Until I joined this forum a few days ago I had little interest in foreign coins (which to you may mean non-US, but to me means non-UK :smile) I am now finding an interest in US coins. although I'm not sure yet whether to start collecting them. I've been doing some very basic research on the one cent coin. I now have a general overview in my mind from the Large Cent of 1793 to the current Lincoln Cents with the new 2009 designs. From what I understand the US currency was decimalised in 1792, so what I'm wondering is what currency was used before then? I must also point out that my US history knowledge is zero so please make allowances if I don't know things that are obvious to US citizens. (Several years ago I asked the difference between a nickle and a dime. I got my answer and plenty of ridicule.:goof
Vince if you can get a copy of an old red book all your questions would be answered its very handy not so much for pricing but it tells you a lot!
Welcome Vince. Foreign (Non U.S.) coins were used prior to the U.S. mint beginning its operations. In fact, many non U.S. coins were legal tender here untill 1857. Also, I believe some of the individual colonies issued their own coins.
Welcome to the forum if you have a nice collection of Uk coins.. post them in the world coins section, it would be great to see what ya have!
Well we used a lot of Spanish and spanish colonies coinage, and whatever British coins we could get a hold of. Accounts were kept in pounds, shillings, and pence, but in our prerevolution years it was very difficult because the policy of Great Britain was to keep the colonies coin poor. They would not let us strike our own coins, and would not supply us with coinage. That way we could pretty much only do trade with GB. After the revolution the states did issue their own paper currency but the value was destroyed by runaway printing presses. Three of the states and one country (Vermont) issued their own copper coinage that pretty much passed as half pence. But around 1788 the maket value for coppers crashed because of too many lightweight coppers in circulation including light weight state coins and counterfeit British half pence (Made on both sides of the Atlantic. Great Britain had similar trouble as well. By 1788 close to 90% of the coins in circulation were counterfeit. Thus came about the British Provincial Token coinage of 1786 to 1800.).
