Rare Early American Half Dime!!

[Diggin Dude]

I haven’t posted in Today’s Finds for a long long time but I have to share this. Finally after Covid our detecting club had a hunt at an old farm that we’ve been to several times. During the past hunts colonial coppers, Spanish silver, and even a WILLIAM III shilling have come out of the ground there over the years but, I wasn’t expecting this. Although it’s extremely worn and damaged from years in the ground I found a 1805 Draped Bust Heraldic Eagle Half Dime. There is just enough detail to identify it. The second rarest of that mint, only 15,900 minted. In the photos I will include a good example from a coin website. A couple of the photos the coin looks very shiny because of the photo editing effects to help bring out the detail. Very exciting day for me yesterday.

Thanks for looking.

 

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[hogge]

CONGRATULATIONS! Still wishing on mine!

 

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[HessianHunter]

Nice old rare coin. Sad about the condition though. :/

 

[Hunk-a-lead]

big time gratz!

 

[Megalodon]

The entire series of heraldic eagle half dimes, 1800 - 1805 has a mintage under 125K. Growing up, I thought the 1909-S Lincoln and 1877 Indian cents were classic rarities.
But the 09-S VDB had about 4X and the 77 had about 7X the mintages of this half dime series - in total. Any date, any condition, in this series deserves banner (IMHO).

 

[park pirate]

Nice..

 

[Mr. Digger]

Wow. Congrats! There is the US coin Bucket Lister category, and then there is the US coin Holy Grail category. You're in the latter with that one for sure. I don't think I have ever seen one posted here on TN.

 

[Calabash Digger]

very nice!

 

[smallfoot]

It's a beauty of a fish scale!

 

[against the wind]

Another Banner!!
You the man,,
Congratulations

 

[jewelerguy]

most excellent!! congrats on that incredible find. now go back and find some gold coins from the same era

 

[Eastcoasthunter21]

How ! How is this not up top yet lmao 😂

 

[Diggin Dude]

My banner vote has been submitted. IMO, the low grade of such a rare low mintage historical find does not diminish its significance and worthiness of a banner.

And I agree that you should not clean it. It is beautiful just as it is!

No clean. she's so worn shes already kind of shinny. Like finding a "Slick Willie" in the UK Thanks for reply

 

[Diggin Dude]

Wow. Congrats! There is the US coin Bucket Lister category, and then there is the US coin Holy Grail category. You're in the latter with that one for sure. I don't think I have ever seen one posted here on TN.

Thanks!! yes I was REALLY surprised..... I'm embarrassed to admit at first I thought I had a worn Half Reale because of size. I didn't look closely, handed it to my friend and he saw Liberty.... once we determined it was earlier than Seated and capped the excitement level was elevated! I am grateful for this find

 

[Diggin Dude]

Another Banner!!
You the man,,
Congratulations

Hey brother.... Thanks!! Miss you, when you moving back to NYC area so we can hunt..... or at least someplace LESS than 6 hours away?

 

[Diggin Dude]

most excellent!! congrats on that incredible find. now go back and find some gold coins from the same era

If I found a gold coin from that era that would be crazy.... like do you retire from metal detecting after that??

 

[Elvis]

Nice find!

 

[eman1000]

Very Nice! Incredible find.. Those half-dimes are not easy to hit for any machine at depth >6". I have worn half-dime in my test garden and the ORX so far has been the best on the small silver.

 

[Megalodon]

Very Nice! Incredible find.. Those half-dimes are not easy to hit for any machine at depth >6". I have worn half-dime in my test garden and the ORX so far has been the best on the small silver.

Such small coins must have been easier to lose. I moved up from a Garrett groundhog to a Garrett Master Hunter 7 in 1985. The very first signal with that new machine turned out to be an 1838 half-dime, which was thrilling, but a coin far more common than this 1805.

 

[Silvermonkey]

Way to go DD! Finding that coin would make me a very happy camper for a long, long time!!!!!

 

[lenmac65]

What a great find .... congrats!