The Person Who Started Me In Numismatics

Here is a reference to Wampum from the original records of The General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The spelling is as it appeared in those records. {The dual year dating accounts for the change from the Julian Calendar to the Gregorian Calendar.} I am quoting from the book cited at the end of the quote.

"Although wampum may be said to have been the first adopted, the first legislation upon the subject of a small currency was that of March 4th, 1634/35 here following : "It is ordered that hereafter farthings shall not passe for currant pay.- - "
" It is likewise ordered, that muskett bulletts of a full boare shall passe currantly for a farthing apeece, provided that noe man be compelled to take above xiid att a tyme in them."
The purpose of this order may have been to "compel a more thorough distribution of the munitions of war, which, at that time, were liable to be called into requisition at a moment's warning, rather than a desire to drive from circulation the small brass or copper coins of English origin, which must have formed a much more agreeable medium of exchange than the bulky and inconvenient substitute here authorized.
The first record we find relating to the value of wampum is dated No¬vember 15th, 1637,[2] "It was ordered that Wampampege should passe at 6 a penny for any sume vnder 12d On the 7th of October, 1640, "It is ordered that white Wampampege shall passe at 4 a penny & blewe at 2 a penny, & not above 12d at a time except the receiver desire more." June 2d, 1641,[4] " It is ordered that Wampampege shall passe currant at 6 a penny for any sume under 10d for debts heareafter to bee made." On the 27th of September 1642,[5] " It was ordered that for the payment of the rate (wch is to bee paid the nynth month) wheate, & barley shall passe at 4s the bushell, rye, & pease at 3s 4d the bushell ; Indian corne at 2s 6d the bushell in these at these prices, or in beaver money, or wampam pay is to bee made."


[1M:iss;icliusetts Records, vol. i., p. 138. The quotations from these Records are from the originals, but the corresponding pages can be found in the printed Records by the starred page numbers on their margins.
2Mass. Records, i. 204 ; 3L 287 ; 4i. 308 ; 5ii. 22.]

FROM: The Early Coins of America, by Dr. Sylvester S. Crosby, Boston, 1875, Reprinted by The Token and Medal Society, 1965, Page 26."

Pete

Very Nice Coins!
I can't wait to see more!
Pete

So the moral of the story is to take up drinking and smoking everyday and you'll live to be 100.

The real moral is to keep your heirlooms. They may have monetary value but they have even more hereditary value. It's given me a new look at the coins that I have from my family. The circulation and wear that they have add character to the coin, but now also history. Thanks for posting your story, grancap74, as it's shed some new light on what I'm doing.

My drug dealer neighbor got me started oddly enough. He was a nice person nontheless. I was over his house once, (NO, not for drugs), and he showed me his collection. He had a ms67 NGC CC Morgan that was priced at like 10,000. (don't remember the year but I'm sure someone here could narrow it down via price/ grade values). That blew me away that such a value could be associated with such an unimportant piece of silver. My interest/ collection began after that experience. That was about 5 years ago.

Mindsets, I think that takes the prize so far from my viewpoint, as the most unusual way someone got into Numismatics.
Curious, what ever happened to the neighbor and his coin?

Wow. Just wow. You have my fervent wishes for a speedy recovery.

Never give up.

Oh, and more pics!

Grancap74!! Amazing story!! Thank you for posting this. I loved reading every word of it!!