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.