More Early Cape Cod Coin Finds

Cape Hunter

Sr. Member
May 17, 2019
274
1,493
Cape Cod
Detector(s) used
Minelab Equinox 900
Minelab CTX 3030
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Collection of more recent coins found at 2 different sites. One site was a home built in 1717. But just remains of a root cellar now. Other homesite is later 1770's early 1800's but also torn down long ago. Lost of iron signals but did not appear to have a root cellar.


A 1-2
1811-1813 VICTORIA NOBIS EST copper half penny. From Canada Provinces. Condition is pretty good. Never found one of these before.

B 1-2
1721 H French Colonies copper 9 Deniers. 1717 homesite. Condition just good. Wish it was better, another first for me.

C 1-2
1723 Hibernia half Penny. 1717 homesite. Condition very good. Copper

D 1-2
1787 Connecticut State Copper. Condition ok to good. Have found a number of these on the cape.

E 1-2
1746 King Geo II half Penny. 1717 homesite. Another coin is very nice condition.

F 1-2
1799 King Geo III half penny. Needs more cleaning but appears to be in very nice shape.

G 1-2
1 727-1760 King Geo II half penny quite worn. 1717 homesite.

H 1-2
1803 Draped Bust One Cent. Corrosion on the side that must have been facing up. I often wonder
about that. As reverse in in such better condition.

J 1-2
1806 Draped Bust Half Penny. First Draped Bust half penny for me.

K 1-2
1863? hard to read. Indian Head Penny. Common year.

L 1-2
Unknown Coin? If it even is a Coin. Measures 40mm Appears to be brass. I have found 5 counterfeit early coins in my town of Harwich to date. I thing this might have been another.

Late image is of two stamped Latten spoon bowls and Latten handle. The bowl with part of the handle intact is stamped by a Netherlands spoon maker. Many Latten spoons usually English. Latten spoon bowls found at Puritan homesites in Duxbury, MA were from the Netherlands. So they can go back to the early 1600's. Latten spoons were much stronger than pewter. They were often listed individually in colonial wills.

Thanks for looking!! Bill
 

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Last edited:
Upvote 49
Collection of more recent coins found at 2 different sites. One site was a home built in 1717. But just remains of a root cellar now. Other homesite is later 1770's early 1800's but also torn down long ago. Lost of iron signals but did not appear to have a root cellar.


A 1-2
1811-1813 VICTORIA NOBIS EST copper half penny. From Canada Provinces. Condition is pretty good. Never found one of these before.

B 1-2
1721 H French Colonies copper 9 Deniers. 1717 homesite. Condition just good. Wish it was better, another first for me.

C 1-2
1723 Hibernia half Penny. 1717 homesite. Condition very good. Copper

D 1-2
1787 Connecticut State Copper. Condition ok to good. Have found a number of these on the cape.

E 1-2
1746 King Geo II half Penny. 1717 homesite. Another coin is very nice condition.

F 1-2
1799 King Geo III half penny. Needs more cleaning but appears to be in very nice shape.

G 1-2
1 727-1760 King Geo II half penny quite worn. 1717 homesite.

H 1-2
1803 Draped Bust One Cent. Corrosion on the side that must have been facing up. I often wonder
about that. As reverse in in such better condition.

J 1-2
1806 Draped Bust Half Penny. First Draped Bust half penny for me.

K 1-2
1863? hard to read. Indian Head Penny. Common year.

L 1-2
Unknown Coin? If it even is a Coin. Measures 40mm Appears to be brass. I have found 5 counterfeit early coins in my town of Harwich to date. I thing this might have been another.

Late image is of two stamped Latten spoon bowls and Latten handle. The bowl with part of the handle intact is stamped by a Netherlands spoon maker. Many Latten spoons usually English. Latten spoon bowls found at Puritan homesites in Duxbury, MA were from the Netherlands. So they can go back to the early 1600's. Latten spoons were much stronger than pewter. They were often listed individually in colonial wills.

Thanks for looking!! Bill
Very Cool!!!! Congrats!!!!
 

Hope you get better and the living conditions improve soon! Good luck to you when you hunt the two new sites you have!
 

Really interesting group of finds.
Congrats and thanks for sharing with those of us who will never see an old copper from up yonder in person.
 

Last edited:
Collection of more recent coins found at 2 different sites. One site was a home built in 1717. But just remains of a root cellar now. Other homesite is later 1770's early 1800's but also torn down long ago. Lost of iron signals but did not appear to have a root cellar.


A 1-2
1811-1813 VICTORIA NOBIS EST copper half penny. From Canada Provinces. Condition is pretty good. Never found one of these before.

B 1-2
1721 H French Colonies copper 9 Deniers. 1717 homesite. Condition just good. Wish it was better, another first for me.

C 1-2
1723 Hibernia half Penny. 1717 homesite. Condition very good. Copper

D 1-2
1787 Connecticut State Copper. Condition ok to good. Have found a number of these on the cape.

E 1-2
1746 King Geo II half Penny. 1717 homesite. Another coin is very nice condition.

F 1-2
1799 King Geo III half penny. Needs more cleaning but appears to be in very nice shape.

G 1-2
1 727-1760 King Geo II half penny quite worn. 1717 homesite.

H 1-2
1803 Draped Bust One Cent. Corrosion on the side that must have been facing up. I often wonder
about that. As reverse in in such better condition.

J 1-2
1806 Draped Bust Half Penny. First Draped Bust half penny for me.

K 1-2
1863? hard to read. Indian Head Penny. Common year.

L 1-2
Unknown Coin? If it even is a Coin. Measures 40mm Appears to be brass. I have found 5 counterfeit early coins in my town of Harwich to date. I thing this might have been another.

Late image is of two stamped Latten spoon bowls and Latten handle. The bowl with part of the handle intact is stamped by a Netherlands spoon maker. Many Latten spoons usually English. Latten spoon bowls found at Puritan homesites in Duxbury, MA were from the Netherlands. So they can go back to the early 1600's. Latten spoons were much stronger than pewter. They were often listed individually in colonial wills.

Thanks for looking!! Bill
 

Great stuff Cape! I was the first archaeologist on the Whydah lost in Wellfleet April 26, 1717. Did you ever detect anywhere near there? I know it is illegal to hunt on the National Seashore but did you ever get close to it?



Marconi Beach
 

Collection of more recent coins found at 2 different sites. One site was a home built in 1717. But just remains of a root cellar now. Other homesite is later 1770's early 1800's but also torn down long ago. Lost of iron signals but did not appear to have a root cellar.


A 1-2
1811-1813 VICTORIA NOBIS EST copper half penny. From Canada Provinces. Condition is pretty good. Never found one of these before.

B 1-2
1721 H French Colonies copper 9 Deniers. 1717 homesite. Condition just good. Wish it was better, another first for me.

C 1-2
1723 Hibernia half Penny. 1717 homesite. Condition very good. Copper

D 1-2
1787 Connecticut State Copper. Condition ok to good. Have found a number of these on the cape.

E 1-2
1746 King Geo II half Penny. 1717 homesite. Another coin is very nice condition.

F 1-2
1799 King Geo III half penny. Needs more cleaning but appears to be in very nice shape.

G 1-2
1 727-1760 King Geo II half penny quite worn. 1717 homesite.

H 1-2
1803 Draped Bust One Cent. Corrosion on the side that must have been facing up. I often wonder
about that. As reverse in in such better condition.

J 1-2
1806 Draped Bust Half Penny. First Draped Bust half penny for me.

K 1-2
1863? hard to read. Indian Head Penny. Common year.

L 1-2
Unknown Coin? If it even is a Coin. Measures 40mm Appears to be brass. I have found 5 counterfeit early coins in my town of Harwich to date. I thing this might have been another.

Late image is of two stamped Latten spoon bowls and Latten handle. The bowl with part of the handle intact is stamped by a Netherlands spoon maker. Many Latten spoons usually English. Latten spoon bowls found at Puritan homesites in Duxbury, MA were from the Netherlands. So they can go back to the early 1600's. Latten spoons were much stronger than pewter. They were often listed individually in colonial wills.

Thanks for looking!! Bill
Great finds, congrats. I also found a 1721 French Deniers in CT a few years ago. It's still my oldest (identifiable) copper to date. Happy hunting!
 

Great stuff Cape! I was the first archaeologist on the Whydah lost in Wellfleet April 26, 1717. Did you ever detect anywhere near there? I know it is illegal to hunt on the National Seashore but did you ever get close to it?



Marconi Beach
No, never have detected outside of Harwich and Brewster. Have done FL beaches. Been to the Whydah Museum a few times. Some items I have found are similar to some of their usual daily life stuff including a few Spanish coins.
 

Collection of more recent coins found at 2 different sites. One site was a home built in 1717. But just remains of a root cellar now. Other homesite is later 1770's early 1800's but also torn down long ago. Lost of iron signals but did not appear to have a root cellar.


A 1-2
1811-1813 VICTORIA NOBIS EST copper half penny. From Canada Provinces. Condition is pretty good. Never found one of these before.

B 1-2
1721 H French Colonies copper 9 Deniers. 1717 homesite. Condition just good. Wish it was better, another first for me.

C 1-2
1723 Hibernia half Penny. 1717 homesite. Condition very good. Copper

D 1-2
1787 Connecticut State Copper. Condition ok to good. Have found a number of these on the cape.

E 1-2
1746 King Geo II half Penny. 1717 homesite. Another coin is very nice condition.

F 1-2
1799 King Geo III half penny. Needs more cleaning but appears to be in very nice shape.

G 1-2
1 727-1760 King Geo II half penny quite worn. 1717 homesite.

H 1-2
1803 Draped Bust One Cent. Corrosion on the side that must have been facing up. I often wonder
about that. As reverse in in such better condition.

J 1-2
1806 Draped Bust Half Penny. First Draped Bust half penny for me.

K 1-2
1863? hard to read. Indian Head Penny. Common year.

L 1-2
Unknown Coin? If it even is a Coin. Measures 40mm Appears to be brass. I have found 5 counterfeit early coins in my town of Harwich to date. I thing this might have been another.

Late image is of two stamped Latten spoon bowls and Latten handle. The bowl with part of the handle intact is stamped by a Netherlands spoon maker. Many Latten spoons usually English. Latten spoon bowls found at Puritan homesites in Duxbury, MA were from the Netherlands. So they can go back to the early 1600's. Latten spoons were much stronger than pewter. They were often listed individually in colonial wills.

Thanks for looking!! Bill
Congrats on some great finds
 

Trails were their highways. You can tell how old a trail is by iron signals. If I walk a new trail and fail to get iron signals then I know the trail is not very old. Old trails you keep hitting bits and pieces of iron and sometimes a loud signal can will be a oxen shoe. Funny very few horse shoes. I could fill a bucket with oxen shoes. Some trails are deeply worn. Others look new, but I find coins and a complete mid 1700 shoe buckle less than a inch below the packed soil in the middle of the trail. Go figure. Also a Spanish 1 reales in the middle of the trail as well. You would think the trail is new as the ground around you is equally flat. Even find a occasional Indian Guide Tree. Which tells you you are on a old trail. Pic with my wife and our lab.
Nice finds for sure! Hate to poke holes in the fun, but since we all enjoy history: hard for me to believe that white oak bent at a 90° in the photo is an indian “guide tree”. I grew up in Mass and know that the oaks and pines and everything else in the sandy soil and salt air of the cape grow slowly, but at 8-10” diameter, near sea level elevation, that tree would be very hard pressed to predate 1900. Further, I need to be educated on whether guide trees ever existed in the northeastern states, supported by good evidence. Some are well supported in the upper midwest and great lakes region, and some in the mountain south, but not too many, and of course the original inhabitants of that land were forced out or acculturated 200 years later than they were on the Cape. Maybe you just use the term casually, not literally? If so, I’m sorry to be a buzz kill!
 

Collection of more recent coins found at 2 different sites. One site was a home built in 1717. But just remains of a root cellar now. Other homesite is later 1770's early 1800's but also torn down long ago. Lost of iron signals but did not appear to have a root cellar.


A 1-2
1811-1813 VICTORIA NOBIS EST copper half penny. From Canada Provinces. Condition is pretty good. Never found one of these before.

B 1-2
1721 H French Colonies copper 9 Deniers. 1717 homesite. Condition just good. Wish it was better, another first for me.

C 1-2
1723 Hibernia half Penny. 1717 homesite. Condition very good. Copper

D 1-2
1787 Connecticut State Copper. Condition ok to good. Have found a number of these on the cape.

E 1-2
1746 King Geo II half Penny. 1717 homesite. Another coin is very nice condition.

F 1-2
1799 King Geo III half penny. Needs more cleaning but appears to be in very nice shape.

G 1-2
1 727-1760 King Geo II half penny quite worn. 1717 homesite.

H 1-2
1803 Draped Bust One Cent. Corrosion on the side that must have been facing up. I often wonder
about that. As reverse in in such better condition.

J 1-2
1806 Draped Bust Half Penny. First Draped Bust half penny for me.

K 1-2
1863? hard to read. Indian Head Penny. Common year.

L 1-2
Unknown Coin? If it even is a Coin. Measures 40mm Appears to be brass. I have found 5 counterfeit early coins in my town of Harwich to date. I thing this might have been another.

Late image is of two stamped Latten spoon bowls and Latten handle. The bowl with part of the handle intact is stamped by a Netherlands spoon maker. Many Latten spoons usually English. Latten spoon bowls found at Puritan homesites in Duxbury, MA were from the Netherlands. So they can go back to the early 1600's. Latten spoons were much stronger than pewter. They were often listed individually in colonial wills.

Thanks for looking!! Bill
You really recovered some nice coins and spoon bowls...love the shapes...I really need to get out and detect here in Mass.
 

Nice finds for sure! Hate to poke holes in the fun, but since we all enjoy history: hard for me to believe that white oak bent at a 90° in the photo is an indian “guide tree”. I grew up in Mass and know that the oaks and pines and everything else in the sandy soil and salt air of the cape grow slowly, but at 8-10” diameter, near sea level elevation, that tree would be very hard pressed to predate 1900. Further, I need to be educated on whether guide trees ever existed in the northeastern states, supported by good evidence. Some are well supported in the upper midwest and great lakes region, and some in the mountain south, but not too many, and of course the original inhabitants of that land were forced out or acculturated 200 years later than they were on the Cape. Maybe you just use the term casually, not literally? If so, I’m sorry to be a buzz kill!
Thank you for your comment.
I have been walking these cape trails regularly for over 40 years now. I know every type of tree on the cape. When I first saw this guide tree I knew I needed to see if it was White Oak which it was. But I could not see another White Oak in the area. I have seen a few other guide trees on the cape but had never seen this smaller one before. 90% of the hardwood trees in Harwich are Red Oak. Almost no White Oaks down cape where the soil is sandy or poor at best. Harwich White Oak is closer the end of yellow line (see map) There are White Oaks but trees are smaller or stunted such as this one. This morning I went out and picked a leaf off the guide tree along with a leave from one of the hundreds of Red Oaks all around it. Yes, the common Red Oaks would not make a good guide tree. They have a life span of just 150-200 years. I knew White Oaks here on the cape have life span of 350-500+ years. Puts the tree well into the period.

I attached a view of another cape guide tree in really good soil. It's marks a trail to a freshwater pond here. You might want to read the History of Harwich, MA 1620-1800. Most of the book is about the Native Americans selling the better sections of land to the colonists. Indians knew where all the good soil was. The land past Harwich was junk. There are Indian Guide trees through out New England. If you disagree, I would be interested in hearing more your view. Bill
 

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Thank you for your comment.
I have been walking these cape trails regularly for over 40 years now. I know every type of tree on the cape. When I first saw this guide tree I knew I needed to see if it was White Oak which it was. But I could not see another White Oak in the area. I have seen a few other guide trees on the cape but had never seen this smaller one before. 90% of the hardwood trees in Harwich are Red Oak. Almost no White Oaks down cape where the soil is sandy or poor at best. Harwich White Oak is closer the end of yellow line (see map) There are White Oaks but trees are smaller or stunted such as this one. This morning I went out and picked a leaf off the guide tree along with a leave from one of the hundreds of Red Oaks all around it. Yes, the common Red Oaks would not make a good guide tree. They have a life span of just 150-200 years. I knew White Oaks here on the cape have life span of 350-500+ years. Puts the tree well into the period.

I attached a view of another cape guide tree in really good soil. It's marks a trail to a freshwater pond here. You might want to read the History of Harwich, MA 1620-1800. Most of the book is about the Native Americans selling the better sections of land to the colonists. Indians knew where all the good soil was. The land past Harwich was junk. There are Indian Guide trees through out New England. If you disagree, I would be interested in hearing more your view. Bill
You are correct in IDing the bent tree as a white oak, but way off on the age. Just because white oaks can live for hundreds of years doesn’t mean every stunted white oak is that age. Nor does the isolation of this white among many reds mean it hails from centuries earlier. My house is built out of white oak, I’ve restored it using white oak, I worked as an arborist in school, heat three buildings with wood, and graft/prune about 3000 apple trees a year. I know trees intimately. For one thing: look at the left edge of the photo, where the trunk is dead but continues out of frame. That dead wood wouldn’t be there more than about 40-50 years (yes, even in rot resistant white oak, and I’m being generous). That part of the trunk died back not more than a generation (again, being generous) after the tree bent sideways. It would have immediately fallen out of favor with the trees vascular system as it no longer reached for the suns rays, above, and sooner than later the tree sent up the vertical shoots that continue the trunk’s upward course, subsequently discontinuing sap flow to the former upper trunk. The larger bent tree in the later photo is a choke cherry, faster growing, faster rotting, certainly germinated post 1900. More than anything about the trees though: why would native people need to bend a tree to make a disney-esque “forest sign post”? I think they would have known exactly where fresh water, resources, villages etc were - the outdoors was their life. They could read the land like we can read these words. Also, how would they know what a simple directional arrow even pointed toward, unless they were familiar with the area? Not so useful if you want water but the tree is pointing toward a clay deposit, and you wouldn’t know. Then, do you see this as having been alongside a single trail (in which case, you know where you came from, and there’s only one other way to go anyway), or at an intersection (in which case, all the trails lead to something.. who is to say the tree points to what you want?)? I read up on the subject when you brought it to my attention because I hadn’t heard of it before, and you did teach alert me to the existence of the concept, and a very very few historically supported trail marker trees in the great lakes region. But it’s just not mentioned around here in early records - only in modern blog posts. Most bent trees got that way through natural causes, plants are amazing, and time does beautiful things, but I’m not even insisting that this one happened that way. It could have been bent by a human for any number of reasons, but if it was, it happened no earlier than model T’s were on the road. I invite you to take a core drill of the tree, near the base, count the rings, and post photos. The tree will heal the small hole over in just a few years, and a hand borer is less than $100 online.
 

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