Off topic, but a bucket list item for me...

[majspud]

You all know I collect currency and coins. I recently acquired a Spanish Pillar dollar, 1769, at a very reasonable price. The time or price had never been right before. When I bought my first copy of the famous "Red Book of Coins" coin guide as a 10 year old or so, the opening picture over the introduction was and still is the Pillar Dollar - "America's First Silver Dollar". I thought, wow, I would really like one of those - this was back during the bicentennial. I made a little photo collage of the coins and some Continental currency (1775-1779) and a Massachusetts State Colonial note from 1780.

T

 

[devo86]

Very cool. I love to look at older collectables and think "if they could tell their stories".

 

[majspud]

If you didn't catch connection of the Pillar dollar, our Continental and Colonial currency states that the bills were to be redeemed in Spanish milled dollars. This large Spanish coin was the international currency of the day as were the Roman Denarius and Greek Drachma before it. As for contemporary value, two 8-Reale pieces could buy a cow in their day. We took the pillar and banner off the design for our $ symbol. These coins were sometimes literally cut in halves and quarters when change was scarce; half a coin was 4 bits and a quarter coin 2 bits. Hence "shave and a hair cut; 2 bits" or 25 cents.

T

 

[Billsail]

Careful, the Chinese have been making excellent counterfeit Pillar Dollars for a while now. They've been known to fool the experts occasionally. I know, perfect size and weight, fooled the not so expert, me, once. The price was too good to pass up though. Don't mean to rain on your parade, just some advice from an occasional collector.

Some perfect U.S. Seated Dollars as well.

 

[majspud]

This one came from a reputed seller, so not overly concerned...

T

 

[Fixxah]

Very cool. I love to look at older collectables and think "if they could tell their stories".

The hookers would blush.

Very cool indeed.