Expert: Neil S Berman - 12/9/2004

Question
I recently was relic hunting at a 1790 indian wars battle site. I recovered a number of musketballs,
period buckles etc. In the same strata of ground I
found what appears to be a fake spanish pillar dollar dated 1745. It has a heavy patina and appears
to be made of some type of copper alloy. If I had found it anywhere else I would have guessed that it
was a relatively modern replica. But in this case, based on where it was found and that it was fairly deep in the ground, I suspect it is a counterfeit from that period. Have you ever heard of fakes being made in colonial times?  

Answer
Dear Dennis. They started making Pillar Dollars in 1733 and probably started counterfieting them the same year. They were so common that counterfieting became a hanging offence. Send me a picture and I'll tell you what you have. How deep was it? Regards. N. nsberman@msn.com