Still shaking! 1800s pocket or purse spill includes BIG silver bucket lister

cheffer

Hero Member
Sep 17, 2004
906
2,644
Western Mass
🥇 Banner finds
2
Detector(s) used
XP Deus, Fisher 1275 LTD, Fisher 1265, Fisher 1270, Tesoro Vaquero
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
I've been dying to get out, but the ground here in the Berkshires is still too hard to get to. So I traveled south today in between appointments and found softer ground in nearby Connecticut, and just randomly parked the car as soon as I saw some open woods. Literally turned the Deus on and got a decent signal within the first couple sweeps under an old log. Figured it was a can because it sounded kind of big, but once I got under the log I could hear multiple signals.

First to come out was a Seated quarter, I couldn't believe it! Then another, and still there were signals in the hole, started to get pretty excited. When the dollar came out I nearly lost it, I couldn't believe my eyes! First dollar after 16 years detecting, I actually thought it was Seated because of the other coins, but then I saw the beautiful Morgan design!

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Coins were coming out packed together, all in the same hole, I thought maybe I stumbled on a cache. Then I started finding bits of cloth mixed in the soil so I guess it could have been a purse or bag. Took a picture at the car and then after I got home, but I didn't want to mess with them too much because I like the way the corrosion looks where they were smashed together.

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The Morgan is 1885O, such a beautiful coin. Seated quarters are 1873, 1876S, 1877, and 185?, I think 55 but I don't want to remove the green. Dimes are 1877 and 1891, only one V nickel is legible 1890, and the IHs are 1864, 84, 86, 87, 96, and 3-95s. there was also a super-corroded Largie in the hole, never seen one that chewed up, not sure why.

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Very cool to see the cents that were firmly packed together show areas where the copper is bright. Also never seen that before.

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Still can't believe it, such a random one-in-a-million spot in the woods and I turned my machine on right next to it. One of the best finds I've ever had, already a great year!

HH,
Steve
 

Upvote 111
$2.42 if my math is right. Given the coin years, it was probably lost around 1897, so that could have well been all the money they had in the world. They must have felt sick after losing that.

Are you going to try to return it to them, they probably searched for days for it?!

Ha! I looked around for the owner but didn't see anyone :laughing7:
 

Fantastic find !! Congrats !!!

"Then I started finding bits of cloth mixed in the soil so I guess it could have been a purse or bag." .........or.............................................................................................................................
...........it could have been in the pocket of some guy hunting or chopping down trees for firewood & never returned home because of an accident. "first couple sweeps under UNDER AN OLD LOG."
Not to be morbid, but things like that happened in the late 1800's-early 1900's, & still happen to this day.

Okay, wasn't thinking that, I'm sure the previous owner was pretty bummed out but dead? I hope not!
 

Thanks Hendo and congrats on your banner btw, no mint mark on that quarter but I don't even care, it's one of those digs you never forget

Absolutely brother!!!!!!! That will be with you for quite sum time.... Congratz... BANNER vote in!!!!!
 

Banner vote - WoW!:headbang::hello2::occasion14:
 

Banner vote - WoW!:headbang::hello2::occasion14:

Thanks Terry! Sorry I duplicated your headline, didn’t seem to rise to the level of your killer find but I couldn’t go back and change!
 

Incredible spill there!! That was a lot of money for someone back in 1895 or so. You found more seated silver in that spill than I have found in 30 years! And I have never found a silver dollar. That's headed straight to the banner!
 

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I would be doing the happy dance, Awesome save.
 

I'm late to the party - what a find ! The date and
mint luster on the 1896 IH , would suggest the loss was within a year or two of that date. Very exciting find ! Banner worthy in my estimation.
 

EPIC! love that era of coins
 

"Still shaking club." I want in that club! Congratulations on a banner find and, yep....I'd be going back to that area, real soon!
 

“Randomly parked the car when I saw some open woods”....how does that work? Who’s woods were they? Obviously a marked park or conservation area? That’s some LUCK right there!
 

“Randomly parked the car when I saw some open woods”....how does that work? Who’s woods were they? Obviously a marked park or conservation area? That’s some LUCK right there!

It hasn't really worked at all for 16 years! Wish it would more often, it was probably the luckiest thing that's ever happened to me!
 

Likely 2 days of wages there. Hardly a pocket spill.
More likely meager savings stashed away.
 

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