'Not' overstruck Spanish Dollar 1781.

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Just aquired this Silver 'Spanish dollar' (poor quality I know!) The date reads 1781 and CAROLUS III is the king but would this coin have been in circulation in England despite not being countermarked or over struck and issued as a Bank of England Dollar? The coin has just been found in Durham UK.

If the following image works - thanks Pinman!

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Hope this image is bigger!

[Colin G. 147]

Hi,

I have encountered foreign coinage when detecting, which I admit threw me at first, when I was finding them on farmland. I think mainly due to the fact that the coins of the time had an intrinsic value, it was commonplace for foreign coins to be circulated. I also remember reading this in a reference book somewhere, but do you think I can remember which one!!!!

I have mainly encountered French & Irish, yet to find a Spanish coin!!

It must also be noted that the fact that this coin is holed may indicate that it formed part of a necklace or bracelet which has just become lost at some point in time.

Where was it found?

Edited September 3, 2007 by Colin G.

[scottishmoney 51]

As a general rule foreign coins other than occasional Scottish or Irish in the early days never circulated in England proper before the 18th century. By the late 18th century the govt of George III rather neglected the coinage other than a small gold issue in the 1790's so much so that there was a coin shortage of memorable proportion throughout Britain, but most especially in industrialising England. Even occasional American silver dollars of the late 18th and very early 19th were overstruck and tariffed at 5/- per. Usually only silver or gold were the foreign coins to be circulated in England, the low denominations being fulfilled by private or municipal token issues.

During the Angevin era some coins from France or Burgundy occasionally found their way to England and I have heard of even Ecus de Or(gold coins) being found in Kent etc by detectorists.

In Scotland, the coinage pattern being rather different, it was not at all uncommon for French and Dutch states coinages to be circulated there. Duits turn up occasionally in metal detecting finds, they were the rough equivalent of a bodle or turner(twopence). During the era of Alexander III(1249-1286) English pennies made up about 75% of what circulated in Scotland, even with a then huge coinage of Scottish pennies during that reign. Until late in the reign of David II(1329-1371) Scottish coinages circulated to some extent in Lancashire and the York regions, but thereafter usually did not because they had become debased.

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The coin was found in County Durham, The exact coin does appear in my edition of Spink but has a octagonal countermark of George III in the centre - my version obviously does not. I know that countersunk versions were put into circulation from 1804 onwards as Bank of England Dollars, so not sure why this pre-dated plain version should find its way so far 'north' !

[josie 8]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durham

just posting and tracking.

In the past other ship drifting in english channel was captured along with the goods and coins from ship belonging from the enemy spanish or french as SM mentioned coins are being countermark on 1800s for foriegn coins are worthless from time of QEI to 1800s,what british do with those foreign coin, trade them to thier country of origin or sold again or dump it somewhere so thier enemies will lost a value, salary for the soldier against GB.

Just wondering what the British did on foreign spanish and others coins from time of QEI to 1800s they are worthless in GB but valauble in thier country of origin.

There might be more of spanish coin in the site.