🥇 BANNER Exceedingly rare Caribbean Countermarked Silver Coin Found (1 of 3 known)!

[Devonrex]

I've been fortunate during the month of March and been able to get out metal detecting at my new spot one day each week. In fact last week I was able to get out twice! This new area is close to where I found many French war buttons a few years back. In my last post I had finally dug a cuff 18 (Gatanois regiment) This was a number I had never dug before. Well last week I found myself my second one! This one was practically lying on TOP of the ground ....just under the leaves! It turned out to be a beautiful cuff 8 (Bearn regiment). Although I did find a coat 8 in 2012, I had never found a cuff 8!!! Not more than 10 inches from the cuff 8 I got another reading which turned out to be a solid silver knee buckle! The soil is almost 50 percent sand at this site so I could immediately see the WC and what looked like 2 lions stamped in the back. Other finds that day included a cuff eagle button, a couple of brass pieces to a Civil War shoulder scale, a brass very early, crude set of cufflinks and a small kepi buckle. Now to the the previous week. At the same spot I had barely turned onmy Nautilus DMC IIb when I dug a dropped Gardner, followed by a beautiful engraved brass keyhole to either a large chest or door. Now is when things get interesting. The only coin I had dug in this spot was a 1736 - 1795 Kao T'sung (Chien - Lung Dynasty) Chinese Coin. This was a strange find to dig here and the first I had ever found. Well, in the immediate area where I had dug my cuff 18, I started to move all the fallen logs out of the way. You don't realize how many good finds I have found over the years by doing this! Well not more that 8 feet from where the cuff 18 was found I got that good brassy two tone beep I love to hear! After digging down just 4 inches out popps a silver coin!!! Again because of the soil conditions I could immediately see a crown, the number 3, and another symbol counterstamped in the coin . The coin was also holed and from the design on the back I knew I had either a French, British, or Spanish coin (even though it was heavily worn). I can remember thinking "Could this be some sort of regimental Rev War ID tag?" I couldn't really detect anymore after finding this coin and I immediately went home. Once home I posted my finds on my Facebook page and not more than 5 minutes later my good friend and dealer Paul Chandler wrote what I wanted to hear. "You are correct! This is only the third Rev War regimental ID tag I have seen in 35years of dealing and digging! I was speechless. I have never found a Civil War ID tag after 30 years of digging and here I had just found a Rev War regimental ID tag! Well I immediately needed confirmation from Don Troini, the authority on Rev War artifacts. If you dig and ever find a rev war relic of importance he is the man to contact! I posted on his Facebook Rev War page and the discussion was intense! He, however, is unsure as to what this is. He did say the crown was not in the shape of a British crown so he didn't think it was British. Others said it was a bale seal or a coin weight. Well friends....... I've been digging, as I said for over 30 years, and I know whithout a shadow of a doubt this is no bale seal, or coin weight. Coin weights are always made out of brass...... and this was a silver coin at first ! And a silver bale seal ....HAHAHA. Now back to the silver knee buckle I just dug. After I got home I immediately posted this on facebook and within minutes another friend sent me a link to early 1700's British silversmiths. This link is a wealth of knowledge. All the initials of British silversmiths were shown. Listed clearly was the silversmith WC. William Cripps .....circa 1757!!! Also shown were all the other marks associated with early British silver smiths. Suddenly I knew what the mark below the 3 was on my counterstamped coin. It is a assay mark OR Towne mark showing purity of silver and is associated with a town or city in a country such as Britain or France! I am going to send some pictures of the tag over the internet to some people over in England and see if they can help me decipher what mark this is........ I still feel this could be a Rev War soldiers regimental tag. Whether it is British of French or Hessian ........ I don not know. What I do know is it is DEFINITELY NOT a bale seal or coin weight. If I had an authority on early world silver coins, they could also probably tell me based on the reverse of the coin what country the coin is from and what dates. You can bet I will be metal detecting at this site again soon!!! HH Devonrex

 

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[Silver Searcher]

So we have a worn Spanish/Dutch Silver Coin with a Caribbean Countermark and only three known....Hell yes banner for sure. Just seen I have no need to vote. Great Find DEVONREX.

SS

 

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[Devonrex]

So we have a worn Spanish/Dutch Silver Coin with a Caribbean Countermark and only three known....Hell yes banner for sure. Just seen I have no need to vote. Great Find DEVONREX.

SS

Thanks Silver Searcher! So, I need some advice on what to do now with this coin. Should it be sent off to a coin grading company and slabbed? If so, which one? Should I contact someone who deals in rare numismatics? I honestly don't know what to do next! HH Devonrex

 

[Silver Searcher]

Thanks Silver Searcher! So, I need some advice on what to do now with this coin. Should it be sent off to a coin grading company and slabbed? If so, which one? Should I contact someone who deals in rare numismatics? I honestly don't know what to do next! HH Devonrex

I would go with the one in the link that BrambleFind provided...DNW. I have used this company and they are very good.

SS

 

[ARC]

Wow... just saw this thread.
Amazing.
Well deserved banner.

 

[crabstang44]

Thanks Silver Searcher! So, I need some advice on what to do now with this coin. Should it be sent off to a coin grading company and slabbed? If so, which one? Should I contact someone who deals in rare numismatics? I honestly don't know what to do next! HH Devonrex

i think you should send it to me! lol, congrats on a rare find, so is there no details to tell what type of coin?

 

[Bill D. (VA)]

That's killer John!! I've never even heard of one of those. Well deserved banner.

 

[Iron Patch]

Thanks Silver Searcher! So, I need some advice on what to do now with this coin. Should it be sent off to a coin grading company and slabbed? If so, which one? Should I contact someone who deals in rare numismatics? I honestly don't know what to do next! HH Devonrex

Do you plan to sell it? If not put it in a protective case and lock it away. There's no more needed than that.

 

[Brian W]

So glad this coin made the banner...only 3 exist..that's incredible...it will get the attention it deserves..Congrats on the banner.

 

[Devonrex]

Do you plan to sell it? If not put it in a protective case and lock it away. There's no more needed than that.

I guess not Iron Patch. It is very special to me. I was thinking more of letting the coin world know of it's discovery. Devonrex

 

[Mach1Pilot]

One of three known to exist? Thats simply amazing! Congrats!

 

[cti4sw]

I guess not Iron Patch. It is very special to me. I was thinking more of letting the coin world know of it's discovery. Devonrex

Agreed - since it's a coin I would send it to PCGS; let them slab it and add it to their catalog. Maybe include a packet (with sources) on the research you did. After you get it slabbed, then maybe send info to DNW or the author of the article Bramblefind found, alerting them to a fourth discovery.

Great find. Buy yourself a sniper coil and hit that field like a dead horse

 

[Iron Patch]

Don't forget something... greater numbers equal lessor value, so when someone finds such a rare coin, and has no plans to sell, it's actually in their better interest to keep quiet. Obviously now it's a google hit, but if mine I would not be shouting it to the rest of the world. If a 4th comes along you want that coin to do very well at auction, and if collectors feel there is others in the wings, they may hold back slightly. Probably not enough to really worry about for a coin worth in the low to middle 4 figure range, but never the less I would try to hang on to as much rarity and value as possible.

 

[Reelsnrods]

You've got enough musket balls to start a small war[emoji3]. Continued good luck!

 

[Captain Caveman]

Congratz! I love reading this type of thing!

 

[MichiganMan]

Une superbe trouvaille

 

[Silver Tree Chaser]

I guess not Iron Patch. It is very special to me. I was thinking more of letting the coin world know of it's discovery. Devonrex

Devonrex - I think that such an exceptional find should be publicized or at a minimum make some contacts with experts in the field. The American Numismatic Society and C4 (Colonial Coin Collectors Club) have excellent quarterly newsletters, but the content is more like a research journal. There are specialists in the field who would be delighted to hear about this find. A couple of reputable auction houses could also provide some guidance. A modest amount of self-promoting makes a good deal of sense. I contacted Coin World, a weekly numismatics publication, in regards to an Oak Tree shilling I found back in 2006 (my avatar); they quickly wrote up a nice article on the find. I'm not a fan of slabbing, but you might consider it for this particular coin owing to various factors - rarity, etc. You might look into slabbing services just for authentication which I believe they do. A slab for grade is going to come back with a details grade with negative comments about damage, wear, etc. The condition of the coin is not important - the countermark is all important along with the awesome eye appeal of your find. The coin is undoubtedly authentic, but a slabbed authentication would help at auction should that interest you. If you wish to publicize the find, get it authenticated first. Terrific find! Best thread I've read in a long, long time.

 

[Devonrex]

Devonrex - I think that such an exceptional find should be publicized or at a minimum make some contacts with experts in the field. The American Numismatic Society and C4 (Colonial Coin Collectors Club) have excellent quarterly newsletters, but the content is more like a research journal. There are specialists in the field who would be delighted to hear about this find. A couple of reputable auction houses could also provide some guidance. A modest amount of self-promoting makes a good deal of sense. I contacted Coin World, a weekly numismatics publication, in regards to an Oak Tree shilling I found back in 2006 (my avatar); they quickly wrote up a nice article on the find. I'm not a fan of slabbing, but you might consider it for this particular coin owing to various factors - rarity, etc. You might look into slabbing services just for authentication which I believe they do. A slab for grade is going to come back with a details grade with negative comments about damage, wear, etc. The condition of the coin is not important - the countermark is all important along with the awesome eye appeal of your find. The coin is undoubtedly authentic, but a slabbed authentication would help at auction should that interest you. If you wish to publicize the find, get it authenticated first. Terrific find! Best thread I've read in a long, long time.

Thankyou Silver Tree Chaser for your thoughts and accolades regarding my find. Yes, I to feel this coin should be publicized in the coin world but as I have said all along, I am a relic hunter. I have literally discovered thousands of military artifacts from both the Revolutionary and Civil War but have recovered very few coins. I know when Bill Dancy found his Lord Baltimore sixpence a man very knowledgeable drove down to my area on his way to a coin show and both cleaned and helped in the slabbing process of his super rare coin. I believe his first name was John. I would like to contact this man and tell him of this coin as well as my 1974 Flowing Hair Half dime I found. Bill if you read this, can you contact me or if anyone else knows of this man or anyone else that would be beneficial in getting this coin the recognition it deserves please let me know!!!

 

[Iron Patch]

Thankyou Silver Tree Chaser for your thoughts and accolades regarding my find. Yes, I to feel this coin should be publicized in the coin world but as I have said all along, I am a relic hunter. I have literally discovered thousands of military artifacts from both the Revolutionary and Civil War but have recovered very few coins. I know when Bill Dancy found his Lord Baltimore sixpence a man very knowledgeable drove down to my area on his way to a coin show and both cleaned and helped in the slabbing process of his super rare coin. I believe his first name was John. I would like to contact this man and tell him of this coin as well as my 1974 Flowing Hair Half dime I found. Bill if you read this, can you contact me or if anyone else knows of this man or anyone else that would be beneficial in getting this coin the recognition it deserves please let me know!!!

John Kraljevich Americana | Colonial and Early American Coins

 

[Devonrex]

John Kraljevich Americana | Colonial and Early American Coins

Thanks , Iron Patch!

 

[NOLA_Ken]

Wow... I thought I was doing pretty good with my one of one saloon token Congrats on a truly awesome find!