Set of Five Shipwreck-Recovered Copper Coins | Maritime Relics | 18th–19th Century
Description
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Historical Context & Origin
Region: England (recovered from shipwreck context, likely colonial trade routes)
Material: Copper alloy with marine encrustation and patina
Period: 18th–19th century
Description
This group of five copper trade tokens/coins was recovered from a shipwreck context, dating to England’s colonial trade era of the 18th and 19th centuries. These small-denomination tokens were widely issued by merchants, taverns, and local authorities as substitutes for official coinage, making them indispensable in everyday commerce. Each token exhibits heavy marine corrosion and encrustation from long submersion, though faint traces of legends and devices remain visible under sea-wear. Together, they form a rare and evocative relic of global maritime commerce and colonial-era trade.
Features
- Five individual shipwreck-recovered copper trade tokens/coins
- Distinctive marine patina and encrusted surfaces from centuries underwater
- English merchant tokens used in everyday and colonial trade
- Tangible relics of maritime commerce and naval risk
- Displayable as both a collector’s artifact group and conversation piece
Cultural Significance
Trade tokens played a vital role in sustaining local economies in Georgian and Victorian England and throughout colonial possessions. Their circulation reflected the challenges of small-denomination coin shortages while also facilitating daily transactions across expanding trade networks. The survival of these tokens in a shipwreck context underscores the inherent risks of maritime transport and colonial exchange. Rediscovered today, they offer a direct connection to the realities of global commerce, seafaring, and the circulation of wealth during one of England’s most expansive periods of trade.
Condition
Shipwreck condition: heavy corrosion, surface encrustation, and loss of fine detail from prolonged marine exposure. Legends and designs obscured but forms remain intact. Stable and suitable for display as an authentic shipwreck-recovered group.
Dimensions (approximate)
Largest token: 1 in
Age
18th–19th century
Description
Historical Context & Origin
Region: England (recovered from shipwreck context, likely colonial trade routes)
Material: Copper alloy with marine encrustation and patina
Period: 18th–19th century
Description
This group of five copper trade tokens/coins was recovered from a shipwreck context, dating to England’s colonial trade era of the 18th and 19th centuries. These small-denomination tokens were widely issued by merchants, taverns, and local authorities as substitutes for official coinage, making them indispensable in everyday commerce. Each token exhibits heavy marine corrosion and encrustation from long submersion, though faint traces of legends and devices remain visible under sea-wear. Together, they form a rare and evocative relic of global maritime commerce and colonial-era trade.
Features
- Five individual shipwreck-recovered copper trade tokens/coins
- Distinctive marine patina and encrusted surfaces from centuries underwater
- English merchant tokens used in everyday and colonial trade
- Tangible relics of maritime commerce and naval risk
- Displayable as both a collector’s artifact group and conversation piece
Cultural Significance
Trade tokens played a vital role in sustaining local economies in Georgian and Victorian England and throughout colonial possessions. Their circulation reflected the challenges of small-denomination coin shortages while also facilitating daily transactions across expanding trade networks. The survival of these tokens in a shipwreck context underscores the inherent risks of maritime transport and colonial exchange. Rediscovered today, they offer a direct connection to the realities of global commerce, seafaring, and the circulation of wealth during one of England’s most expansive periods of trade.
Condition
Shipwreck condition: heavy corrosion, surface encrustation, and loss of fine detail from prolonged marine exposure. Legends and designs obscured but forms remain intact. Stable and suitable for display as an authentic shipwreck-recovered group.
Dimensions (approximate)
Largest token: 1 in
Age
18th–19th century
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