BRITISH PLANTATION COLONY OF TORTOLA (NOW PART OF THE BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS)
RARE - TRIANGULAR 1/8th CUT OF A SPANISH COLONIAL SILVER 8 REALES WITH "TORTOLA" COUNTERMARK STAMP
CERTIFIED BY NGC VERY GOOD 10
OBV: RECTANGULAR STAMP WITH COLONY NAME "TORTOLA".
REV: SMOOTH.
KM # 5
TORTOLA WAS INITIALLY A DUTCH SETTLEMENT, THOUGH THE FIRST TRUE PERMANENT SETTLERS TO THE ISLAND WERE PIRATES. BOTH BLACKBEARD AND CAPTAIN KIDD ARE SAID TO HAVE BEEN LATE 17th CENTURY RESIDENTS. THE ENGLISH WRESTED THE ISLAND FROM THE DUTCH IN 1666, AND ESTABLISHED A PLANTATION COLONY ON TORTOLA AND THE SURROUNDING ISLANDS.
THIS PIE-SHAPED WEDGE COIN, VALUED IN THE COLONY AT A SHILLING, WAS A ONE-EIGHTH PIECE CUT OR CLIPPED FROM A SPANISH COLONIAL SILVER 8 REALES COIN.
TORTOLA COUNTERMARK TYPE I
CONTAINS 2.9855 GRAMS OF .903 FINE SILVER (.0867 OZ ASW)
19 MM IN LENGTH AND 15 MM WIDE AT BASE
