Shayde, thank you for this article, and I think it is pretty compelling evidence.
These kinds of coinage were certainly not the kind of currency found about in colonial America in those times. Despite the prevalence of trade, which was not direct necessarily with these 'exotic' locations, the amount of such currency which filtered to these shores via these networks was likely small, and more a novelty. The coins would have probably been melted down for the metal.
While the romantic notions of pirates and the proverbial dead mans chest have long been pretty much dispelled, I think there had to have been some degree of secreting at least some amount of currency.
After all, through history the burial or secreting of valuables and money has been commonplace. The discovery of hoards of coinage in archaeological finds or metal detector discoveries is well known. ......there were no banks until fairly modern times.
Rick brings up a good point on coinage, with coinage or currency outside the standard exchange, how would one determine value? I would imagine either it would be based on the precious metal, or perhaps simply become a barter type agreement. Taverns and some establishments used a 'tally' (precursor to the bar tab) for individuals, but in everyday business its hard to say.
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