Im Back...With My Best Coin Yet

Brendan M.

Hero Member
Apr 14, 2006
649
10
Warrensburg, New York
Detector(s) used
White's DFX, Bullseye II pinpointer, Gray Ghost Headphones
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I'm Back...With My Best Coin Yet

Hello everyone! Long time!

As some of you know, I moved off Long Island last year, and headed upstate; I'm just outside of Lake George these days, and have been working hard to learn the new spots and do the research. After some minor wins last year (1-pound cannon ball, handful of musket balls) it's been really heating up for me lately, and yesterday I made my best coin find to date.

I was hunting some pretty dense woods that run along an old military road here that was used during the French & Indian War, close to several battle/ambush sites. I got one of those weird hunches to turn left instead of right, and about two feet after changing direction I hit a nice dime-type signal with my DFX. It was really shallow -- only about an inch and a half -- so I used my hands to brush away the dirt (didn't even bother digging), so you can imagine my surprise when a pristine 1724F 2 Reale "Cross Pistareen" popped up!

The detail on it is pretty fantastic. Although I'd like to think it was dropped during one of the battles there in 1755, I just don't know if it would've withstood 31 years of circulation and still be in the condition it's in today. But at any rate, it's now the oldest silver I've found (prior record holder was my 1738 1 Reale Pistareen) and is tied with my 1724 Charles II halfpenny as my oldest coin overall. Not a bad day of hunting!
 

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Upvote 6
Great Find!

This is a great find on an old coin. You hit the jackpot on this one. What detector were you swinging? I have been swinging since 1970 and I have personally dug thousands of silver coins that were not at all blackened. However near the sea they can get some of the mineral salts to effect the patina of the coin and cause them to blacken.
Now just go for the gold!
Tim
 

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Re: I'm Back...With My Best Coin Yet

what a find, very nice.
 

Re: Great Find!

Treasures Down Under said:
This is a great find on an old coin. You hit the jackpot on this one. What detector were you swinging? I have been swinging since 1970 and I have personally dug thousands of silver coins that were not at all blackened. However near the sea they can get some of the mineral salts to effect the patina of the coin and cause them to blacken.
Now just go for the gold!
Tim

Tim,

I use a White's DFX, with my own custom program.

I hear you on the gold. It's on my list!

HH,
B
 

Re: I'm Back...With My Best Coin Yet

Congratulations on a truly outstanding find. I can only dream of finding one that nice. Thanks for sharing the experience with the rest of us.
 

Re: I'm Back...With My Best Coin Yet

Briar-patch said:
Iron Patch said:
HISPAN said:
Is very strange ::) ..... the silver coins more than 200 years create a black patina very difficult to clean .... even some people have to use electrochemical techniques to clean ... but you coin appeared completely brilliant and superficially .

In spite of all, congratulations on the Banner! :thumbsup:
H


Absolutely not. I have seen MANY dug silver coins over 200 years old that were not black. Just because they turn black where you find them doesn't mean they turn black everywhere. This coin stands out because of the great detail, and in no way should it be suggested there is something funny going on. You're way off base with those comments.

I'll ditto that. In Japan, on top of a small mountain, in the soil of a shrine ruins, I dug out what at first I thought was an American dime... silver shining through the dirt like it was a new coin just dropped there. I imagined a WWII US pilot flipping out of his bomber for good luck as he went into a bomb run on Tokyo. (I have a big imagination). As I brushed it off I found it was a Meiji 10 sen silver coin with a beautiful dragon design in the center.... beautiful almost mint condition. I checked the coin book in Japan, it was about 200 years old and worth about $150.00 at that time. Must be worth more by now. I have also dug WWII 100 yen silver coins with a phoenix design that were 100% silver out of a very large park in Tokyo that were not as shiny as the 200 year old Meiji dragon coin, but they were not black at all. So, it must depend on the silver content, type of soil. I think silver in the ocean turns black because of the salt water... silver bars, coins that Kip Wagner (not sure of the name) was finding washed up on a Florida beach and was skipping the waves with until he took one home and cleaned it up and discovered what they were... pieces of eight.

Great find. That makes me feel better. Several years ago I found a 1943 zinc in the same kind of terrian right after a particulary heavy monsoon season. The coins was in very good shape. Man, I was really nicked up, (on another forum) about it being a, "plant".
 

Re: I'm Back...With My Best Coin Yet

HISPAN said:
Is very strange ::) ..... the silver coins more than 200 years create a black patina very difficult to clean .... even some people have to use electrochemical techniques to clean ... but you coin appeared completely brilliant and superficially .

In spite of all, congratulations on the Banner! :thumbsup:
H

H,

I understand your suspicion to a degree; I guess all I can do is give you my word that this coin came straight from the ground. The final pics you see are after minimal cleaning -- just a quick rinse under the faucet and a smidge of dish soap. The silver has not been polished at all.

I haven't posted on this board in quite some time because to be honest, I haven't had a lot of luck over the last two years. Between moving and being a father to a small boy, I haven't had a ton of time to hunt. This was the first major find I've had in quite a while, which is why I shared this with everyone. I have no desire or need to brag on TNet or to scam my way onto the banner, and "planting" a bought coin isn't something that would even occur to me. Please take my word on that. There are others on this board who can vouch for me.

As for the comments about silver turning black, I've never found a blackened silver. That sounds more like silver coins plucked from the ocean, and not the soil.

HH,
B
 

Re: I'm Back...With My Best Coin Yet

congartulations :hello2:
 

Re: I'm Back...With My Best Coin Yet

Iron Patch said:
HISPAN said:
Is very strange ::) ..... the silver coins more than 200 years create a black patina very difficult to clean .... even some people have to use electrochemical techniques to clean ... but you coin appeared completely brilliant and superficially .

In spite of all, congratulations on the Banner! :thumbsup:
H



Absolutely not. I have seen MANY dug silver coins over 200 years old that were not black. Just because they turn black where you find them doesn't mean they turn black everywhere. This coin stands out because of the great detail, and in no way should it be suggested there is something funny going on. You're way off base with those comments.

Quiet , quiet Man !! I never argue .... not my style.
Peace . :D
 

Re: I'm Back...With My Best Coin Yet

nhagan said:
all i can say is wow... thats impressive!! damn nice find keep sweepin that place!!

neil

Haha Neil, I'm actually going back today. I lost my glasses there on Sunday, so the wife won't mind if I go back! :wink:
 

Re: I'm Back...With My Best Coin Yet

Stunning piece of Spanish silver! Well deserved banner.
 

Re: I'm Back...With My Best Coin Yet

WOW!!I have dug clad in worse shape!!!! :notworthy:
 

Re: I'm Back...With My Best Coin Yet

Awesome find, Congratulations!! :thumbsup:
 

Re: I'm Back...With My Best Coin Yet

Congrats on the find. That lake george area is rich with history. My bro n law was up there in the late eighties he was in the Navy and they have/had a working nuke plant that their nuke operators train on. Anyway he is an outdoorsman and when my wife and I visited her sis and bro n law, he and I went out scouting for deer sign on state land. I dont know how many old stone walls we came across just randomly, and not to mention these 2 or 4 person burial sites. The headstones dated from early to mid 1700's. And this is just out in the middle of the woods. So your in the mecca of colonial "stuff". Good luck
 

Re: I'm Back...With My Best Coin Yet

What a beautiful coin! I thought the one I dug was in good shape...geesh! Those coins most likely started their American Journey though Virginia's James River
 

Re: I'm Back...With My Best Coin Yet

That is one fine coin........way to go and I am also jealous that the revolution didn't make it to Oklahoma.
 

Re: I'm Back...With My Best Coin Yet

Congrats on the BANNER! well deserved
 

Re: I'm Back...With My Best Coin Yet

:icon_thumright:

congrats on the great coin...keep up the good work

hh herb
 

Re: I'm Back...With My Best Coin Yet

Holy cow thats a nice looking Banner addition! Major congrats :headbang: jgas
 

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