Carl -

We recovered a pierced 1854 dime from one of the burials within the African
American Sam Goode Cemetery in southern Virginia.  I mentioned its discovery
to Eric Duff with the Georgia DOT, and Eric advised me that he had recovered a
number of pierced coins in agricultural fields during surveys in Mississippi
and had been told that it was an African American custom to wear an anklet of
pierced coins to make noise and scare off snakes.  Pierced metal buttons would
have had the same effect.

J. W. (Joe) Joseph, PhD, RPA ¥ New South Associates, Inc. ¥  (770) 498-4155/
fax (770) 498-3809   www.newsouthassoc.com