UNBELIEVABLE FINDS OF A LIFETIME! 1728 SPANISH SILVER & 1722 FRENCH COPPER!!

cjon455

Gold Member
Jun 4, 2012
9,207
11,541
Northeast PA
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Detector(s) used
Minelab Etrac
Garrett Propointer
Garrett Propointer-AT
Sampson T handle shovel
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting

Got out today down in good old Philadelphia with George. Started out at a 1700s riverfront home hes hit before, I didn't do to hot there but George made a couple of good finds there, I managed a flat button of sorts and the oil lamp part with the wick still attached , I cant quite make out the patent date. 20150623_202453.jpg After that we tried door knocking and let me tell you how very very old and beautiful these homes were. Tried to get permission at 2 different places before George decided to take me to the site of his 8 reale from a few weeks ago. George wanted me to try his CTX3030 all day and see what I thought, I gotta say im impressed with it, its pretty fast compared to my etrac, similar operations/tones/VDI's, etc though. So we get geared up and went down by the pond, within 10 minutes I got a LOUD AND CLEAR 10-41-ish tone, it was 10 40 something, still a blur, I kinda lost focus for a bit when I popped the plug and saw that familiar glimmer of silver, and upon closer inspection I see SPANISH!!!, I carry it over to George, shaking, near puking, lightheaded etc etc etc, and wiped the dirt off it in front of him to reveal the most beautiful coin I have ever dug, the oldest coin I have ever dug, Three hard fought years of wishing/hoping/dreaming brought me to this point, :headbang: 1728 SPANISH SILVER! :headbang: I cant believe it still!!big reale.jpgUntitledsdf.pngUntitled.png George was nice enough to get in touch with Bill D and he identified it as a Spanish pistareen. I was so pumped to get this, George gave me a hard time a bit because of HIS machine on HIS site but it was all in good fun lol! I cant believe it was only 5 inches down, I could've easily got that with my etrac!, ok anyway after that I had a hard time focusing, I was haphazardly detecting around until I sat, focused, and slowed down, managed a few more decent finds such as the 1889 IH, and a Silver Roosie, and a fired musketball. we had to leave shortly after that but I was in the mood for a little more so I headed to the school from 2 weeks ago and very first signal was this Mystery copper,20150623_204940.jpg20150623_174556.jpg20150623_202610.jpg I think I see FRAN___ something on the 2nd line of the one side of it.20150623_202610.jpg its slightly larger than a US quarter, I got 6 wheats after that and left because the sky opened up on me. 20150623_202403.jpg20150623_204924.jpg I don't know if I can ever top this day, likely not and im OK with that, today was by far the greatest detecting day I have ever had, thank you George!!! super awesome of you to share such a killer site with me, hope I can repay you someday

thanks for looking and hh!!!!
 

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Upvote 65
It's definitely appreciated here on T'Net; that's for sure.

Plus, when I see a find like yours I get inspired. If it happened to you than that means it can happen to me or anyone else.

I just hit my one year anniversary in this hobby last Saturday. One year ago I had no clue that I would have a nice jewelry collection going on and have coins in my collection that are over 200 years old, all by just being persistent in going out and digging them up.

So I can definitely imagine what you must be feeling on this one. It's an incredible find. Bask in the glory of it for a while.

But remember, it won't be long at all before you're out looking for the next big find. That's the nature of this crazy addiction.
Thanks a lot, it is a great feeling, kinda like I stepped up to "big boy" detecting lol and as far as keeping at it, absolutely, persistence pays off!, I get a ton of no's when it comes to permission, ya just gotta be willing to keep at it, and of course have good hunting partners that share killer sites with ya!, how in the heck will I ever repay that favor?
 

Wow Rick I just looked into that coin.
You are so right!! Thats is Rare.
Maybe only a hand full of them left over here..
That is so a BANNER FIND!!!!
My vote is going in..
You Dog Chris!!!

thanks George! I really like that coin now. Heres a tiny tidbit of education on it if anyones interested in a short read:

France, Louis XV, 9 deniers, 1721-22
By Library and Archives Canada | Monday, 29 March 2004

There was a chronic shortage of currency in New France throughout the French Regime; coins brought out from the mother country returned almost immediately to France. Governor after governor pleaded with the French king to provide distinctive coins that would remain in the colony because they would be unacceptable in France. Finally in 1670 a supply of silver coins was provided, but no copper coins were shipped to meet the need for small change. Consideration was given to copper coins at this time and dies were prepared for a 2-denier piece. (The word "denier'' derives from "denarius" a small Roman coin which is referred to in the Bible as a penny.'') Although a few specimens were struck, there is no evidence that any ever reached Canada. In 1717 (47 years later) a further effort was made to produce copper coins for New France and other overseas French possessions, but again nothing came of it. Finally in 1721 a considerable quantity of 9-deniers pieces in copper were struck and shipped to Quebec and a further supply arrived in 1722.

For some reason they proved to be unpopular with the inhabitants of New France and several years later the bulk of them still lay in a warehouse—perhaps the early settlers had grown accustomed to doing without small change. In any event no further shipments of copper coins were made to New France
 

WOW... a half pistareen... and its whole! I found my first cut pistareen a few week ago and was lucky enough to get the slice with the date 1722. I had no clue what I was holding and also fired off a field email to Bill! It was unreal to find silver that old... awesome feeling digging that up.
 

WOW... a half pistareen... and its whole! I found my first cut pistareen a few week ago and was lucky enough to get the slice with the date 1722. I had no clue what I was holding and also fired off a field email to Bill! It was unreal to find silver that old... awesome feeling digging that up.
thank you!, what made it cooler is how fast it happened, it literally was the 1st target I dug at that site, totally unexpected, blew my mind, I'm so pumped to have it too!

Woo-hoo! Congrats! :occasion16::wav::occasion16: Andi
lol, thanks!!!
 

You need to post a new thread with copper by itself.
 

You need to post a new thread with copper by itself.

Yeah apparently this copper is a pretty big deal, I had no idea, this site teaches me new things almost everyday!
 

Very exciting to find an old silver like that. Of course silver always gets our adrenaline pumping. But that is a nice copper you found as well. I have found two of the one real pistereens in SW Pennsylvania, and half a dozen that were cut from one or two reale pistereens, but I've never found that French copper. Living in Pennsylvania, you have a good chance of finding another if you get on the right spot.
 

Yeah education of me and others will make this Banner
thanks a lot Tyler that means a lot!

Very exciting to find an old silver like that. Of course silver always gets our adrenaline pumping. But that is a nice copper you found as well. I have found two of the one real pistereens in SW Pennsylvania, and half a dozen that were cut from one or two reale pistereens, but I've never found that French copper. Living in Pennsylvania, you have a good chance of finding another if you get on the right spot.
thanks Steve it's nice to get good words from a hunter like yourself, my two oldest coins ever came into short hunts, I'm thrilled to have em!!

Thanks again! !
 

Unreal!! An E Trac out with a 3030, on Colonial sites, you guys can, and did, do some serious damage! Congrats! And thanks for sharing! That silver is so sick!
 

Unreal!! An E Trac out with a 3030, on Colonial sites, you guys can, and did, do some serious damage! Congrats! And thanks for sharing! That silver is so sick!

Thanks alot CD!, I own an etrac, but was using vinos ctx, he was using his deus, so yeah thay site didn't stand a chance lol!!!!
 

Definitely one of those occasions where you hope you packed the butt wipes. Just in case you shat yourself.
 

Definitely one of those occasions where you hope you packed the butt wipes. Just in case you shat yourself.

LOL!!! thanks will, but I thought it was gonna come out the other end, I literally felt like I was gonna puke I was so nerved up!
 

Just read about you finding your first silver half then read this post, WOW!! Your KILLING IT!!

Congrats on the Spanish silver and that French copper, Amazing day!!
 

Way to go Chris!!! Next time get George's Deus so you can get the good ones he is trying to keep for himself! LOL and just kiddie' of course. :)
 

After reading more of those posts in this thread and understanding the nature of your copper, I nominated it for the banner!
 

Well you did it!!!
No modern silver will ever compare to the feeling you got today..If it was not 95 degrees out today I would of thought you were freezing, because how much you were shaking??? Lol.
Boy im sure glad I pulled that 8reale out of there the other week, before you got there! I might have thrown you in the pound. Lol.
Congrats Chris..That is a awsome coin. Glad I could see that coming out..
I post tomorrow, I have a great video of it.
George

That's it I'm moving to the NE!!!

Congratz on the Awesome Finds.
Davers
 

Just read about you finding your first silver half then read this post, WOW!! Your KILLING IT!

Congrats on the Spanish silver and that French copper, Amazing day!!
thanks deershed, it's been a phenomenal past few hunts, I appreciate it!

After reading more of those posts in this thread and understanding the nature of your copper, I nominated it for the banner!
Thanks alot keith, although I was using the ctx for the spanish, I could have easily gotten it w my machine, really loving this etrac!

Thanks again!
 

Great Job Makes my oldest 1832 half dime sound alot newer.HH
 

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