In Puerto Rico, as late as 1959, I recall that U.S. "Liberty" coins from the 1890s were still in circulation.  These had been introduced when Puerto Rico changed from Spanish to U.S. currency in 1899, and had never left the island.  

Morgan Rieder
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Vergil E. Noble<mailto:[log in to unmask]> 
  To: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> 
  Sent: Monday, August 15, 2005 10:40 AM
  Subject: Re: Coin Identification


  Spanish specie was still officially accepted as legal tender in the US
  until 1857, and probably had continued informal circulation for many years
  thereafter in some parts of the country because of those shortages.
  Certainly it's conceivable that a Spanish coin minted in the late 17th
  century could still be in use 100 years later in Maryland. Last summer I
  got a 1903 Indianhead penny as change in St. Louis (and lost it by the end
  of the day).




                                                                                                                                         
                        david G Orr                                                                                                      
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                        DU>                      cc:       (bcc: Vergil Noble/MWAC/NPS)                                                  
                        Sent by:                 Subject:  Re: Coin Identification                                                       
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                        08/15/2005 07:35                                                                                                 
                        AM AST                                                                                                           
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                        ARCHAEOLOGY                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                         




  I think such continued circulation of such small
  denomination coins is believable. I remember finding worn
  first century Roman coins in fourth century sites. The
  shortage of specie was an endemic problem in the 18th and
  well into the nineteenth century.More recently, I remember
  as a student in England in the 1960's getting a halfpenny of
  William IV in change! Perhaps its Gresham's Law, good
  coinage (silver of fairly trustworthy weight and fineness)
  driving poorer coins out of circulation.Atany rate Spanish
  colonial coinage was the lingua franca of commerce for a
  long time. dave O.