Spanish colonial and Latin American Republican silver coins are fairly common in 19th Century sites all over the U. S.  Don't forget that they were legal tender here until 1857 due to a perennial shortage of U. S. silver coins.  Once they were no longer usable as money, I suspect many did get turned into ornaments or charms with piercing.  I've never heard of such coins being souvenirs from the Mexican-American War, but it sounds quite plausible.  Perhaps someone can share documentation of such.  A final note is that just before surrendering in North Carolina at the end of the War Between the States, Confederate troops were paid in Mexican silver pesos.  I recall seeing one in the city museum in my hometown of Greensboro, N.C.  Probably others exist in other southern museum and family collections.

Best wishes,

Bob Keeler

>>> [log in to unmask] 05/09/02 06:36AM >>>
Fellow Histarchers,

I have been working at the site of a post office that operated from about 1861 to 1879, and serviced a small German Catholic community.  Earlier this week we found a coin at the site that caused a bit of a stir.  The coin is a Spanish half real of Carolus III from 1781.  It has been pierced and was probably worn as a pendant or charm.  

Oddly, enough an Australian metal detector found a similar coin from 1773, although he is not online anymore his website is: (http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/Rapids/5798/find5.html)  The coin he found is pierced in the same spot as the one we found. 

After that lengthy introduction on to the question.  Has anyone found and/or heard of other Spanish coins of that period treated in similar fashion?  We are thinking it may be a souvenir from the Mexican American War, and we are looking into the history of the residents to see if any family members were involved.  Any help with this would be appreciated and thanks in advance.

Michael LaRonge
Wisconsin Historical Society
Museum Archaeology Program
Coyier Lab
331 Coyier Lane
Madison, WI 53713
(608) 271-9097