My oldest coin yet.

[crankyolman22]

Today I finally went back to a park that a while back I found a Toys for tots token and 8 quarters stacked in the same hole. I figured It might be good for some jewelry or a few more bucks. I'm saving my coins up to get a Pro Pointer.
I only had two hours to kill and the park isn't very big and there is a walkway that divides it in half so I figured can grid it pretty easily.
So I started in one corner and was working my way back and forth between the sidewalk and the walkway finding the usual loose change when I got a signal that bounced between Zinc and Dime. I figured it was just another penny but started digging anyway. After all pennies are money. My detector was saying it was only an inch deep but it frequently lies about that so I cut a nice small plug and checked it. Nothing. That's unusual, I usually get the shallow ones in the plug. I ran my pinpointer around the hole and still nothing. About this time the park maintenance people showed up and started eyeballing me which isn't a big deal because usually even I cant even find my plugs once I walk away. I still figured it was just a penny and decided to move on. I refilled the hole and took one step before I thought to myself "Pennies are money" and stepped back to find that penny. I wound up digging a second plug next to the first one and again no penny and nothing from the pinpointer but my detector said I was in the right place so I dug deeper. at 6 inches the pinpointer finally went off. I could see what looked like a copper disc In the hole. At this point I figured it was just another piece of junk copper until I picked it up and rubbed it. That's when I noticed the hole and the Chinese writing. Now I just figured it was one of those generic good luck coins you can buy today but it was still cool.
I continued hunting and found a total of 2 quarters, 5 nickels, and seven pennies and one 2Pac pendant before it was time to go.
When I got home I looked up lucky coins and it didn't match so I started looking up Chinese coins. Eventually I found out this one is a T'ung Chih Chung Pao coin. From the Ch'ing Dynasty, Emperor: Mu Tsung (1862-1875 a.d.)
Reign Title: T'ung Chih (1862-1875 a.d.)
I'd really like to know how a coin Minted in china 136 to 149 years ago wound up in a little park in Des Moines Washington but I guess pondering that is just part of the fun.
H.H Everyone and thanks for looking.

 

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[HuntNdig]

great find and very clean plug!! Glad to see it!

 

[nsdq]

may have dropped if any rr lines are near by 1800-1900s have been know for use of Chinese labor

 

[crankyolman22]

great find and very clean plug!! Glad to see it!

Thank you.
I'm very proud of my plugs. A while back I almost got kicked out of a park because someone had been leaving big open holes all over the place. The head groundskeeper snuck up on me to catch me doing the same but after he saw what a good job I do he told me I could hunt that park anytime I want.

 

[crankyolman22]

may have dropped if any rr lines are near by 1800-1900s have been know for use of Chinese labor

No Railroads around but the area used to be where the city dock was. The whole area was filled in around 1968 to make room for a marina and parking lot. This park is right at the edge of the fill and the old shoreline. I thought it was all fill, and there's no telling where that came from, but after digging the area I think it actually may be old shore line and may just hold many more surprises.

 

[Metal Magnet]

I love these kinds of finds! way to go. and it just goes to show you - you never know what you will find.

 

[DownEastDetectorist]

I found that exact same Tupac pendant in a bar I used to work in :P

 

[vanoldschool]

I found the same one in Tonasket last year, the cowboy cooks back in the days were chinese immigrants, they would collect them as payments, as for des moines, hard to say ive hit that area last year and only pulled some toy cars from the 50s, then again washington does have history, going back to 1850 or so, you never know what your gonna get, my buddy got an 1876 seated within an hour from where you were at and Ive got two v nickels this year, over 40 wheats, but not one indian anyways nice find!!

 

[AGBlex]

nice hunt man!

 

[wyattrr]

Nice Bling-Bling! Congrats on that coin and I see you got a gas rebate as well...HH

 

[steelheadwill]

Congrats on your oldest !!
the Chinese coins don't seem to get much recognition
I have dug a couple Chien Lungs from Colonial era,
Seems I'm the only one who likes them
Nice hunt!

 

[crankyolman22]

I found the same one in Tonasket last year, the cowboy cooks back in the days were chinese immigrants, they would collect them as payments, as for des moines, hard to say ive hit that area last year and only pulled some toy cars from the 50s, then again washington does have history, going back to 1850 or so, you never know what your gonna get, my buddy got an 1876 seated within an hour from where you were at and Ive got two v nickels this year, over 40 wheats, but not one indian anyways nice find!!

Thank you.
I know Washington's history doesn't go back as far as the Eastern states, although I have read about a Spanish shipwreck that kicks up coins from time to time. I'm pretty much happy with anything. Des Moines is actually a nice place to hunt. There are 4 waterfront parks within a half mile of each other, although most people don't realize it. The smaller ones go unnoticed, one is only 0.1 acre. There are also several others within a mile or two of downtown, such as it is. There used to be a sawmill and a religious retreat where the biggest park is now. Most people hunt the beach but the historic stuff is back in the woods. I figure there must have been Chinese cooks and laundries and maybe dock workers back in the day. Since it was right where the old dock met the street that's probably how it got there.

 

[crankyolman22]

Nice Bling-Bling! Congrats on that coin and I see you got a gas rebate as well...HH

Thank you,
Yes, my gas rebate was a whopping 82 cents! Since I only live 3 miles from this park I think that's not too bad.

 

[crankyolman22]

Congrats on your oldest !!
the Chinese coins don't seem to get much recognition
I have dug a couple Chien Lungs from Colonial era,
Seems I'm the only one who likes them
Nice hunt!

Thank you,
I like the Chinese coins, I've always liked things that were a little different and I like to research things. I don't have many actual firsts left to find so older works nicely for me. Don't know how I'm going to beat this one but it will be fun to try.

 

[crankyolman22]

I love these kinds of finds! way to go. and it just goes to show you - you never know what you will find.

I found that exact same Tupac pendant in a bar I used to work in :P

nice hunt man!

Thanks for all the kind words everyone.
This seemed like an unusual place to find a Tupac pendant I was hoping it was silver but its obviously cheap junk. the area is surrounded by high end condos but I guess you never know. Like I said the last time I was at this park I found $2 in quarters all stacked together. That was about 10 feet from where I found Chinese coin, which was only about 6 feet from the pendant. The first time I went there I was using what I've seen called "the drunken sailor" search method but now I'm going to do a proper grid of the whole park. Since I don't get all that much time to hunt it may take a while but I don't mind.

 

[celtex]

I have 7 chinese coins so far, 5 this year. My oldest it 1796-1820 s-1489 variety. They come out in pretty good shape considering how old they are.