Collecting Jamestown: Part 21. French Liard

Jamestown collectors often forget that the settlement lasted beyond the 1620s. The fort period is generally considered to have ended on 24 May 1624 when James I revoked the Virginia Company charter.

Henceforth, Jamestown became a Royal Colony.

 

The palisaded fort fell to ruin. Houses and outbuildings were built over postholes. Horse-drawn plows churned the topsoil.

Several seventeenth century coins have been unearthed that reflect the transition. One of these is a 1656 French liard that was found along a brick foundation of a timber framed structure located in the center of the old fort site.

The house is believed to have belonged to either William Drummond or Richard Lawrence. It was probably built between 1630 and 1650 (but certainly before new building initiatives were established in 1662). The house was destroyed by fire, as the site was filled with ash.

Perhaps the house was razed on 19 September 1676 during Bacon’s Rebellion. Both Drummond and Lawrence burned their homes on this date to show their support for the Rebellion.

The French copper was found in a disturbed builder’s trench. After the fire, the trench was re-dug to salvage the bricks. A brick robber might have dropped it. Or, maybe it was dropped when the building was being built or modified. Other artifacts such as pipe stems, ceramics, pottery, tiles, and other domestic bits suggest a late 1600s TPQ.

The liard was minted in Lyon with D mint mark. The obverse depicts Louis XIV. The coin was valued at about three English pence at the time. They circulated infrequently in English America: This one did!

As such, a liard such as this belongs in every Jamestown collection.

The coin is readily available in the marketplace. I purchased it from a dealer in France (via EBay). The piece is colored in a mosaic of red, brown, and black; a hint of grainy corrosion gives it a delightful grounder vibe that is akin to the one found at Jamestown.

Why not seek out a nicer one you ask? Well, the necromancer eschews the shiny one, reaching instead for a similar piece. A relic should look the part. It is magical for its association to Colonial Virginia. After all, collecting by context does not demand that you chase the nicest one, just a similar piece.

Finally, a note for those who follow this blog: Thank You. My intent going into 2018 is to write every other week. This is how I enjoy the hobby. I strive to write on Sat/Sun mornings, but sometimes (like today), my wife and dogs pull me away ... into the snow!