Posted on 07/03/2008 5:09:59 AM PDT by Soliton
Researchers announced Wednesday that remains excavated in the last three years were those of the long-sought dwelling, on the old family farm in Virginia 50 miles south of Washington. The house stood on a terrace overlooking the Rappahannock River, where legend has it the boy threw a stone or a coin across to Fredericksburg.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
As I pointed out above, minor leaguers have thrown baseballs farther than 400 feet.
The US silver dollar was roughly the same size and weight as a British half-crown, on which it was conciously modeled with the intention of transitioning from British coin to US coin as seamlessly as possible.
The half-crown of Washington's boyhood and the silver dollar of his presidency were pretty similar.
Yes, if they stay EDGEWISE into wind and don’t start flipping, something I’m not seeing someone doing effectively with an overhand throw with enough power to get it 300 feet.
Like I said, a stone I buy, a coin, I’m skeptical.
The myth was originally that he threw a silver dollar across the mile-wide Patomac river.
This was adjusted to throwing a silver dollar across the Rappahannock to make it more possible.
I now point out that silver dollars didn't exist when Washington was young and you want to change the coin (and the wrong coin at that). If you want to substitute a coin, use the Spanish reale.
"Thomas Jefferson was among the proponents for a silver dollar coin as early as 1785. These were difficult economic times for the young country. The Spanish 8-reales coin filled the need in the absence of a U.S. Mint and federally issued currency.
When Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton presented Congress with a report on a Mint and a monetary system, a dollar coin with the approximate weight and purity of the Spanish 8-reales coin was taken into serious consideration. The very first statute of the Mint Act of April 2, 1792, authorized striking of silver dollar denomination coins. Our federal coinage actually begins in 1792 with what could be argued to be patterns, regular production of some denominations commencing during 1793."
http://www.coinfacts.com/historical_notes/history_of_the_silver_dollar.htm
Give it up it is a myth
Of course there weren't.
But from 1794 to the 1820s silver dollars and British half-crowns were both current in the US and about the same size and weight and considered fungible. In other words, if someone in 1810 Virginia told you that he wanted two dollars for the bridle you were buying in his shop and you handed him a half-crown piece and a silver dollar, he wouldn't be likely to raise a fuss.
The term "silver dollar" is one that was used very loosely in the early 1800s.
I'm not saying to story is not apocryphal - I am merely pointing out that a athletic teenage sixfooter can quite feasibly throw a small object 250 feet.
How come I supply sources for my statements and you never do?
“Easily the most famous of the Hanoverian kings of Great Britain was George III (1760-1820). This long reign witnessed his descent into madness and Britain’s first great territorial loss, the 13 American colonies. The grandson of George II, he was the first of the Hanoverians to be born in Britain, and he thought of himself as English. During the early years of his reign, very little silver was coined, as this metal was undervalued and didn’t circulate. Aside from the four Maundy coins, only shillings and sixpence were struck, and these nearly all in 1787 alone. A semi-official, token coinage in silver was produced for the Bank of England from 1804 to 1816, and this resulted in some very peculiar denominations. The only substantial coinage of silver during this reign consisted of crowns, halfcrowns, shillings, sixpence and Maundy coins produced at a new lower weight from 1816 to 1820. A new reverse was used which featured the national arms, surrounded by the Garter and surmounted by a crown. The five-shillings or crown piece portrayed St. George slaying a dragon. “
http://www.coinsite.com/content/Articles/BritainSilver.asp
“Spanish silver dollars were so trusted and accepted by the American public that they remained official legal tender until 1857 and continued to be used out West into the 1870s. When you hold these coins, you will actually be holding American history in the palm of your hands! Could these coins have passed through the hands of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Betsy Ross...? Who knows! Each coin bears either the portrait of Charles III or Charles the IV, the Spanish kings that appeared on this coin from 1772 to 1808. This coin was the workhorse silver dollar of early America. Because of their high silver content, many of these coins were later melted down to help produce U.S. trade dollars, and some even ended up in Morgan Silver Dollars! What makes these coins even more magnificent is that they’ve all been graded in Very Fine condition - incredible considering their age and popularity as circulated coinage!”
However, just because the Hanoverians weren't minting it doesn't mean that the half-crown was out of circulation.
Coins last a good long while, including half-crowns.
I saw that game on TV as well. Man, what a throw.
Please provide some evidence that colonial Americans of GW’s time used halfcrowns as dollars.
A George II halfcrown (those in circulation when GW was young) had .274 ounces of silver.
The first silver dollar had .875 ounces of silver. (Similar to the Spanish reales)
It is impossible that they were used interchangeably.
Will you please admit you were wrong?
“clay pipe with a Masonic crest found in one of the cellars may have belonged to George”
A nearby graveyard also contained Skull and bones!
In all seriousness. If they escavated my boyhood home, they might find a lot of cigarette butts, but they would have belonged to my parents not to me.
The washington home being excavated was a tobacco farm. I imagine a few smokers stopped by.
George also had 3 brothers.
It “may have belonged to George”, but the odds are against it.
Hmmmm.... So they found George’s boyhood home.
Perhaps now someone will dig up Obama’s home. Let’s see now, will it be in Hawaii, Canada, or Kenya?
I now point out that silver dollars didn't exist when Washington was young and you want to change the coin
Just like you said that a major league baseball player couldn't throw a baseball 300 feet and then changed the criteria.
Man, you are something else. You originally said that the legend was believable because "teenagers' routinely throw rocks more than 250 feet. (see your response 3.)
I responded that no one could throw a rock that far and that not even professional baseball or football players have done it. (see my post 8)
You responded with bogus stats that include running after the catch for football and bounces and rolls for baseball. This is hardly analogous unless a rock can run or roll on water. (see your post 9)
Some other guy mentions seeing Bo Jackson threw a guy out from 300 feet. I researched it and there is evidence that it happened and that it is the longest in the air throw. Even if it isn't, it was so rare it made international news. I also provided proof with cited sources that the longest pass in the air was 83 yards (249 ft.).
Another poster compares silver dollars and baseballs. I point out that there were NO silver dollars at the time, and you come up with this: The US silver dollar was roughly the same size and weight as a British half-crown, on which it was consciously modeled with the intention of transitioning from British coin to US coin as seamlessly as possible.
I point out that this can not be true because the halfcrown had one third the silver of our first dollar.
You go back to professional baseball players.
Bo Jackson and a few others may have thrown an aerodynamic projectile 300 ft. after a lifetime of training, practice and steroids. No one could throw a coin 300 feet. Not even them. George Washington joined the Navy at 14. I don't see how an early teen could do it.
You are a Bill Clinton debater; only admitting to what your opponent can prove. You pulled the halfcrown stuff out of your butt. Admit it.
I consistently provided sources, you provided none.
If you want a discussion with Soliton come prepared next time. You are not a very good liar
Wow, maybe you should increase your reading skill. I didn’t post in number 3 or number 9.
I’ll be prepared next time I go against Soliton, though. Thanks for the warning.
sorry, I was replying to someone else and got you by mistake.
But it said the house stood on a terrace overlooking the river. So he was not throwing that distance on level ground.
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