2 Reale in a public park!!!

[Coinboy]

I went to hunt a local park this morning with my new Etrac. The ground is freezing up here and I wanted to get out before it’s totally frozen. Since I needed 1 more silver to make 100, I went to the oldest park around, from the 1840s. I went out with low expectations, since I know the park has been pounded over the years. After hunting for about an hour and not finding anything I was getting discouraged. As I was about to head back to the car, I got a very deep, VERY iffy high tone. I told myself Hey maybe they missed a rosie or something. So I dug a nice 7 inch plug and in the plug my pinpointer went off: 1 rusty nail. I rechecked the hole and got an even better high tone. I dug down to about 8 or 9 inches and out came another rusty nail. Then the most beautiful 12-45 signal sang into my ears and I eagerly dug down. At 10 and a half inches: Silver coin edge! I carefully took it out of the hole and got out my spray bottle. It seemed oddly thin for a silver quarter. As the dirt came off the coin I could not believe my eyes and yelled “HOLY $!@?” I got a couple of weird looks but I didn’t care. SPANISH SILVER!!!! I threw down my headphones and ran around doing a happy dance. My 100th silver and I could not have asked for a better one. I quickly ran home to clean it. Turns out it’s from the 1730s from the reign of King Philip 5 of Spain! My oldest coin I’ve ever found! What a way to end the year. I could not get any “in situ” pics because I was shaking so bad! But here are some from when I got home. Thanks for looking!

 

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[Noah_D]

so I'm not sure it will make it or not but I nominated the post for banner just on the story alone - you told it perfectly!

I love hearing stories of detectorists going back to a spot that is "hunted out" and finding another coin
AND THIS COIN is absolutely incredible! I've found the 'last find' is sometimes the 'best find' and I bet this is the case with your park - incredible find and great story thanks for sharing it!

for me, this is what metal detecting is all about!

vp

I will as well... not to mention the rarity of finding a 1730s in Iowa of all places!

 

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[Steve in PA]

Wow you seem to be a Pistareen magnet. One in Florida and now one in Iowa!

 

[Coinboy]

Wow you seem to be a Pistareen magnet. One in Florida and now one in Iowa!

Wow great memory... Thanks!

 

[Coinboy]

I will as well... not to mention the rarity of finding a 1730s in Iowa of all places!

Thanks so much Noah

 

[islamoradamark]

Thats a nice lookin coin congrats

 

[Relics Ron]

Wow! What a find!

 

[toasted]

First Spanish I can recall being found outside of the east coast, Ohio, Kentucky area and I certainly wasnt expecting the first to be a Pistareen. Didnt even know these were still in circulation much after 1773 when the 90% silver portrait reales flooded the economy.

 

[Thebigd81]

Great find and even better from a pounded park!

 

[Trezurehunter]

Congrats on number 100. Thats a great coin.

 

[ArfieBoy]

Great find! One like that is still on my bucket list, but highly unlikely find in the western mountains! Thanks for sharing.

 

[Diggitdaddy]

You, are the luckiest detectorist I have seen in my ten years from good ol Iowa and Nebraska...great job on an outstanding find. So tired of reading the posts from people out east who dig up 1700s coins all day long. Oldest coin my friends and I have dug is an 1830 large cent. What you found is no doubt IOWA HISTORY...the early french settlers and fur traders. Am from Fort Dodge...you made my day knowing that there are still coins like that around ! Dave C.

 

[Coinboy]

You, are the luckiest detectorist I have seen in my ten years from good ol Iowa and Nebraska...great job on an outstanding find. So tired of reading the posts from people out east who dig up 1700s coins all day long. Oldest coin my friends and I have dug is an 1830 large cent. What you found is no doubt IOWA HISTORY...the early french settlers and fur traders. Am from Fort Dodge...you made my day knowing that there are still coins like that around ! Dave C.

Thanks! I’m at the other corner of the state..

 

[Taladeganite]

So Amazing... Congrats on an amazing 100th find! 3 years into metal detecting on the west coast and I'm on silver #4... I find more Gold jewelry... haha.. can you see a mint mark on the pistareen? Again.. just wow..


http://numismatics.org/wikiuploads/CNL/Pistareens.pdf

Thanks! I’m at the other corner of the state..

 

[SWINGER1969]

nice congrats
maybe there is hope for us up here in the midwest to find oldies.

 

[Coinboy]

nice congrats
maybe there is hope for us up here in the midwest to find oldies.

Keep looking, the oldies are here!

 

[jewelerguy]

far out man. No doubt you were totally shocked to see that. congrats!

 

[Coinboy]

far out man. No doubt you were totally shocked to see that. congrats!

Thanks, I sure was!

 

[BLK HOLE]

Boom!!!! What a way to close out on the century

 

[Diggitdaddy]

I live in Omaha, what county did you dig up that treasure ? Have hunted a lot of western Iowa counties along the Mormon trail, but no bucket listers yet

 

[Brian C.]

Nice find for sure. It is not every day you dig one of those.