First old American copper! Oldest coin I’ve found so far.

[arbuckle]

I think it’s a Draped Bust half cent. Weighs 4.6 grams, and the half cents when minted were 5.4 grams.

Can anyone confirm?

This overgrown road I’ve been hitting has certainly not disappointed. Different spots on a 400m or so stretch. Tick city though.

 

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[E-Trac-Ohio]

Congrats on finding your oldest coin !

If it was mine ... I'd use "Andre Pencils" on the coin to bring out more detail - good luck !

 

[arbuckle]

Congrats on finding your oldest coin !

If it was mine ... I'd use "Andre Pencils" on the coin to bring out more detail - good luck !

I had no idea those existed! It’s got a good crust on it, would you think that could come off? I was extra careful to only spray it and not scratch it with anything, but if I could get some more detail out of it that would be great.

 

[arbuckle]

Congrats on finding your oldest coin !

If it was mine ... I'd use "Andre Pencils" on the coin to bring out more detail - good luck !

I’m going to order some Andre’s Pencils - but would you recommend a peroxide bath to loosen any of the crust before a mechanical cleaning?

 

[Gare]

E-Trac is very experienced with Andre pencils
NICE FIND !!!

 

[Trezurehunter]

Yes, it does look like a Draped Bust Half Cent from the pics. I found an 1804 about 8 years back, and really had to look at the reverse to be able to get a date. The date itself was not legible, but they made a number of different reverses that led me to the 1804 date. Congrats on a nice find.

 

[Jeff H]

I’m going to order some Andre’s Pencils - but would you recommend a peroxide bath to loosen any of the crust before a mechanical cleaning?

Great find Arbuckle. Half Cents are hard to come by. I've been doing this for years and have well over 100 coppers. I recommend you "dry clean" your coppers only. I don't use peroxide any more or even water. Ruined too many coppers that way. Andre pencil, tooth picks, or a soft tooth brush is the way to go on those crusty coppers. Just my opinion.

 

[oldmxrat]

Cool find, congrats!

 

[Showtime2385]

Congrats!

 

[arbuckle]

Great find Arbuckle. Half Cents are hard to come by. I've been doing this for years and have well over 100 coppers. I recommend you "dry clean" your coppers only. I don't use peroxide any more or even water. Ruined too many coppers that way. Andre pencil, tooth picks, or a soft tooth brush is the way to go on those crusty coppers. Just my opinion.

Thanks Jeff! Why no peroxide? I did end up doing a warm peroxide bath to try to loosen anything that didn’t come off with the initial spray, but took it out to dry after an hour and a few checks along the way. Andre’s pencils are ordered.

 

[arbuckle]

Yes, it does look like a Draped Bust Half Cent from the pics. I found an 1804 about 8 years back, and really had to look at the reverse to be able to get a date. The date itself was not legible, but they made a number of different reverses that led me to the 1804 date. Congrats on a nice find.

I’m not certain yet if I’ll be able to get a date until I clean it with the andres pencils. Seems like more of a crust than corrosion to me but I’ll hopefully be able to get some good details off the obverse

 

[Jeff H]

Thanks Jeff! Why no peroxide? I did end up doing a warm peroxide bath to try to loosen anything that didn’t come off with the initial spray, but took it out to dry after an hour and a few checks along the way. Andre’s pencils are ordered.

Arbuckle, the problem with a lot of these crusty coppers is that you don't know how fragile the patina is. I have used peroxide on many coppers with no ill effects. But that was because they had solid patinas. However, you put a crusty copper with a thin or porous patina into peroxide or even water, you stand a good chance of losing a lot of detail. I don't take that chance anymore. Besides, leaving a bit of dirt behind often gives some nice contrast. I much prefer that look over the pitted surface look that using liquids can cause when you remove all the dirt and frail patina.

 

[arbuckle]

Arbuckle, the problem with a lot of these crusty coppers is that you don't know how fragile the patina is. I have used peroxide on many coppers with no ill effects. But that was because they had solid patinas. However, you put a crusty copper with a thin or porous patina into peroxide or even water, you stand a good chance of losing a lot of detail. I don't take that chance anymore. Besides, leaving a bit of dirt behind often gives some nice contrast. I much prefer that look over the pitted surface look that using liquids can cause when you remove all the dirt and frail patina.

Thanks for the advice! I’ll be more considerate with the older crusties now

 

[Silvermonkey]

Big congrats on your very first Big Copper. Hope there are many more in your future!

 

[Hunk-a-lead]

I think it’s a Draped Bust half cent. Weighs 4.6 grams, and the half cents when minted were 5.4 grams.

Can anyone confirm?

This overgrown road I’ve been hitting has certainly not disappointed. Different spots on a 400m or so stretch. Tick city though.

big time gratz on a nice save

 

[Digger RJ]

I think it’s a Draped Bust half cent. Weighs 4.6 grams, and the half cents when minted were 5.4 grams.

Can anyone confirm?

This overgrown road I’ve been hitting has certainly not disappointed. Different spots on a 400m or so stretch. Tick city though.

Very Cool!!! Congrats!!!

 

[E-Trac-Ohio]

I’m going to order some Andre’s Pencils - but would you recommend a peroxide bath to loosen any of the crust before a mechanical cleaning?

No, I just use the Andre Pencil on a dry coin - you just rub the coin lightly in a circular motion.
You can watch a few how to video's on YouTube before you use them.
Good Luck !