Spanish coins in Georgia?

maxxkatt · Dec 10, 2017

I live in north Atlanta. There have been some rumors in history from the Indians that the Spanish explorers came up from the Gulf of Mexico along the Chattahoochee river to find north Georgia gold. Again there is little historical fact to support this.

this brings me to the question has any of you guys and gals found any Spanish coins anywhere in Georiga? If so, what coins and where in general terms?

ohiochris · Dec 10, 2017

I never found Spanish coins in Georgia but I did a lot of research when I lived there. Given the history of the area they could potentially turn up almost anywhere and the story about the Chattahoochee is likely to have some element of truth but coins in that situation would be scarce , since they wouldn't have much use in the " wilderness " areas of that time period. Near settlements and towns along the coast is probably the best conceivable place to seek Spanish coins.

Rattlehead · Dec 10, 2017

Check this out (concerning Spanish history in GA):
https://www.washingtonpost.com/arch...aec-9409-17057b21b7ad/?utm_term=.0ca31c87b8fb

That’s my hometown and one of the guys who found the sword mentioned in that article is my neighbors brother.

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Big Treble · Dec 10, 2017

Rattlehead said:
Check this out (concerning Spanish history in GA):
https://www.washingtonpost.com/arch...aec-9409-17057b21b7ad/?utm_term=.0ca31c87b8fb

That’s my hometown and one of the guys who found the sword mentioned in that article is my neighbors brother.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That's a great story thanks for sharing

BottleCapKing · Dec 11, 2017

maxxkatt said:
I live in north Atlanta. There have been some rumors in history from the Indians that the Spanish explorers came up from the Gulf of Mexico along the Chattahoochee river to find north Georgia gold. Again there is little historical fact to support this.

this brings me to the question has any of you guys and gals found any Spanish coins anywhere in Georiga? If so, what coins and where in general terms?

I don't see why you would not find Spanish coins in Georgia. Spanish silver gained popularity in the colonies post 1775... up until 1793.

zeemang · Dec 11, 2017

Mexican silver coins were legal tender in the US for a long time before the US started minting their own money...

Tom_in_CA · Dec 11, 2017

BottleCapKing said:
I don't see why you would not find Spanish coins in Georgia. Spanish silver gained popularity in the colonies post 1775... up until 1793.

I was thinking the same thing. Spanish reales are a common find for any colonial spot-hunting, on the east or west coast (or inland from those states). And even if the dates on those reales pre-date the earliest supposed European influence of those zones, doesn't point to anything conspiratorial or history-changing. It merely means the coins circulated a long time.

I've found spanish reales here dating back to the 1740s, even though our earliest supposed European settlements weren't till 1769 (and , realistically speaking , not really till 1800 when any *real* populations and/or supplies arrived, settlers, etc...).

And suppose for the moment that you found a coin or sword or something that even seemed to predate "circulation" variables: Don't think for a moment that old items (ie.: antiques, souvenirs, etc..) weren't just as much in culture (and thus could be lost) then, as-in-now.

METALMANIAC-NY · Dec 12, 2017

zeemang said:
Mexican silver coins were legal tender in the US for a long time before the US started minting their own money...

Exactly Zeemang....until around 1840 I believe.....So YES there is chance of Reals in GA.....doesn't even have to be a Spanish settlement.

rustyk1 · Dec 12, 2017

All foreign coins were considered legal tender until 1857. The law was changed that year to exclude foreign specie as legal to promote the US currency.

tnsharpshooter · Dec 13, 2017

I have not hunted in Ga.
Instead Tn and a little in Ky.

IMO best places to find Spanish coins/bits,,,get near the river.
Look for old homes and possibly old towns, settlements.

Remember these folks back then not dumb, meaning they realized rivers would flood, so the settlements may be a good piece from the river banks.

Good river crossings, extended flat areas near river good places to try.

Them old flat buttons,,,you find those, good sign of finding some Spanish coinage/bits.

Site likely needs to date somewhere between 1750 and 1850.
Thing is, when the Spain coinage was more or less not accepted- looks like 1856, how long was it still packed around in USA??

Cheers and good luck.

I have found Spansih silver bits and one coin in northern Tn.
Gent up the road from me about 30 miles in Ky also has found some.
Actually just off of the same river.

Spanish coins in Georgia?

maxxkatt

ohiochris

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Rattlehead

Big Treble

BottleCapKing

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zeemang

Tom_in_CA

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METALMANIAC-NY

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rustyk1

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tnsharpshooter

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