🥇 BANNER 1787 Gold on MV

[Flyingbuy]

My dad was at the tail end of a 4 day visit to the island and anyone that been here knows the game you have to play with the ferry !!! While on my phone every ten minutes,,, I figured I would do a little detecting on an old colonial cart path that passes thru a field. I was using my Tesoro and often don't dig targets in the 40-59 range . This was a very clean crisp target only 5 inches down. I really thought it was a shiny Lincoln penny until I picked it up. Hope folks enjoy the pics !!!

I've just added a couple more pics , gently cleaned, also showing the edge.

Hi again,, I just added more pics of gold coin beside two silvers I pulled in Vermont and a dime and quarter for size reference. Also , I pulled this button with in ten feet of the coin. It took a (older ) hit on the front not sure what it is ,, looks like a log cabin. Any help ??, love to hear it , thanks

 

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[BCHistoryHunter]

Unbelievable find there. That must have been heart stopper seeing that beauty come out of the earth. I you sir. Well done.

Cheers, Dan.

 

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[UnderMiner]

Maybe belonged to one of the founding fathers.

 

[Flyingbuy]

Hey, thanks to all that chimed in with enthusiasm. . To answer a couple questions , the coin is about the diameter of a nickel and has an unworn knurled edge. I have three detectors, Tesoro DeLeon, AT pro gold, Minelabs explorer. The Tesoro has scored me over 200 pre 1800 coins from the Vineyard since 2008,, I feel really dialed in with this machine, however spring on the Vineyard is brutal with hot rocks and the Minelabs becomes my work horse. The last two years have been busy with work and little detecting time. Ironically, I have not pulled a big copper in almost two years , besides this gold surprise I've been pulling reales, a few on the Vineyard and some in Vermont ??. All of us that love and truly understand this hobby also understand that finding coins means minimizing the luck factor by knowing as much about your chosen hunting ground as possible. This ancient pathway or cart path ( island term ) was said to be a freeway of its day, although it hard to trace it through this field. I'm looking forward to hitting it again with more than just an hour to give it . I will post anything worthy,,, thanks again for all the great responses !!!!

 

[CRUSADER]

What Tesoro has VDI numbers?

Cortes.

 

[Flyingbuy]

The numbers where initially 42-54,,, when I dug a plug and checked again it was a consistent 56-60. I pull a lot of buttons and with plating over the base metal numbers often jump,, I was thinking button on this hit.

 

[jewelerguy]

most awesome. congrats!

 

[Pacivilwarluke]

That's aweosme! Incredible, banner!

 

[Mr. Digger]

Not sure what I can say that hasn't been said already. Congratulations on a one-in-a-million find! Banner!

 

[Bill D. (VA)]

Bill, Based on Flyingbuy's gold coin and your friend's coin, there must have been a reasonable number of gold coins in use during the Colonial Period. And I guess the reason we don't find many of them while metal detecting, is that the original owners were very careful and protective of their gold and gold was just a small percentage of the coinage in use. From your research is it possible to determine the percentage of gold, silver and copper in use during the Colonial Period. Gary

Gary - I don't know where to find those kind of stats, but I can tell you what mine are - 181 colonial silvers vs absolutely ZERO gold in almost 20 years of serious hunting. I have found 2 mid-1800s gold coins, but they don't count. Maybe one of these days. From my experience, the most likely colonial gold coin to be found would be a Spanish escudo (or 1/2 escudo), or a guinea like the one in this post, and these will in all probability be from the mid-to-late 1700s. Hammered gold from the 16th or 17th centuries, which has always been the #1 on my most wanted list, is pretty much impossible to find in the US. And its apparently a very tall order in the UK as well although Crusader just made the awesome recovery of one recently. But I won't be picky - I'll take any gold coin minted prior to 1799. Hopefully one day ....

 

[Limey-digger]

Very nice piece of Georgian gold what weight is it? (Half or full ??) Never found a Guinea here in the UK but it is high on my wish list. Your a lucky man to of dug that.

George..

 

[Msbeepbeep]

Fantastic find! Banner for sure!

You get ten extra points for extreme difficult circumstances, Prez is on Martha's Vineyard.

 

[brogansown]

Thanks Bill, I can almost visualize the oooh's and aaah's around the market tables when one of the gold coins were brought out to settle a large Colonial debt. By all accounts, humans have always had a nearly magical attraction to gold all the back to ancient times. With your luck and tenacity I'm betting you'll find one some day. Personally, I've never found a gold coin, lots of silver and hundreds of pennies. Right now just waiting out the hot weather and range fires raging all around us to get back out into the gold fields. Thanks again for all your articles and help. My regards to Stan if you hear from him. Gary

Gary - I don't know where to find those kind of stats, but I can tell you what mine are - 181 colonial silvers vs absolutely ZERO gold in almost 20 years of serious hunting. I have found 2 mid-1800s gold coins, but they don't count. Maybe one of these days. From my experience, the most likely colonial gold coin to be found would be a Spanish escudo (or 1/2 escudo), or a guinea like the one in this post, and these will in all probability be from the mid-to-late 1700s. Hammered gold from the 16th or 17th centuries, which has always been the #1 on my most wanted list, is pretty much impossible to find in the US. And its apparently a very tall order in the UK as well although Crusader just made the awesome recovery of one recently. But I won't be picky - I'll take any gold coin minted prior to 1799. Hopefully one day ....

 

[goldbill]

I hope all the BANNER FOR SURE mentioned know that we all actually have to nominate this fantastic find for banner.. Beautiful coin and hope to see it on top soon.... Goldbill

 

[Flyingbuy]

Bill, thanks for the posting, finding any gold has been on the top of my list too and your info makes me realize how lucky I am to pulled thisone. Martha's Vineyard was a very busy place with shipping during that period,, as a result I have pulled pre 1800 coins from many different countries. This may have increased the odds of finding this coin on our shores ??

 

[Evolution]

. That thing is amazing. Great pics with the dirt still all in the nooks and crannies. I love the look of a freshly dug coin. Congrats!

 

[stealthycat]

can you add more pictures? something like this find is awesome to share with everyone - gorgeous !

 

[The Rebel]

Amazing find of a life time. Good luck getting sleep LOL! Banner all day long, nuf said!

 

[Silver Tree Chaser]

Banner, Banner, bo-anner
Banana-fana fo-fanner
Fee-fi-mo-manner
Banner!

Colonial-period gold - you don't see that everyday. Congrats - Banner vote is cast.

 

[Flyingbuy]

Hi stealthycat, I just added a few more pics, as requested, hope you enjoy them ...

 

[gunsil]

Hey Fly, I hunted the Vinyard a lot 30 some years ago when I had a store in Edgartown, and have never seen such a fine find as yours, CONGRATS!! I still detect there in the fall and fish the Derby. I know five Edgartown MDers very well and a couple from up-island, just wondering if I know you? Congrats again!!
Best, Gino