Another Great Lunchtime Find 1779 Spanish One Reale

[Happa54]

3 hours ago, Chase Goldman said:

I grew up in San Diego, but the Navy put me in DC and Virginia.  Love the Colonial and CW history here on the East Coast, but always wondered what could be found on trails associated with the Spanish Missionaries in California.  If Reales are to be found it would probably be associated with the missions.

Thanx for that Chase. You are probably correct. I live near a couple of missions being in the San Gabriel Valley area. As you know there is a lot of Spanish explorer history here,  but I have yet to begin the search.

Please educate me on how Reales got to the East Coast and who brought them there. 

 

 

[Chase Goldman]

1 hour ago, Happa54 said:

Thanx for that Chase. You are probably correct. I live near a couple of missions being in the San Gabriel Valley area. As you know there is a lot of Spanish explorer history here,  but I have yet to begin the search.

Please educate me on how Reales got to the East Coast and who brought them there. 

 

 

The Spanish where the only ones really minting silver currency in the Americas from the 1400's through the late 1700's (South America, Central America, Mexico, and Florida).  So Spanish silver was commonly used in the American colonies and in the French and Spanish territories until America sought it's independence and started minting it's own coinage.  So Spanish silver pops up in just about any American Colonial site where currency exchanged hands.  HTH

[GKman]

There is actually more to the story. Spanish silver was widely used until around the 1850s. At that point they were pretty worn down but still accepted. Around 1857 or so the government finally devalued Spanish coinage in order to get rid of it so people would start using American coinage. This is why we find many Spanish reales that are so worn down since they were in circulation for 70 or 80 years or more..

[Chase Goldman]

Thanks for the tip in, GK!

[GKman]

This is an interesting read about the usage of foreign coinage in those days..

https://www.crookedlakereview.com/articles/101_135/119spring2001/119muhl.html