Found my oldest colonial copper to date (1680-84)(added more finds)

[Don in SJ]

Last week at this site I found a 1699-1701 worn down William III Halfpenny and after a week of home projects I wanted to get back to the old sawmill site again in hopes of another coin/relic or two.

The hunt yesterday started off with a decent reading right away in the same area that I got the William III, cufflinks and spoon at last week. This time it was my 5th very old buckle from this site and the second Shoe Buckle, broken in half, but with a great design on it and after cleaning, silver plated to boot!

I did a pattern hunt rather intensely in this area, some iron hits, none diggable readings and eventually expanded the search area and about 30 feet away from where most of the relics have been found I got a somewhat funky but definite possible coin reading.

The sugar sand is great to dig in, only a few scattered roots interfere, and the coin reading was deep, perhaps 8 inches or more, I dug a large opening and the funky reading was now in the the dirt pile. I picked it up and even though I knew it had to be a coin, I could not believe how thin it was and clipped and slightly bent to boot. I knew if it was in fact a coin that it was a very old one.

I rescanned the hole and there was still a funky but this time a little better reading in the hole. I scooped out some more dirt and now had a second copper in the pile! Two colonial coppers in the same hole has not happened too often for me over the years so this was a happy time moment. The second copper was immediately identifiable as a KGII bust Halfpenny.
I did not have my digital camera with me so sorry for the quality but here is a cell phone pic of the two coppers at the hole where they were dug.

I called it quits for the morning, only hunted less than an hour but it was a good short hunt!

So the finds for the morning , 2 early coppers and one 1700s shoe buckle

When I got home, I looked at the two coppers and thought the first one might not have any detail at all and the second copper looked totally blank on the Reverse. To my delight I did get some detail on both sides from both coins after a very long cleaning process.

The first copper found, evidently is my oldest colonial I have found, and I am fairly certain it is a Charles II IRISH Halfpenny, date range 1680-1684, but I suspect this one is a 1682, but will log it as 1680-84. This copper is 26mm in diameter and weighs a paltry 77.2 grains.

I could tell by the shape of the bust of the second copper that it was a King George II Irish Halfpenny and after cleaning, I was able to see the outline of the crown and some of the Harp but not the date. Judging by the style of the bust of George it would have a date range of 1736-1755. I originally thought the range was up to 1760, but 1760 KGII had the old head King George bust.

Besides the joy of finding my oldest copper, when I cleaned the broken shoe buckle I noticed it was a nicely plated silver shoe buckle.


So far, three old coins from this long forgotten sawmill site and hopefully I may get another one or two before I consider the place searched to my satisfaction.

Perhaps the one baffling thing about the site is what I have not found. To find 3 coppers and 5 old buckles but only 1 button, is not the norm for the sites I hunt. There might be a good reason for the lack of buttons, but it is noteworthy for me.

Here are the finds from this site that all appear to be from the period of the sawmill.

Also, no homestead appears to have been at this site, only a work area, related to the sawmill.

Don

 

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[dfx willy]

Re: Found my oldest colonial copper to date (1680-84)

way to go don!!!! your the man. you know i love those ole coppers. willy.

 

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[Silver Searcher]

Re: Found my oldest colonial copper to date (1680-84)

Congrats on the milestone Don now go and get one like this for the album

 

[IAsoldier]

Re: Found my oldest colonial copper to date (1680-84)

Great find of a life time congrates

 

[terpfan]

Re: Found my oldest colonial copper to date (1680-84)

This is one of the better posts I've seen in a while. That 1680's copper is 50 years older than my oldest confirmed. Couple of nice coppers, a bevy of wonderful relics add up to a great outing for you Don. Keep vigilant for those ticks though. I pulled one off my back yesterday that was feeding for about 15 hours. I just got a prescription of antibiotics . My doctor recommended them as a precaution. Once again congratulations Don.
Chris

You have a great doctor.

 

[Jerry1NJ]

Re: Found my oldest colonial copper to date (1680-84)

Great finds Don!!!!!!!

 

[aa battery]

Re: Found my oldest colonial copper to date (1680-84)

Don your like a machine ya never stop finding the good stuff

 

[Roger Mn.]

Re: Found my oldest colonial copper to date (1680-84)

Congrats on your oldest colonial copper.

 

[time4me]

Re: Found my oldest colonial copper to date (1680-84)

Just incredible. I can't imagine finding anything from the 1700's let alone the 1600's. Holy moly!!!!

Like the others, I'd love to hear how you clean these coins to get the images appear as you have.

Jim

 

[Don in SJ]

Re: Found my oldest colonial copper to date (1680-84)

Just incredible. I can't imagine finding anything from the 1700's let alone the 1600's. Holy moly!!!!

Like the others, I'd love to hear how you clean these coins to get the images appear as you have.

Jim

For all who asked on how I cleaned, nothing new, just peroxide, LOTS OF WET QTIPS and EXPERIENCE

On the Cleaning and Preservation forum, I have had my procedures posted for quite some time and just want to emphasize again, you cannot bring a coin or relic back from the dead. A coin or relic is what it is and any nasty corrosion damage done by years in the ground will be there when cleaned, NOT caused by the cleaning. Peroxide removes dirt, but if the coin is exfoliated corroded then the exfoliated portion will most likely come off.

I highly recommend practicing cleaning on modern clad coppers and buttons to get a feel for it. If coppers or relics look dried out after cleaning and drying, applying Blue Ribbon Coin Conditioner, or try Bees Wax or Renaissance Wax.

My procedures are in the 2nd reply to my post. http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,39135.0.html

Don

 

[RelicRick]

Re: Found my oldest colonial copper to date (1680-84)

Outstanding Don!!! Congrats

 

[hogge]

Re: Found my oldest colonial copper to date (1680-84)

AWESOME Don! I'm waiting for you to find a piece of Massachusetts Silver down there! Congrats.....Hogge

 

[West Jersey Detecting]

Re: Found my oldest colonial copper to date (1680-84)

I highly recommend practicing cleaning on modern clad coppers and buttons to get a feel for it. If coppers or relics look dried out after cleaning and drying, applying Blue Ribbon Coin Conditioner, or try Bees Wax or Renaissance Wax.

My procedures are in the 2nd reply to my post. http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,39135.0.html

Don

I use petroleum jelly, if the coin is still fairly smooth with little or no corrosion. You need to use it very sparingly or it can get very messy. I carefully wipe all of the excess off with a Q tip, being cautious not to rub.

Fantastic finds, Don! They don't get much older than that around here!!!

 

[Don in SJ]

Re: Found my oldest colonial copper to date (1680-84)

Went back to the site this morning for another hour or so hunt, as expected not many targets however the first relic I found was another big piece of the decorative shoe buckle I found on Monday. Funny though, there is no silver gilt left on this half and yet it was found within 20 feet of the other half.

Near the dam breast of the sawmill, I did get two links of chain, I am by no means no expert on old chains, but feel pretty good about saying it is most likely mid 1700s, associated with the sawmill.

I finally found another button! Really unusual to have coins outnumber button finds, but it happens. This button is a 1750-70 style, so it fits right in with the time frame of the sawmill operation. What is neat is it still has thread left on it, not bad after 250 years or so!

On the way out to the truck, I got a reading that was somewhere between a solid piece of iron and a good copper? I dug and until I got home and washed it off thought I found my third musket ball at the site, but it is not lead, it is an iron ball? It is the size of a typical musketball, but without a doubt a solid piece of iron that is flaking away.



I will most likely hit this site a few more times later in the year, the bugs are getting pretty bad and the remaining areas I would like to pound heavily are getting overgrown so a good followup hunt will have to wait till later in the year.....

Don

 

[Nana40]

Just amazing! Not only the finds, but in the cleaning of the items as well! GREAT that you found the other half of the buckle too! 8)

Nana

 

[BuckleBoy]

This was a wonderful and enjoyable post to read, Don. Congratulations on the oldest coin. That is quite an area you're hunting.


And a BIG congratulations on finding most of the rest of that shoe buckle. On a site where the dirt has been moved around, that was a long shot on finding it.






Best Wishes,




Buckles

 

[creeper71]

super hunt Don, My wife says you always find the good stuff.. I told her you work for your finds an your in places everyone else is scared to hunt cause of briars an such...

 

[West Jersey Detecting]

Nice going on the return visit. Gotta love that SJ sandy soil. It is so kind to the finds, that the threads are still intact. I found one like that a few years back.

I remember reading somewhere that the Spanish used iron for musket balls.

 

[Don in SJ]

I soaked the button overnight in peroxide and the hard crud on it for the most part came off, it even cleaned up the thread on the button somewhat, so in the interest of seeing 250 year old thread used on a button, here are some closeups of the button after cleaning.

Don