The Coins of Fort Atkinson: a study in numismatic archaeology.

Summary

Unlike much of the rest of the world, numismatics as practiced in America has little recognized scholastic standing. The lack of perceived value for numismatics is readily apparent in the archeology of the Great Plains, where the indigenous economy was not based on bullion value, where coin hoards like those found on the eastern seaboard are basically non-existent and numismatic objects are considered to ‘historic’ and thus intrusive to the prehistory of the region. In such a setting, numismatic finds are often casually described, poorly photographed and left uninterrupted as to cultural meaning or context.

After reviewing the inexact manner in which coin finds have been handled at several Plains archeology sites, this paper reexamines an excavated site Nebraska to demonstrate the depth and insight a careful analysis of numismatic material can add to a site’s cultural and historic interpretation. 

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Numismatic Archaeology of North America - Contributions, Progress, and Prospects   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2017

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Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 594