost always fine worn, and this proves that they dispersed for several years. In New Jersey, the colonists utilized coins from Ireland since 1680. These copper pieces were completed an official tender by the General Assembly in May since 1682.

They came in two sizes, the largest ones being hilly-valued at one-half penny and the lesser coins at a farthing, or one-quarter penny. One side of these coins illustrates a seated form of a king playing a harp (symbolic of Ireland), and the opposite side displays Saint Patrick. These coppers are the popular coins available during the American colonial period.

Among the most unusual and vague colonial sets are the brass and pewter tokens imprinted by Francis Lovelace, ruler of New York from 1668-1673. The New York token is still undated, but it is believed to date from this era. Its obverse displays Cupid chasing after Psyche, who uses butterfly wings.

Moreover, the face features the Lovelace Family arms, which is subjected by an eagle. Perhaps, it is anticipated to surpass as farthings, these exceptionally rare tokens were possibly produced from Bristol, England. During 1688, Richard Holt received a noble patent to produce tokens for utilize in the American colonies.

Furthermore, the real was a Spanish monetary value, and the coins of Spain’s American colonies were extensively used all over the New World. The face portrays England’s King Charles II across his horse, while the reverse shows the armorial shields of Ireland, England, Wales, and Scotland are mostly connected by a chain.

Most of these pieces are considered rare, such as where and for how long they essentially distributed. Another prominent individual who received regal permission to produce coins for American and Ireland colonies was William Wood. Both issues of his copper coins are dated mostly in 1724, 1723 and 1722 show a portrait of King George I on their face.

These silver colonial coins feature English grew on their reverse, while the Irish pieces show a seated form of the goddess Hibernia (Latin for Ireland) situated near a harp. Although formally treasured at two pence, one penny and one-half penny, correspondingly, Wood’s coins were very emaciated and were basically abandoned by the Irish.

As an outcome, the Irish issues were also distributed to America, since the American colonists had only some coins to criticize about their worth. Even so, they even proved to be just as not accepted as they had been in Ireland. Another series of Irish coins usually found their approach to the American colonies were the so called “Voce Populi” coppers, because of their obverse history, which means “By the voice of the people.”

During 1760, most varieties of farthings and halfpennies are recognized, as well. These were produced by a Mr. Roche of Dublin. Their obverse displays a laureate bust of King George II; meanwhile the reverse design is a seated form of Hibernia with a harp. Precisely, where and when these dispersed in America is doubtful, but they are extremely collectable.

Tokens honouring Sir William Pitt, who protected the American colonists against the detested Stamp Act of 1765, were completed in both farthing and halfpenny sizes were bearing since 1766. A bust of Sir William shows on its obverse, while the reverse displays a seller’s ship under complete sale, which is recognized as AMERICA.

Moreover, the Pitt Tokens are fairly collectable and considered as significant historic relics. Of all England’s American colonies, Virginia realized a valuable coinage system from the Mother Country, but it basically came too late. Since 1773, thousands of copper halfpennies were produced in London for consignment to Virginia.

These striking coins portray of King George III on their face, while the royal arms of Great Britain on their reverse. Regardless of all indications, these coins would be unbeaten; the several existing examples illustrate little or no proof of circulation. By that time, these coins arrived in Virginia and Americans had started their struggle for their liberty.

Also, coins bearing the representation of England’s king were out of favour, and this concern was not extensively distributed. The Virginia’s half-pennies are considered the most common of colonial period coins as well as, most wanted by American collectors. With the exemption, some of these types mentioned above are said to be exclusive American coins from the colonial period.