Nicking or Scraping your coins/finds? My Story, I'd love to hear yours!

[KSK]

So, I'm new here and i'm curious if anyone is like me, clumsy or just straight up unlucky and just happen to scratch or scrape that pretty little silver coin in the hole you dug or are digging. i dont always do it, but when i do i beat myself up and it pretty much turns the excitement into disappointment. I have done it plenty more than once. but the one time it really killed me was when i got a slamming hit, So I Started to dig and not 15 seconds in, i started hitting all kinds of thick roots. so, i flipped my digger and started sawing through them. I kept going down, the worse they got. But i HAD to find out what it was, i can never just abandon a potential target. So, 15 minutes later after digging THIRTEEN inches down, through 4 good sized roots. I was getting tired and sloppy and just starting digging the sides pretty aggressively. Put my pinpointer down the hole that my entire arm down and finally pulled out a target. I thought it would be crap as my deep targets for some reason are. but i wipe it off and i see its a silver half dollar! and i see an old civil war eagle (I also see two spots on the side which looks like something was attached, most likely for it to be a pin. I get extremely excited but when i flip it over i see that its not just an old silver half dollar but it has engravings on it, someones initials and very cool designs. i was kind of disappointed because it wasn't a pure untouched seated liberty eagle. But at the same time it is one of a kind. But the kicker is that i knicked it twice and scraped it once. Two large scrape marks on the obverse where the engravings are.



I was mainly upset because since the obverse was gone, i couldn't get a date but later found out that the rays on the silver eagle meant its from 1853. So that would make it my oldest silver. If i am wrong, please correct me. Is there any value in this, since its damaged and technically not a coin anymore?

So, Any thoughts to make me feel better? Or at least make me feel not alone?

Thanks Guys.

BTW Ive been detecting for 8 years now, new to the site. Hoping to find people to go hunting with. I really don't have anyone who enjoys this like i do. I love it and i would like to find someone who feels the passion and wants to go out hunting together. I live in Eastern PA, and frequently travel to NJ. So, If anyone is interested. Send me a message.

Happy Hunting everyone.

 

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[TooManyHobbies]

Nice find. It's a love token. Not something you find everyday.
Some would say it's better than a plain seated half, which is awesome by the way. Congrats.

And yes, I scratched a '63 Ben Franklin last year.

 

[Got-Good-Tones]

Nicking or Scraping your coins

Yep...I've hit a few...That's why I designed this secondary digging tool for after you dig the original plug...unable to find object and you're poking around in the hole dug trying to find it...being Non-Metallic it's not going to scratch or nick the coin/relic/artifact...and very gentle with glass bottles too...

Should be getting the rest of the equipment I need here fairly soon...in order to mass produce them...and put them out there for sale in the marketplace...

Got-Good-Tones

 

[Argentium]

Yeah ! I have scratched a 1923 -S Peace Dollar , also a 1939 -S Walking Liberty Half , and possibly a silver quarter ( can't remember for sure)

 

[ToddsPoint]

I know the feeling. It's hard to be careful every second. I abandoned my metal tool and made my own from PVC pipe. No more scratches. Gary

 

[Shakakka]

This thing is insanely awesome! Banner vote for me, it's just too beautiful and cool.

 

[xcopperstax]

Congrats that is an incredible find! The love token aspect of it make it even better and more personalized. Seriously awesome. Now since the coin is already altered and it's a larger coin you might be able to take that to a jeweler and have them buff out the damage that you did to the coin. I've scraped a coin here and there. The one that really kills me is my first seated dime. I was digging in super dry compacted earth and got a penny signal. I wasn't too careful digging and I put a nice nick on it with my lesche. It was in really nice condition too. Not too valuable but a stand out in my small collection and I think about it every time I see it.

 

[Dr. Witty]

My first ever Barber half 1912, I put a scratch across her lovely face.

 

[Loco-Digger]

This thing is insanely awesome! Banner vote for me, it's just too beautiful and cool.

new member, 1st post, not eligible for Banner. great find though.

 

[IMAUDIGGER]

I think large coins are more difficult to avoid.
I have one that absolutely SHOULD have been nicked, gouged, and scratched.
Not a mark on it. I say it jumped out of the hole to avoid being smashed.

 

[Professor of Engineering]

Congrats on the awesome find!

 

[sandchip]

Helluva find, and welcome on board!

 

[Argentium]

I forgot to say - that love token is a beautiful find !

 

[Geobound]

After I scratched my first coin, I learned to slow down and dig a bigger plug if necessary.

Digging finds out from under roots is a tough chore, so anybody can be forgiven for that one.

Great find by the way.