The E-Sylum:  Volume 10, Number 4, January 28, 2007, Article 19

ARCHAEOLOGISTS FIND CONTEMPORARY DEBASED SPANISH COIN IN ST. AUGUSTINE

"At an archaeological dig in St. Augustine on Marine Street, a
Victorian house has been lifted, an 1800s hearth has been found,
and an insight into colonial Spanish finances has been unearthed.

"Amidst all the artifacts found on the home site within the past month,
there was a gunky item that archaeological assistant John Powell
initially thought was an old dog tag.

"'Basically it's a two real silver coin that's been made to look silver.
It was copper in the center. It's only about the same value as a penny,'
Powell said. But he added that it was made to look like the equivalent
of a quarter in that day.

"This one-of-a-kind discovery means while the colonists were sending
solid gold and silver coins to Spain, "the Spanish were sending - I
hate to say this - junk back here," Powell said.

"'I've seen counterfeit coinage. This is not counterfeit. This is mint-
issued, deliberate funny money, manufactured by Spain for their colonists.'

To read the complete article, see: Full Story

[Does this ring true, readers?  If the debased coin is a "one-of-a-kind
discovery" as the article says, could it have really be manufactured by
one of Spain's mints?  Wouldn't there be far more of them around today?
It sounds to me more likely to be a contemporary counterfeit.  -Editor]

  Wayne Homren, Editor

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