March Metal Detecting

Living in Pennsylvania I'm very aware of the history around me and the colonial era I find fascinating. Although I have yet personally unearthed one there is a large amount of British coins still to be found! This recent article about a great find in Canada really got my mind wandering about the sheer variety of coins used in colonial times.

The creation and retention of an adequate supply of small change copper coins was a continual problem in colonial America. This situation differed from the problem with silver coinage. There were no restrictions on importing British coppers, so while the colonists had to look toward foreign coinage for their silver they could expect British denominated small change coppers. 

The earliest supplies were brought over by the colonists themselves. In 1681 Mark Newby brought a  large supply of Irish St. Patrick coppers to New Jersey. In the following year, 1682, a group of Quakers brought some 300 pounds of British halfpence and farthings to Philadelphia. I have to imagine just like in modern times some of those coins fell from pockets, were unknowingly dropped or even placed in a cache somewhere for later.

I hope to maybe get lucky this March and dig up an Irish St. Patrick copper. So tip your hats to what may be at the end of the rainbow. Hopefully no Leprechauns try to trick us with bottle caps!