Wanting to get started with Piracy Coins

Hey ya'll! I've been interested in Pirate related coins.

I've been doing a lot of research and am pretty new to numismatics, but I wanted to get some perspective from anybody that has built a collection that goes this direction.

My current plan is to start looking for Spanish Colonial coins from the late 1600s. But I'm also hearing about coins from shipwrecks.

Anybody have any advice on where to purchase from or what to look for? I'm going to continue researching, but just wanted to get some ideas.

(also if anybody has pics of their awesome collection in this department, I'd love to check them out )

 

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you posted this in the ancients section

here is a "pirate" coin from ancient times

The Roman Emperor Diocletian put Carausius in charge of clearing out the Frank and Saxon pirates pillaging the English Channel. Carausius defeated the pirates, but then kept the booty and declared himself ruler of Britain, in effect, becoming the "Pirate King of England".



Carausius
A.D. 291
24mm 4.3g
IMP C CARAVSIVS P F AVG; radiate and cuirassed bust right
PAX AVGGG; Pax stg. l., holding olive branch and sceptre; S-P across fields.
In ex. MLXXI
RIC Vii London 143

 

Welcome @CoinFox , a bit difficult to pin a coin to a Pirate but really easy to collect what they stole and used. Shipwreck coins are something I started on in the last year. Try and get a copy of Peter Jones' book "Treasure" expensive but worth it.

Check this thread there are some coins at the bottom that are Shipwreck coins.
https://www.cointalk.com/threads/i-...r-found-a-use-for-slabs.416939/#post-26130535

 

A very good start would be to purchase a copy of Daniel Sedwick's A Practical Book of Cobs. This compact paperback book, in its fourth edition, is a wonderful guide and reference for both beginning and established collectors of these fascinating and historic colonial coins. A copy can be purchased for around $20 on eBay or directly from Sedwick Coins. I do recommend the latest edition.

Here's a link:
https://sedwickcoins.com/products/s...bs-spanish-colonial-coins-shipwreck-reference

Have fun!

 

Victor makes a good point. There have been pirates since Adam learnt to swim!
Carausius, 287-293 Antoninianus Londinium circa 290-292, billon 22mm., 3.08g. Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust r. Rev. Pax, draped standing l., holding olive-branch in r. hand and vertical sceptre in l. hand. C 215. RIC 99.
This is a good book.


Here is the book I mentioned.


My advice is buy the books before you buy the coins and be wary of Ebay or you may buy a fake. Troll through the posts here and you will learn a lot.

 

Better advice from @robinjojo The book he recommends is a MUST HAVE !

 

I am betting these old Spanish Cobbs would fit into your description. This piece happened to wash ashore after hurricane Hugo battered our state. These can be very price friendly and are loaded with history. If this sort of piece is your cuppa tea, put Daniel Sedwick into your Google bar. His website is the bible for these old Cobbs.

 

Here are three 8 reales cobs.

Viceroy of Peru, Lima 8, reales, Philip IV, 1659, Assayer V. "Star of Lima" type.
KM 18.1
27.6 grams


New Spain, Mexico, 8 reales, Philip III, (16)13 F.
KM 44.3
27.4 grams


Viceroy of Peru, Potosi 8, reales, Philip IV, 1665 E.
KM 21
26.6 grams


To be sure there are other coins, modern and ancient that have ended up as pirate booty.

Aside from the pirate angle, driven much by recent films, these hammer struck coins of Spanish colonial America were an integral part of Europe's economic development and world trade through the later part of the 18th century, when they were replaced finally by coins minted with screw press machines.

 

Oops, I wasn't thinking when I posted in this section

That's sick, really cool to see an actual ancient "pirate". Cool to read about this piece of history, I'll research more.

 

I appreciate the warm welcome! Not surprised the book called treasure would be expensive. Nice, I'll look through some threads about it. I'm honestly surprised I got a lot of replies so quickly, I didn't think I'd get any.

I see how I was initially coming into this with a simple mentality of pirates and treasure from media and not the literal definition, which involves piracy all throughout history. Excited to start learning about it.

I might start with the book @robinjojo recommended since you said it was a must have. I haven't gotten any books yet so this might be my first.

 

Thanks for pointing me in the right direction!

These Spanish Cobbs are what I was picturing in my head initially. I didn't consider the many other variants of piracy coins, and it seems cool to have shipwreck coins dating from oldest to newest.

I hadn't taken a dive into the hobby because I would initially think just US coins and such. When I started seeing ancient coins, along with world coins where I should have posted, I was suddenly more interested and have been spending time slowly research. I probably should do more on my own instead of asking questions.

I'm in Texas so I suppose the chance of one of those washing up here isn't zero.

 

There actually are shipwrecks near Padre Island, 1554, known as the "1554 Fleet". A description of the wrecks can be found on page 152 of Sedwick's reference.

The coins, Mexican 4 reales of the Carlos and Johanna type, are sometimes found on the beaches of Padre Island, though technically that is illegal, since Texas has declared all finds state property. Still, some coins do come to market from time to time.

 

Fascinating! Thanks for pointing me to the exact page in the book as well.
Looking forward to my next trip to Padre Island now.

 

Here are two examples of the Carlos and Johanna type 4 reales, Mexico City.

Late Series:
Mexico, 4 reales, Charles and Joanna, circa 1570, assayer L.
13.8 grams


Early Series:
Mexico, Charles I, 4 reales, No Date (1536-1538), Assayer R (Francisco del Rincon). "Charles and Johanna" type, early series.
KM-16; Nesmith-6c.
13.47 grams

 

Are all the pics you've posted from your collection?

 

Yes. I've been collecting these and other coins going back to 1980.

 

Wow those early type Carlos and Johanna are the very first coins minted in the new world. And also quite on the rare side! Coinfox, have you considered getting a metal detector and scouring the beaches?

 

That's incredible! Such nice specimens as well. I'm looking forward to diving into one of the books you recommended. A buddy of mine gave me a copy of 'A Guide Book of United States Coins 2025 "Redbook" (Official Red Book)' so I've been trying to absorb everything I can everywhere. It's been helping me dive into reales.

Also history was my weak spot in academics, so why not learn more about it through the way it was most likely uncovered over the past 2600 years!

I've been looking for new beach activities so metal detector scouring is imminent!

 

You sound like me. I was an absolutely awful student.... But I hold a coin in my hands and I have to know everything about who may have used that coin in commerce.

 

Regarding ancients in general, are there telltale signs they are fake? The company I work for is hosting an auction with some Roman Republic, Roman Empire, Medieval Silver Pennies, Japanese Edo, and Spanish Colonial.

I don't think they're necessarily fake but just was curious on what ya'll's process is when you see a coin on eBay, an auction, or something. Like if there's a go to site to compare images, or just use the books mentioned in this thread.

I take it if they're NGC graded they should be good, but there's a lot that don't have graded storage boxes. I was hoping to start my collection here since they seemed decently priced.