SPAIN. Charles III. 1778-M PJ 2 Reales. Madrid Mint. KM-412.1. Excavation Recovery (NGC).
From the Marblehead, MA Hoard.

Estimate: $200

To view all items from the Marblehead, MA Hoard Collection click here. The Marblehead, MA Hoard was recently discovered during a kitchen renovation to a colonial-era house in the historic seaside town of Marblehead, Massachusetts. In the process of digging four feet into the earth so that a new foundation could be set, workers uncovered this cache of 80+ coins with dates that range from 1726 to 1814. Undoubtedly, these coins were buried shortly after that 1814 date. Upon investigation, signs point to their original owner being John Sparhawk, a merchant who owned the house from the 1790s through the 1830s. Mr. Sparhawk is known to have owned the sloop 'Dispatch', commanded by Elias Hulen Jr., that probably operated in the West Indies trade. In 1798 he owned the sloop 'Abigail', captained by Capt. Elias Grant, that also was involved in trade with the West Indies (there's a record of 'Abigail' returning in September 1798 laden with molasses and brown sugar). In the early 1800s, John Sparhawk built a store adjacent to the property which he both used for his own business and leased out. While modest in size, the Marblehead, MA Hoard is worthy of great numismatic intrigue. It contains coins from Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, France, Mexico, Peru, Spain, and a single coin from the United States. As most know - and as the ubiquitous "Red Book" has popularized - foreign coins were not only legal tender during the formative years of the American Republic, but they were the backbone of commerce, serving to fill the gaps that American-made coins could not yet fill in. As a result, many collectors today rightly seek these coins that circulated freely in America, as they are as much a part of the American numismatic story as any. For those impassioned by not only coins, but their role in our nation's beginnings, the Marblehead, MA Hoard offers some of the most tangible representations known. We hope you enjoy this rare opportunity to acquire items that while diverse in their formation, are quintessentially American.