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 Replies: 17 / Views: 6,444 |
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Valued Member
United States
425 Posts |
Few years back I picked up about 100 Pillar Dollars, 8 Reales from 1798 to 1825. All these coins came from the same source, gentleman that claimed he was working in the South American oil fields and bought some older women's belts that had these coins stitched to the out side. It seems they were used to ward off the evil spirits of the Spanish invaders that only cared about gold and silver. All the coins have been holed, often with a square or triangle punch, and about half have a fancy loop/necklace clamp silver soldered on. All coins also have heavy wear on the portrait side but are very good on the shield side.
Anyway, I got these coins out to look them over again last night and my wife was also holding them...... Then she told me that the hand full she had were cursed, and take them back! I know, I know, but then she took back the 5 or 6 coins and said "look at my wrist!". Sure enough I could see her wrist starting to swell right before my eyes! She then held the coins one at a time, and singled out the bad one,( the 1814 out of three 1825's and a 1823.). She then held 20 or 30 more and picked out two bad ones. A 1813, and a 1817 that she said was "super bad JU-JU! "
Anyway, What do I do now? I got these for living history and history display. But I never really have used more than 5 or 6 of them. And now my wife does not want them in the house.
Anybody want some Cursed Coins?
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Valued Member
Canada
335 Posts |
Maybe its just some sort of thing the coins came in contact with and your wife may be allergic to it. But if you are intent on selling then you can either sell them for spot, or on ebay as "Cursed coins" , Halloween coming around the corner ;) |
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Pillar of the Community
Australia
3831 Posts |
The coins might be contaminated with some kind of heavy metal. Try rising them out with acetone.
Or you might have found out a hard truth that your wife's got some kind of metal allergy? Would be good to know what kind to avoid potential problems down the road.
My partial coin collection http://www.omnicoin.com/collection/gxseriesMy numismatics articles and collection: http://www.gxseries.com/numis/numis_index.htmRegularly updated at least once a month. |
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Moderator
 Australia
16846 Posts |
I don't think you're allowed to sell "cursed coins" on ebay. Curses are an "intangible" property, however much you and your wife might think you have evidence for it. You'll have to sell them as plain old coins. Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise, you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. - C. S. Lewis
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Valued Member
 United States
425 Posts |
OH, I forgot to mention...... all coins have the Potosi Bolivia mint mark. Also there are 36 Bolivian coins in this set, 1836 to 1849.
Thank you, I had not thought of a metal allergy, it is possible I am sure, but I thought Spainish coins were known for their purity?
It could be possible that a couple of these are counterfeit, I will start checking weights and SG. I have found a couple that I want to post on here for SwamperBob, see if they may be some of his "Boston Copies".
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Valued Member
United States
425 Posts |
My big question here is has anyone ever heard of this tradition of attaching coins to belts or anything else in Bolivia?
I have found ref to this is other countries but not from South America. I have no reason to believe or disbelieve the story I was told when I got these. I simply bought them as worn slightly above spot silver.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4897 Posts |
Quote:
Anybody want some Cursed Coins? Considering the fact that there is no such thing as a "curse". I'd give them a home! BTW, what gxseries said...... |
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Valued Member
United States
425 Posts |
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Valued Member
Norway
89 Posts |
Maybe you should start looking for another wife.
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Bedrock of the Community
Australia
21788 Posts |
Test the suspect coins on ANOTHER (unmarried) woman of approximately the same age as yourself.
The test may yield more accurate results if she has an interest in numismatics.
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Valued Member
United States
425 Posts |
Thank you sel_691, That's a good Idea!
Funny you should say that diatonix,(being from Norway!)........My wife is Norwegien! Have YOU had your Lutefisk this year?
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2669 Posts |
diatonix, I'm going to assume you were jesting. oden, has your wife had this reaction to anything before? I'd be interested in what you find with the weight and SG  |
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Valued Member
United States
425 Posts |
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Valued Member
United States
425 Posts |
Oh yes xshift, there was a time when I collected a couple pre ACW muskets. One, a 1822 dated Harpers Ferry, had been found hanging up side down in the rotten center of a very old oak tree about 1910. (I know, I know, but it goes back to the same old question....."so how much with out the story?" Holding this musket also caused my wife's wrist to swell and made her arms hurt. This musket could not stay in the house, had to put it out in the safe right away.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3499 Posts |
odentheviking- Regarding your question of the use of coins by colonized peoples - of course, such symbols of imperial power were utilized by persons under the control of European colonial regimes. Such traditions of turning spanish pieces into parts of belts, headdresses, and other ornaments have been well-documented by anthropologists studying certain continuities of these practices. However, could such coins be cursed? Certainly not. If anything the wearers of such peices were making a political statement that would have been interwoven with indigenous spiritual practice signifying a challenge to colonial authority signified in colonial coins. Such symbolic displays were recorded across the colonial world and did not mean that the coins themselves had taken on any spiritual or "cursed" properties.
But still it would be cool to have anti-colonial colonial coins.
Edited by Archraz
10/12/2014 10:26 pm
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Valued Member
United States
425 Posts |
Thank you Archraz, very interesting perspective.
We have been through about half the coins now and my wife has found only three she feels are "Bad". When I asked her what she meant by "Bad", she says they just make her hand/wrist hurt and there is some very light swealing. She also says it feels like maybe they were not "obtained honestly". Ill begotten gains if you will.
Some she says really feel good, like the 36 Bolivian coins dated 1836 to 1849.
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Replies: 17 / Views: 6,444 |
Posted 10/08/2014 12:35 am
