Colonial Pistareen
OriginSpanish America
First Minted1700s
MaterialSilver
TypeCoin
About Colonial Pistareen
A Spanish colonial two real coin worth about 20 cents in US terms. The pistareen was common in circulation in the American colonies and early United States. Slightly lighter than the US quarter, it passed for 20 cents. The 1820s reduction of pistareens to 17 cents caused confusion in American commerce. The pistareen was demonetized in the US in 1857 along with other foreign coins.
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