Its not a Half-Cent, its a Button [Early pics added]

[Admiral de Salee]

It's not a Half-Cent, it's a Button [Early pics added]

In addition to a barrel hoop, 2 Jeff nickels and 4 Zincolns, the handle to a kid's toy shovel, 2 square nails, and a few whatsits, I got a copper (according to 15 KHz VDI#) coin 22mm in diameter. It seems thinner than a small cent. I've got it in some olive oil. There is a circular sort-of-shape on one side (a wreath?). It was about 8" down, and I thought I was chasing a nickel, a penny, or low silver as the dig progressed and I was homing in on it with the DX-1.

Sorry, no pic yet. I want to be really careful with this coin. Any 'in the dark' opinions (in the absence of pictures) most welcome.

2 pics of the side where *some* sort of detail exists, 1 of the other side.
The circular area in the first pics almost looks a bit sunken, as with a poker chip. For all I know, this may be a token.

 

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[DANGLANGLEY]

Re: I Might Have a Half-Cent

First guess......Indian Head cent. I hope so anyhow. Nice find and I hope it comes out good for you.

DANGLANGLEY

 

[Evolution]

Re: I Might Have a Half-Cent

First guess......Indian Head cent. I hope so anyhow. Nice find and I hope it comes out good for you.

DANGLANGLEY

IH cents are only 19mm. 2 centers are 23mm. I'm stumped. Are you sure its not 23mm? Liberty cap half cents (head facing left) are 22mm. They were only made in 1793. I hope its that. That would be a great find for sure. All of the half cents after that were 23mm and larger.

 

[Admiral de Salee]

Re: I Might Have a Half-Cent *[Early pics added]*

Thanks, I hadn't thought of that. It seemed too thin to be a coin. It still might be the oldest thing I've dug up in this village.

 

[Don in SJ]

Re: I Might Have a Half-Cent *[Early pics added]*

I don't think it is a half cent and do agree most likely a flat button from early 1800's with the shank missing. I looked for a similar design in my photos and do not have one handy but it is perhaps similar to the buttons that had crowns and sometimes fleur de leis on the back.

Those type of buttons are usually lower in the center area, and the rim is raised in a gentle curved type.

The top two buttons in my attached photo see to be the type you may have as far as what you describe and what I can see in the photos (construction wise).

Don

 

[Detectingfreak]

Re: I Might Have a Half-Cent *[Early pics added]*

You've stumped me on this one!

 

[Admiral de Salee]

Re: I Might Have a Half-Cent *[Early pics added]*

I'm convinced that the button people are right. I expect it's similar to the first button pic posted by Don (and thanks a lot for those). And it's probably my oldest relic find, since I'm real poor on dating square nails.

When it went into the olive oil, I had only dimensions to go by; a half-cent was all I could guess--it sure wasn't a 2-cent piece. It didn't occur to me that it wasn't even a coin. I'll have fun as it reveals itself.

I asked for help and opinions, and I appreciate that I got a good bit of both.

To thank everyone properly, I won't post any pics of the barrel hoop. It's still in my trunk.

 

[Evolution]

Re: It's not a Half-Cent, it's a Button [Early pics added]

My first respones was made sans picture. Now that I see the pic I tend to agree that it is a butt-tin. Still nice find.!!