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How to Identify an Old Pirate Coin

Pirates are criminals who roam the open seas preying on merchant vessels. According to National Geographic, the first physical descriptions of pirates "came out of the Golden Age of Piracy," between the late 1600s and the early 1700s. Authentic coins are often salvaged from old pirate shipwrecks. Identifying old pirate coins requires the intellectual flexibility to understand that the vast majority of their treasures were stolen from people belonging to different countries and cultures. Contact an independent coin expert, or an expert associated with a coin auction house, for a thorough investigation.

Things You'll Need

Magnifying glass

Instructions

- 1
  Observe the illustrations on the coin. Understanding cultures and civilizations that existed during the age of piracy helps you decide whether the markings on a coin are legitimate. Moctezuma was the Aztec ruler of present-day Mexico during the 1600s. Aztec coins carried images combining nature and the spiritual world. Old coins that show Aztec images of Tonatiuh, the God of the sun, were found in the possession of many pirates.
- 2
  Note holes in the coin. Coins with holes near the rim were used by people of ancient civilizations for hanging the money off chains. The holes were symmetrical and often shaped as circles or squares. Coins with holes such as these are indicative of Aztec coins from cultures along the Mexican coast.
- 3
  Identify social and political and religious illustrations on the coin. Pirates also robbed European governments and business ships. Many European coins during the early 1700s depicted political and cultural events. For example, during the 1700s, Roman coins displayed military generals and emperors of the time. The Moors of Spain displayed Islamic symbols on their coins. Many pirate coins from this era depict these images.

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