1rst Walking Liberty Half found in old trash pit could use some cleaning advice!

GulfCoastRelix

Jr. Member
Mar 2, 2010
28
15
Pensacola
Detector(s) used
Garrett 250 / Garrett Ace Pro
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Took a break from metal detecting yesterday to gather up some bottles at an excavated trash pit. Most of the best bottles were still hidden in the huge piles of dirt so I brought along my rake. After about 20 minutes of raking and pulling a few decent bottles a very black and crusty coin just popped out and I almost missed it. I couldn't read anything but could barely make out an eagle so I was excited. After I got home I soaked it and using a toothbrush got as much as I could off but now could recognize it as a 1942 Walking Liberty! I have wanted to find one of these forever how unusual in the way I found it didn't even have my detector with me. What luck. Anyhow here lays the problem. As with most trash pits this one was set fire and I believe it came in contact with another metal that might have bonded with it. I tried electrolysis to try and get what I could off. Although its better the stains are still there. What next? I don't want to ruin this coin and I'm not to saavy on what chemicals would work to remove it without damaging it. Anyhow here are some pics and more of some of the things I recovered. Everything is from the 40's including 14 cokes (1941-1946), 2 Dr. Pepper, 7-Up, Nehi's, and some nice milk bottles.

Mike
 

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Upvote 0
"Had to get my magnifying glass but its a Edison Giocattoli made in Italy. I cannot find the model number but its needs some more cleaning. I think this one is from the 60's."

sorry it took so long to get back. thanks for lookin buddy. mine actually turned out to be a toy also :'(... but from the late thirtys so its still pretty cool. keep that glass coming :thumbsup:
 

I found an old trash pit a few days back too, got some kinda old bottles. There were also buttons that I took, they were in a jar. Sometimes trash pits have a little bit of treasure.
The buttons I got were military, not sure how old

Nice bottles, do you know much about bottles?? I sure don't.
 

Nice sodas and I really like the old car best. Like others said, the half is pitted, not much you can do about that. I would chem-dip it, removes the stain and the coin will shine. I dug a silver Morgan dollar that was singed by fire. It was brown after cleaning and I ended up boiling it in tinfoil pieces and then rubbing it with spit and tinfoil. Thats the only thing that worked, I hate to say it!
 

Hello:
I found a 1934 Walking Liberty half in a trash dump when i was a kid,had something melted on it,plastic or something, and I just left in on. My mother still has it, junk and all. Pretty smart thing to do for a little kid.
 

Love the bottles! Wish I could come across something like this.
 

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