Cowboy Currency
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 19 ก.พ. 2021
- Cowboy Currency. Money in the Old West!
Thanks to Dave Rodgers for his article titled, “Money in the Old West: Coins of America's Dramatic 1840s-1870s”
www.frontieramericanillustrat...
Old West documents by Sasparilla Joe!: / joe.mortimer.2010
Old West Bills on Table photo: pixabay.com/users/tegawi-1703...
“Old Timey” and “Happy Boy” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
License: CC BY (creativecommons.org/licenses/b...)
________________________
Ghostriders Channel Q & A video: • Channel Q & A
________________________
**Official Arizona Ghostriders merchandise at teespring.com/stores/arizona-... **
USE PROMO CODE “2021” for 20% OFF until February 28th, 2021
________________________
Ariat Products
Arizona Ghostriders Rambler Western Boot: www.ariat.com/RAMBLER_M_FOO.h...
10% Off Any Order With Email Signup: www.ariat.com/email-signup?ir...
Shop Men's Cowboy Boots: www.ariat.com/men-western-foo...
__________________
Our friends and collaborators:
The Pistoleros Wild West Show: / channel UCz6bQYkVxevXu_YxuYu1lVQ
Trail Dust Town: www.traildusttown.com
Harker’s Bordertown: / rick-and-pennys-place-...
Frontier American Illustrated News: www.frontieramericanillustrat...
Old Tucson Studios: oldtucson.com
Legends of America: www.legendsofamerica.com/
Batjac JW: / scorpio86ist
Jedi TV: / jedigunfighter
Guns of the West: / utahconcealedfirearm
Duke Frazier Productions: / dukefrazier
Living History Comes Alive: / channel
Ravenna Old and New West Vestures: ravennaoldwest.com
Ravenna commercial: • Video
River Junction Trading Co.: www.riverjunction.com
St. Louis & Iron Mountain Railway: www.slimrr.com/
Small Caliber Arms Review: / @smallcaliberarmsreview
Slick Sixguns channel: / @slicksixguns
_____________________
Facebook: / arizonaghostriders
Twitter: / santee2171
Instagram: az_ghostrid... - บันเทิง
The good old days when our money was worth something instead of inflated junk.
Oh, it's even worse. In the early 1980s when pennies were made out of copper, the value of copper jumped. So much so that a penny's copper content was worth about 2 1/2 cents. Even though doing so is illegal, guess Uncle Sam feared folks would melt down their copper pennies anyway. So halfway through 1982, all the copper pennies were switched over to worthless zinc. Price of copper never did come down. You had druggies breaking into buildings to steal all the copper pipes, and selling them as scrap metal. I can't tell the difference between zinc and copper, so best bet is to go with all the pennies dated 1981 or earlier if you want to keep the copper ones for yourself.
It looks like it may get worse.
@@ArizonaGhostriders
I'm forced to agree with you on that one, Santee.
@@ArizonaGhostriders It's gotten so cold that the junkies are putting the copper back in the central air systems .
Pennies made of copper are minted. Pennies made of zinc are rolled. One way to tell if your penny is zinc is to look at it edge-on and see if one end is thicker than the other-- a sign that it was rolled instead of stamped.
I have always found the money of the era to be fascinating, it has a history of its own. I'm sure some of it could really tell a story.
Cool!
@@ArizonaGhostriders I didn't know that American money was so mixed up at one point.
@@eliotreader8220 Yeah, but a chunk of gold or silver solved some of that.
@@ArizonaGhostriders I found that most interesting and understood it better than the old English money system Pounds shillings and pence. I find it hard to understand as I was brought up on Pounds and Pence and euros and cents
3 santees is worth half a bill.
Wow...I'm a bargain.
@@ArizonaGhostriders I bet your family and friends would say priceless.
I've got a 1881 Morgan head dollar like that one. Resale value today $35.00.
I bought a bunch of them when they were about $15...they are the coolest!
An 1881 CC (Carson City minted) is worth considerably more, as are higher grade coins.
Some dates / mints are worth exponentially more than are the 'common dates'.
Interesting and educational. Coin collecting was popular when I was a kid. It seems to have gone by the wayside over the decades.
You know, I'm not in that world, but the coin shop I went to to get some of the Indian Heads seemed very busy. However, they were older folks..
@@ArizonaGhostriders Back in the sixties, when I was a kid, my dad got me into coin collecting. At the time there were several popular news stand magazines that were dedicated to coin collecting. I gave my collection to my son some years later and was surprised to find that many coins I had no longer had the value they'd had decades earlier.
Plus, my wife scrounging around for money to go to the store during our impoverished early years used all my silver half dollars and dollars as cash not knowing what they were worth.
It's still strong.
@@ArizonaGhostriders Much of it is online these days.
Very educational and I'm not even gonna give you my "two cents" about this one.
Thank you!
I will:
The Two Cent bronze (1864 - 1873) was the first coin to bear the motto, "In God We Trust".
The motto was then added to most (not all) U.S. coin designs in 1866.
The popular 'Buffalo Nickel' of 1913 - 1938 never had the motto.
The Two Cent and Three Cent coins were primarily distributed through Post Offices.
Sitting here under a juniper tree near Bagdad AZ, hunting javelina with my buddies and sharing my favorite TH-cam channel. You just got a new fan. Thanks Santee.
Clearly my new fan is not a Javalina...because he'd be chili by now!
@@ArizonaGhostriders Ahhhhhh ha ha 😂😆🤣😄. That's funny
Get them pigs!
@@-oiiio-3993 just gotta draw again.
Fascinating video. Until 1933, coinage aka hard currency was still the primary means of exchange in US. It's interesting that coinage becomes so iconic that you immediately know it . Both the Morgan Silver Dollar and the Double Eagle are that iconic. You do a great job of making practical history entertaining and you're my kids favourite channel.
Thanks for the info and that makes me feel very good.
Poor Santee doesn't even get a chance to say "We'll see you down the trail".
Sometimes.
"Fire starter," lol. Great one on money of the era. Thanks.
Right on
Nice to see the AGR logo sitting thar watchin them Morgans ...very well done lots of history there!!!
Glad you enjoyed it. Lotta info to get in a short amount of time.
I never lose money because the government is nice enough to print my name on it. 🤣
Damn
LOL!
OMG!!! YOU ARE GOD IN WHOM WE TRUST?!!!
@@WheelgunDan Little “g” god. Not the big guy.
@@WheelgunDan
The word 'Liberty' has been prominently featured, as mandated by the Coinage Act of 1792, on every U.S. coin ever minted.
'In God We Trust' did not appear until 1864 and then only on the new Two Cent Bronze. It was added to some (not all) of the other coin designs in 1866, but as late as 1938 the five cent ('Buffalo Nickel') did not bear the motto.
'In God We Trust' was not added to U.S. currency until 1957.
"Two pounds of sugar, a pound of coffee and thirty cents in change." Damn, my take-home pay doesn't even take me home.
thirtty cents could probably buy you two pounds of cornmeal. So....lots can be had back then for a little money.
Great video santee
Glad you enjoyed it
How about a video on the difference between Vaqueros and Caballeros.
Good idea!
Hi Santee, you nail it again! Great 😊
Thank you so much 😀
Your channel is my favorite! Thank you!
Wow, thank you!
I sure would like to get my hands on a couple of them $20 gold pieces! I have a little silver from the 1800s, now you're gonna have me looking on ebay! Great video Santee!
They are SO expensive. I bought a couple repros to have. Looks like the real deal.
Was thinking it'd take a brave or foolish man to be walking around with a quintuple eagle in their poke.
Apmex! Double eagles are about $2000+. Buy an almost uncirculated, random date, quarter eagle Apmex has those for just over $400. Bright uncirculated Half eagles are just over $600, and $10 eagles just under $1000. You'd have only seen a double eagle at the bank back then. About the highest denomination gold coin anyone would've had in their pocket was a $2.50 quarter eagle.
@@ArizonaGhostriders Well that makes a pair of Schofields look like a pretty good deal!
Those are about $2000. I have a $5 half Eagle gold coin that goes for about $550. Much easier to buy.
I love collecting old and rare currency from the west and around the world.
So cool!
I have liked this show very much because you've presented information. Clips from westerns make it more enjoyable as it helps me understand dialogues in movies. Thank you Sir. Love from Pune City Jai Maharashtra.
Our pleasure! So glad it helps!
Great video, Worth every Dime! 😏 We’ll see ya on down the trail 🍻
You know it! HA!
Can you imagine how it must have felt to have a 50$ gold piece in your pocket back then. Let alone multiple.
That same $50 gold piece today I would lock in a safe!
The $50 would have been a very rare sight and unknown outside of Northern California or the Mint at Philadelphia.
They were not U.S. coins, but were minted by the U. S. Assay Office of Kellogg $ Co., a precursor to the U.S. Mint at San Francisco.
Though some were sold to local citizenry, their purpose was to accurately account for gold assayed for shipment to the primary U.S. Mint at Philadelphia where they were melted to be coined as standard issue.
Several were found on the wreck of the S.S. Central America.
Excellent! Once again you knocked it out of the park Santee. Always enjoyable videos, even for a poor counterfiter! 😅🤣😂
😁 HA! Thanks.
Love collecting old coins great seeing different curranty, coins was worth alot more back in the day dont get much the £1 now days , tfs santee takecare xx
Thank you, Wendy! I like coins, too.
I have a gold 1879 quarter eagle, $2.50, and about 30 Morgan dollars, about half are New Orleans mint. I am saving to buy a gold half eagle, $5.0
I have an 1864 Confederate $10 bill. I also have almost a roll of Indian head pennies, an 1861 dime, and 1865 3 cent nickel.
The Colt single action revolver or Smith and Wesson Frontier model was about $15.95 cents in 1895. The new Colt 1892 revolver was $12.95, and the Smith and Wesson pocket revolver was $9.95. I think a Winchester rifle was close to $20, while a Parker shotgun was $200. A bicycle was $100. They were expensive.
The city of Philadelphia conducted a survey in 1895 determining that a family with a weekly income of $5.50 per week was poor, but above the poverty line, and stable. A weekly income of $10 for a family was lower middle class.
If I remember, a Union Army private in 1865 made $13 per month and a Colonel of Volunteers about $250.
Man you got some gooood stuff!
Good stuff.
Love your show Mr Santee I love learning about the wild west I appreciate it Thank you and have a good day
Thanks, you too!
@@ArizonaGhostriders OMG hiiiiiii how are you??
Hey Santee, another very cool video. Especially touching commerce and how money is treated. Bravo and have a great week my friend. 👍👍👍👍👍
Thanks for that, amigo!
Very interesting. Thank you Mr. Santee. Kid Tumbleweed
Very welcome
This was wonderful, Santee! Thank you for these great videos and awesome information! Write this down Santee, "BIRTHDAY CELEBATIONS IN THE OLD WEST!" maybe you could do this someday! Thanks again, Santee!
Great idea!
With them recently announcing Young Guns 3, could you do a video on Billy the Kid? Love the videos you do!
Yes!
I didn’t know that, but I don’t follow movies. That said I am up for some Billy the Kid stories.
Hold up what!?!? Young Guns 3???
Another remake? Hollywood is truly out of ideas. Will the woke jokes have a trans woman of color playing Billy?
@@alswann2702 nah. Its supposed to be a sequel with the original cast
Poor old Santee. Doesn't know which way is up.
Thanks for the video, Santee. I found it t be of great value👍😊.
Rather a coincidence as I have just bought a necklace for my partners mum which was made using a coin called a farthing which was worth one quarter of a penny. It's dated 1941 which is the year she was born. Farthings have been out of circulation for a long time now so I was surprised to find one made into a piece of jewelery.
Yes! I have a sixpence coin and just love it. You all have some great lookin' money there.
Santee, really good one!!! One thing I always wondered why, in the westerns everything was paid for in coins. As usual, very fascinating AND educational
Many thsnks!!!!!
Glad you liked the video.
I was waiting for this one!
Cool
Great episode,
It's amazing how much more our money was worth back then.
JT
Thank you! Nice Indian head penny. Know anything about that, JT??
@@ArizonaGhostriders
Got that one when I robbed a bank in Tombstone. 😂
Nice one. I have a collection of antique coins but not anything from the Old West so it was neat to learn about those.
The nice thing is that the coins are fairly common and can be found in coin shops or antique stores.
Real good way to get the motor running in the morning. I didn't know that paper money was pretty much worthless cuz it wasn't federally backed. Learned something fun and new today. PS I hope Bill makes good on his iou and doesn't renig on it, but we know Bill. Lol!
Glad you learned something!
ever heard the old saying "I'd rather owe ya than 'cheat' ya" ?? 'IOU'means I owe you,but this ain't WHAT I owe you.....
Santee, thank you very much for all of the videos you've posted up to now. Not only are they packed with education, they're hilarious as well!
one side note: this channel has rekindled my interest in old west reenacting...something that hasn't crossed my mind since I was a kid... so there's that little rabbit hole.
Keep up the stellar work, and hopefully I'll be able to make it down to tombstone for a show or three.
Thank you so much, Bill. Much appreciated.
Interesting subject as usual Santee! I cannot believe one slim dime could buy all those groceries!
You and me both!
Thanks for another cool episode Santee, & Hi Jerry!
Thank you!
Hey Santee! You should do a video about the railroad workers of the west!
Thanks for the idea!
I have a 20 dollar bill from the civil war and I know a lot about history and I’m only 11
So cool! Keep learning, young man. Proud to have you watching us.
Stay with it!
There's nothing quite like holding tangible historic artifacts in one's hand and learning from them.
That scene in Tombstone when Kurt Russel's character (Wyatt Earp) bellied up to the bar and expressed his interest in receiving a cigar and the loudly slapped a single coin onto the bar... I have often wondered how much that coin was worth. Apparently the value of the coin was exactly what the asking price of the cigar was.
I'm sure he had some change coming back. It was to show Milt Joyce that he was a stand-up guy.
Likely a silver Half Dime (issued 1794 - 1873) or a five cent 'Nickel' (1855 - present).
If Santee had a nickel for every video, Ghost Santee would rob him right away. That would be funny.
Yeah, probably!
Don't mind the username, love your videos they are always such entertaining little nuggets of information.
Glad you like them!
Beneath a lot of this, I’m seeing a lot of Hamilton vs. Jefferson, Webster/Clay vs. Calhoun/Jackson and North vs. South in regard to how Old Westians and the states viewed paper money vs coined silver or gold and the timing when “national” paper money came out regarding centralized banking and Old Westians still preferring gold and silver pieces.
Yeah, hard currency was the boss
I really enjoyed this!! Visiting from my friend burning sands Explorations
Awesome! Thank you!
Hi santee. It's milt again. The James cagney movie where he said "copper", I actually know where that came from. In the old days, (turn of the century), police officers were badges that were made out of???? You got it, COPPER
There are a lot of uncertain origins of the term. That is a cool one.
@@ArizonaGhostriders sincemany badges were silver or gold, but often CALLED 'the tin star' that doesn't exactly 'lineup' does it ??? COP 'might' be from C.O.P. or Chief Of Police......
I've read that it was from London 'Bobbys" with their copper coat buttons.
Now that video just makes cents!!!
LOL!
I really enjoyed the video. Good information. Thanks for the education Santee.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Another great video of the west thanks again Santee
Glad you enjoyed it!
Another good video this is my favorite subscription I enjoy your channel so much thank you
Awesome! Thank you!
Santee,
Always entertaining and educational! Thanks for the history lesson. Outstanding job
My pleasure!
Very interesting! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for watching!
As one of those numisma-folks I really enjoyed this one. Really cool and easily understood video and I can't wait to see the future video of this concept. Oh and happy hunting for those morgans
I am so glad I got approval from you Numismatistical fellas. I'm actually gonna start trying to find some bills and do one on paper money. Sure, a half eagle would be nice...but I gotta pay for healthcare and those coins are PRICEY.
@@ArizonaGhostriders I heartily approve, as well.
The first U.S. 'paper money' was issued in 1861 (research Demand Notes), not '63, but you've got to start somewhere.
Thank youuuu
You're welcome.
How you doing Sante good to see you again buddy keep warm an safe love your videos
Thanks, you too!
What a strange coincidence!! I have been writing a story that takes place in the 1800s and was kinda bummed that there were a few things I didn’t know about their currency. It made writing a particular chapter quite difficult.. I even almost submitted a video request to cover currency a bit clearer than the other online sources I’ve discovered. Than WHAM the Arizona Ghostriders somehow read my mind and gave me the video I wanted two days later.. GREAT video, Santee!! Many thanks!
You are very welcome!
Loved, as per usual.
So glad!
Another great episode! And this was fortuitous, as I'm working on a western horror RPG, and today I was working on the section on money!
Sounds great!
Outstanding tutorial. This makes it easy for so many to understand the difference between the cash of the old west and now.
Well, thanks. I'm glad to have had your article to answer some questions.
I'm writing a western novel, and your videos on this channel, have helped me out a lot. Love your content, thank you for all the research help! ;)
Happy to help!
Same, except mine isn't exactly historical, lol. It's a fantasy story with magic and supernatural elements, but it's set in an Old West style world and uses Western tropes.
And here is a fanfiction writer from Germany....
This informations are so good.
After all wikipedia and google doesn't know everything!
@@utej.k.bemsel4777 So true!
Santee, wondering if any kind of sharpshooter games existed back in the day such as the classic "people throwing bottles up and trying to shoot them" or anything like that to show off marksmanship!
Yup! I'll talk about them in future episodes.
TH-cam thought I should watch this oldie but goodie. I think you should have a re-release of that inflation calculating video
Oh, the price of meat has skyrocketed since then!
Santee, my grandpa Paul Allen used to write for the Tucson Citizen newspaper. He even helped put up those statues of Wyatt Earp and Doc Holiday that you featured in a video awhile ago. Could you do a video about Tucson’s role in the west for my grandpa?
I sure can!
I just found you through Cindy's channel. WIN WIN 👏👍🤠new subscriber
Cool! Welcome. Love Cindy's channel.
This would of been useful when I was a hardcore cowboy. Not much of one anymore because bringing an expensive cowboy hat to a middle school just doesn’t feel comfortable.
Yeah, I agree. People like to make fun of you and take your hat too.
Yeah, when you get older you can get that hat back in action. Girls go for a fella in a cowboy hat!
@@larryblack5963 Glue it on?
Nice job Santee, very interesting.
Glad you think so!
The best currency from the ancient Greeks until today is gold and silver. My opinion of course. Great video my friend.
I think you are right on, amigo.
3:05 the coin on the right is a trime. They were made out of silver and were extremely popular. They were so popular in fact that people would hoard them, so they made one out of buckle as well so they would circulate.
Correct. In circulation about 21 years.
Trimes were introduced and distributed through Post Offices. The first class one ounce rate was three cents.
The Three Cent Nickel (1865) was also distributed through the P.O. along with the Two Cent Bronze (1864) and Fractional Currency Notes (1862) to alleviate a major issue of the day.
As silver coinage was hoarded at the onset of 'Civil War', people resorted to use of postage stamps for small change, which later led them to turn in raggedy stamps to the P.O. for new ones, causing great nuisance and cost. Low valued base metal coins and Fractional Currency 'shinplasters' were the answer.
I absolutely love these videos where you put your money where your mouth is! It makes good cents! Hopefully you didn’t have to shell out too much to make it!
Okay I’m done. Bad puns aside I love your videos and they are really helpful. I’m currently writing a book with some old West mixed in and was having trouble deciding how to do the currency in the book and you just gave me a couple of ideas. I’m going to need to thank you in some way.
Looking forward to the next video!
Thank you and I appreciate the puns. Don't ever....change (my attempt).
Great video Santee
Thanks for the visit
You forgot to mention wooden nickels. That’s the most reliable currency. Anyway that’s what I was told when I sold my saddle.
No, you were told to NOT take any wooden nickels. :-)
LOL!
2:50 Lady liberty seated looks very similar to how Britannia is depicted on a British currency that is an interesting design choice.
Yes!
The chief designers of the U.S. Mint for decades were British trained and the influence was readily apparent.
When Theodore Roosevelt became President he wanted American designs (of a Romanesque style) to be on U.S. coinage which brought us the Saint Gaudens $20 and $10 gold, Lincoln Cent, 'Buffalo' (bison) Nickel, and more.
I feel like things were alot more affordable back then than they are now a days. It feels like having a 20 dollar bill now is like having a 10 dollar bill and its only gonna get worse
Yeah, but remember, you may not have made much money.
I have a Morgan silver dollar, I had no idea about the school teacher thing that's awesome.
Yeah, that was cool for me, too!
Thinking in terms of buying power you also had to consider the inflation as you moved west. Mark Twain, in his book Roughing It on his travels in the west after the Civil War, remarked that, on the east coast, 5 cents could get you a newspaper or shoe shine (not an easy job when horses, and everything that went with them and out of them, were still on the streets). By the time you got to the Mississippi these would cost 10 cents and by the time you got to Nevada 25 cents. The cost of shipping and the higher salaries that people could command in the labour starved west being the reason.
Not to mention each "boomtown" had inflated prices...because they could. Supply & Demand.
Like Hawaii today.
I always wondered this thank you now I know the secrets to the universe
Damn. I'm good!
a bit for a kiss, 2 bits to hold hands... 2 bits for a shot...$1.50 for.....? oh we forgot supper ... gotta start over...ask Bill I'm sure he'll remember? lol
😆
I've read the Mexican Peso was also legal tender in the US during the first half of the 19th century. I'm sure it must have been a common sight in the southwest.
It was. If it was silver, it was worth something.
When the U.S. Mint was established in 1792, the U.S. Dollar was based on the Spanish Dollar and traded at par. 'Spanish' (Mexican) coinage enjoyed full legal tender status in the United States through 1857, the same year the pure copper 'Large Cent' and Half Cent coins were eliminated.
In the Southwestern U.S., Mexican minted 'Spanish' coins were more commonly found than U.S. coinage until well after the 'Civil War'.
The reason for the Half Cent originally was to make change for one Real, or 'Bit', which equaled 12.5 cents.
"Two bits, four bits, six bits, a dollar..."
The divisions of the U.S. Dollar (subsidiary coinage) were partly metric, partly 'cleaved' as was the Spanish Dollar.
One Dollar (1.00) was metrically divided into ten dimes (0.10) or one hundred cents (0.01).
As the Spanish Dollar (8 Reales) had subsidiary coins of half (four Reales), quarter (two Reales), and eighth (one Real, or 'bit'), The U.S. provided Half Dollars and Quarter Dollars to facilitate exchange between Spanish and U.S. coin.
The Half Dime and Half Cent (one 'bit' = 12.5 cents) rounded out the lower end while the Ten Dollar gold Eagle and its Half Eagle ($5) and Quarter Eagle ($2.50) were the original U.S. gold coins.
In Texas, Mexican Silver Coins were the primary form of money up until at least the Civil War. Along the border their use was common into the later 1800s.
Good morning Santee fraction dollars thats something I'd never heard of and I didn't know gold coins went all the way upto 50 dollars,.isn't is crazy how far money went back in those days,. Its like me father telling me everything he'd get as a kid and teenager for a few cents,.imagine money still got us this much today,.Definitely wouldn't be as many homeless or hungry people eh..thanks Santee for another fantastic episode
You're welcome. Glad you learned something!
@@ArizonaGhostriders +always learning something fun here Mate 🙂
The 1851 - 1852 $50 'slugs' were not U.S. Mint product, though they were used as currency. There never were many of them and most went to the Philadelphia Mint to be melted and reissued as then current U.S. coinage.
They were produced by California gold rush assayer Augustus Humbert along with other privately issued gold coinage. The only $50 U.S. coin (other than recent 'bullion' coins) were the 1915 Panama Pacific Exposition commemoratives, though patterns were made of a $50 'Half Union' in the 1870s.
Fractional Currency was initially an emergency measure to alleviate severe coin shortages brought about by Civil War era hoarding. People were using postage stamps as currency and would bring raggedy, worn stamps back to the Post Office to trade for new ones.
In a rare move of sensible government, the Postmaster General pushed for "Postage Currency" of three and five cent notes in 1862 which later was expanded to include notes of ten, twenty five, and fifty cents. They were issued through 1876
The very same 'origin story' accounts for the issuance of the Two Cent bronze (1864 - 1873) and 'Three Cent Nickel' of 1865 - 1889. The 2c was the first coin with the 'In God We Trust' motto and the 3c Nickel was the first to be made of 75% copper, 25% nickel. The Five Cent Nickel was introduced in 1866.
Hey Santee is it possible you could do a episode on bolt action rifles in the old west? If they were around
The bolt action rifle actually predates the metallic cartridge. The Prussians used a paper cartridge bolt action in the 1840s, and many designs were made in Europe throughout the rest of the century. While I'm sure that SOME made their way west, the bolt action was really more of a European thing, with it not gaining much traction in the US until the 1890s.
I can.
@@ArizonaGhostriders thank you santee good luck with the making of other vids as well!
@@Devin_Stromgren and I don't know of ANY that were popular enough to make it to the American west.... I'm sure there were a few, but I believe DAMN few....
🤣 First thought that came to my mind from the title was "two bits!" 😃 and As always... another Great Video!!
Thanks! 👍
Two bits (one quarter dollar), indeed.
Per the Coinage Act of 1792, the U.S. Dollar was based on the Spanish Dollar and traded on par. The divisions (subsidiary coinage) were partly metric, partly 'cleaved' as was the Spanish Dollar.
One Dollar (1.00) was metrically divided into ten dimes (0.10) or one hundred cents (0.01).
As the Spanish Dollar (8 Reales) had subsidiary coins of half (four Reales), quarter (two Reales), and eighth (one Real, or 'bit'), The U.S. provided Half Dollars and Quarter Dollars to facilitate exchange between Spanish and U.S. coin.
The Half Dime and Half Cent (one 'bit' = 12.5 cents) rounded out the lower end while the Ten Dollar gold Eagle and its Half Eagle ($5) and Quarter Eagle ($2.50) were the original U.S. gold coins.
Spanish coin enjoyed full legal status in the U.S. at even par until 1857, the year the Half Cent was eliminated.
@@-oiiio-3993 Good history lesson! Now I wish that pesky xtra 9/10 cents would fall off that price per gallon of gas!
@@franks6857 Indeed.
Glad you liked my reply.
I will go take the gold coins please. So nice and pretty. Another valuable episode Santee
HA! thanks, Martina.
When the U.S. Mint was established in 1792, the U.S. Dollar was based on the Spanish Dollar and traded at par. 'Spanish' (Mexican) coinage enjoyed full legal tender status in the United States through 1857, the same year the pure copper 'Large Cent' and Half Cent coins were eliminated, the new cent being the 88% copper Flying Eagle 'small cent'.
In the Southwestern U.S., Mexican minted 'Spanish' coins were more commonly found than U.S. coinage until well after the 'Civil War'.
The reason for the Half Cent originally was to make change for one Real, or 'Bit', which equaled 12.5 cents.
_"Two bits, four bits, six bits, a dollar..."_
Thanks for adding extra info!
@@ArizonaGhostriders Glad you appreciate it!
Dig your content (subscribed) and style.
I was more than a bit worried that I might be 'stepping on' the forum a bit.
If you have any questions, feel free to ask... if I don't know the answer I'll see if I can find it.
Good stuff, thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it
No so much the old west but hundred or so years later in the colonial era is the most common money was the Spanish Dollar (what many call a Piece of Eight) and our current money is based more on this type of currency than British Pound. This is why the Quarter was known as two bits as it was the same as 2 reals. (A piece of eight was an eight real piece.) English currency was much harder to come by and could not be minted in the Americas. It was also more cumbersome to count.
Our twenty dollar gold piece (double eagle) was pretty much the equivalent of a Spanish Doubloon. However the Doubloon was was worth about 32 Spanish reals as the doubloon was double Escudo, hence the name. And the Escudo was worth double a piece of eight. The piece of eight was the largest of the silver Coins and Escudo was the smallest of the gold coins.
Fortunately, there was also this coin called a centavo that was catching on and there were hundred of those to piece of eight or Spanish dolllar. These were normally made of copper or bornze. Sound familiar.
Most colonial shops had chart that posted the the value of different coins from France and England but as the Spanish coins were most common, that was what other coins were compared to. I wouldn't be surprised if Spanish coins were still common in the old west as the coins had real value in silver or gold and could be weighed! (You could tell is some body had shaved around the edges and such).
Cool info!
@@ArizonaGhostriders , you can sort of thank Robert Louis Stevenson and his book Treasure Island. In the Long John Silver talks of “Spanish Dollars”. As I had a website dealing with the golden age of Piracy that got the to researching currency in Colonial America and just what the was a piece of eight.
Correct on all counts!
How refreshing!
Really like this video. Interesting stuff.
Glad to hear it!
There coins , cash and bank notes. Coins from a bank mint, US Government Mint, Spanish coins were in use in the southwest up thru the 1930's. Cash was not the standard monetary form until the 1910's, and a bank note was usually used by cattle owners as fund vouchers in their destination. Money went farther back then.From Alaska
Good info!
It doesn’t make cents for Bill to swipe your bills and leave an IOU. You can always count on him to come up with something to do to you.
HAAH! He will never change.
Still happy till this day that I found a lady liberty coin from 1889 in my dad's safe that my great uncle stole it from him while he was in the barn counting money
Wow! Some fun story.
Great video, Santee! You hit the nail on the head. Most folks nowadays look at the pretty pieces of paper in their wallets and just without thinking, see money. But back in the Old days, coins had real, intrinsic value. Silver dollars were actually made out of silver. Hey, what a concept. In 1965 is when all the precious metals were removed from most U.S. coins. And unbelievably, the population at large just accepted it. If there ever is an economic collapse, those pretty pieces of paper will be useful for wiping one's backside, and that's about it.
Then again, even metal is worth only what people say it's worth. It's only a medium for exchanging wealth, taking the place of a barter system. If I have plenty of food, for example, gold is worth nothing to me, just as paper money is. If I want something, I need to barter for it, as does everyone else, and I can use any medium exchange that is satisfactory to someone else.
The silver 3-cent piece was actually 75% silver to dissuade folks from melting it down.
@@ArizonaGhostriders
It's an excellent idea still used today with the modern-day nickel. 75% copper. Only 25% nickel.
@@skydiverclassc2031
If something is rare but desirable by many, then it has intrinsic value. Such as gold. There's more silver than gold out in the world, but silver is still somewhat rare; so it too has value. Just not as much as gold. That's how it works.
I recently commissioned a custom-made skull pendent in solid Bronze. We're talking paying for the jewelry House to design it, all the tooling, making the molds, casting it first in wax to refine the design in the details, custom loop design on top of the skull. All of it.... $136.oo
It's bronze. I don't even want to think of how insane the price would be if it was for one in gold. Also, lately been on a brass buying spree. All sorts of items that would be appropriate to be made out of brass, I've bought them. No way I'd be able to afford even 1/8 of those items if they were in gold.
@@skydiverclassc2031 Absolutely correct.
When I see 'preppers' going on about how one must hoard gold ahead of some impending apocalypse I tell them, "you can't eat the stuff - at least it would make good bullets".
Awesome video wish I had some of those coins you have a nice collection
Thank you!
Hey Santee, can you do one on the carbon steel skillets that the cowboys used to carry in their saddlebags to cook with on the trail with....Rowdy
I can do one on different type of skillets.
Great video
Glad you enjoyed it
Good video as always.
I appreciate that
Bill gave your coins back to you? How...un-outlawlike. I'm reporting him to the Outlaw Commission.
Not only that, but there were two additional coins! I actually made out. I guess Bill likes me a little.
Great video as always, Santee was just wondering , how did they handle snow storms in the old west? clearing snow in town? dealing with it on the trail?
It's been asked, and I will have to find out!
Santee can you please do one on gun stores/gun smiths in the old west
It has been asked and yes I will!
I have an idea/design for a wild west coin, it can be same size as a half dollar coin or a bit bigger, the tail side can be two double action revolvers from the old west facing each other with barrels crossed. Two ideas for the head side 1. Santee face and the word Arizona Ghost Riders underneath. Where "In God we trust" would be "In Santee we trust". 2. A bounty hunter cowboy hat, next to it would be "In God we trust" where it usually is on a coin.
Now that would be something special! I know there are people who strike coins out of buillon that are for the value of the precious metal (not cash). Maybe make one of those!
Nice knife (like to collect them), oh yeah nice vid too. 😜, 👍🏼❤️🇺🇸🤠
It's so big it's almost a joke knife! Like it though. Thanks!