Collecting Jamestown: Part 5. Cuarto from Santo Domingo.

We have a crusty old coin to consider.

Here is the obverse with a crowned Y.

   This one will appeal to colonial collectors on at least two levels: it is the earliest Jamestown coin, AND it is among the first coins minted in the New World! Many collectors who seek out coins that were used in colonial North America have probably missed this one. But here it is!

   It is a Spanish Colonial cob of four maravedis. This copper piece was worth about one-fourth of a silver real -- hence, the name cuarto. However, values fluctuated widely over time. The relationship between silver and gold changed frequently, and the lowly maravedis was adjusted to account for this. In this regard, the denomination served as a unit of account. 

   Nonetheless, the four maravedis piece was never more than small change. I wonder how much rum it would buy -- certainly a few mouthfuls. Unfortunately, there was no rum in Jamestown.

   A cuarto just like the one pictured was dug from a blacksmith cellar in 2007 and is considered to be a relic of the early fort period -- probably before 1610. The piece was already a half-century old when lost, as it was minted in Santo Domingo between 1542 and 1556. 

   Other relics found nearby included a copper thimble, one bone die, a shell from Bermuda (a keepsake?), and many military items such as edged weapons, breastplates, even a helmet. Excavation of the cellar also produced two English farthings and a silver half-penny (but I will save these for a future posting).

Here is the reverse with the pillars of Hercules.

   It is no wonder that so many military items were found since the cellar is believed to be part of a metalworking shop. Armor and weapons were repaired and modified there. Later on, the cellar was refitted with two brick ovens and served as a bakery. All of this happened within the first few years of settlement.
   The building was labeled by the archeologists as Structure 183. It was unusual by modern standards, as it was all cellar with a low roof. As with many early fort structures, it was an earthfast building constructed by sinking poles in the ground.
   Getting back to our relic coin, the cuarto features a large Greek Y for Johanna. The Y is flanked by the assayer's initial (F) on the left and the denomination (IIII) on the right. It was minted under the direction of Francisco Rodriquez. The legend reads: KAROLVS.ET.IOANNA.REGIS. This translates to Charles and Joanna, Kings. Charles was the son of Johanna, and he assumed the crown in 1516 when Ferdinand died (father of Joanna). Joanna shared the throne but was too ill to govern. 

   The reverse shows the crowned Pillars of Hercules with the mint marks S and P. Some might wonder why not SD instead of SP -- Dan Sedwick has suggested that the original name was Santo Domingo del Puerto.

   This cuarto is a charming relic, sandblasted by Mother Nature and given a rusty tone. The central details are clear but the legends are gone. Irregular edges provide a primitive vibe. As such, this relic looks the part and is perfect. It is undoubtably filled with spirits! What a prize for the Jamestown collector and the necromancer. Now go find one!  

Loving the Unloved: Slabs Profane Old Coins

Ahhhh! I am surrounded by Slabs!
   I awoke this morning in a sweat. I had dreamt that I was trapped inside a thick plastic holder. I could not breath.
   Some doctors have said that eating before bedtime is associated with more vivid dreaming -- so maybe I should not have eaten all those gummy bears.
   But slabs have been on my mind lately. And, they are in the news. There are some new designations coming out. For example, MAC will be stickering classic coins with new "grade enhancement" labels. For the buffalos, we will get "full split tail." For the Washington Qs, we will get "full split beak." Wow! We have really moved beyond horns and feathers.
   Perhaps we need to sound the horns:  Ta-Ta!
   But don't worry if you cannot see these details with your own eyes. The facts will be printed on the label! There is no need to look at the coin.
   I suppose that you could have a PGCS slab with both CAC and MAC stickers. The more stickers the better the coin! Soon enough, the whole slab will be nothing but stickers.

All relic coins are Perfect. No need to grade them on some
arcane numeric scale. Rather, just look at the coin and decide
if you like it or not. 

But what about my lowly cent from 1820? Does it deserve a special designation? It was spent, saved, and pondered. Maybe, it was smacked on the counter of a dry-goods store for peppermints. Maybe, it was flipped to decide a schoolyard bet. Maybe, it traveled to the new state of Missouri on a wagon. Maybe, much more.
   Then, suddenly, it was lost. The pause!
   If we are going to revere a coin, well then, I would choose the lowly cent over a herd of Buffs with split-tails!
   This cent lived. It worked. It was part of history. It is a relic. It did not spend it whole life in a collector's tray.
   But this lowly cent does not need a slab to tell its story -- the story is written on its face! Just as we show the crush of life on our aging faces, so too, the coin boasts of its own trek.
   So you ask, is he suggesting a new slab designation for his lowly cent? OF COURSE NOT. Slabs profane relic coins. And, slabs rob collectors of their curatorial skills. Besides, slabs are ugly. And finally, slabs prevent the consummation between the object and the collector.
   Too weird for you? Then go buy a slab with a split-tail!
   But for the necromancer, let's consider a special envelop for our 1820 cent. Let's make our own label. And, let's put our own sticker on it (I'm gonna go with the skull). Here goes:

1820/19 N1 Sweet old Matron, worked and weathered, with rusty surfaces highlighted by deep violet tones and a dusting of pumpkin and ocher. A perfect relic steeped in thumb-prints and soil.