✅ SOLVED US coin from mid 1800s

Hoosier Digger

Full Member
Jul 12, 2014
121
96
Indiana
Detector(s) used
Garrett AT Pro and Ace 350
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
US coin from mid 1800's

I thought this was a US large cent when I found it, but the back is wrong. The Liberty on the front looks like the large cents from 1839 to 1857; however, rather than having a wreath on the back, this coin has an eagle facing left and holding arrows. There does not appear to be a banner above the eagle's head. The coin measures 27 mm in diameter and is dark in color like a copper, but where my digger scratched it, you can see a brighter, goldish color. I cannot make out a date nor can I make out the denomination on the back. The coin is pretty much toast, but I would still love to know what I found. The back is very much like the 1831-1838 capped bust quarter, but the bust on the front does not match. The eagle is also similar to the half dollar in the first half of the 1800's, but the coin is too small. The dime and half dime each have a similar eagle but there is a banner above the eagle's head on those and they are smaller than 27 mm. The size is again right for a large cent after 1839, but there's that darn eagle. What am I missing? (I tried inverting the front image to make it a little easier to see. This didn't help at all for the opposite side. I also included an image of the eagle from a quarter which I think is a good match for what I'm seeing.)
 

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That's an intriguing thought. I wish to goodness I could see more detail. I still think mine has a date under Liberty's bust, but I'm not sure. It would make the most sense given the combination of Liberty and the eagle. That would still be a fun find.
 

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Bramblefind, you are correct. The leaf being clutched by the eagle is more in the center (6 o'clock) position on the gaming token vs. the quarter and when I looked closely, I could find the star that sits under the leaf on the token but not the coin. Thank you so much. I had no idea these even existed.
 

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I know this has been marked as solved, but I also found one similar. It's not a German produced gaming token, but it is a token for a poison to kill rats and insects in powder or pill form.

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Wow, how do you guys find these things! After looking at this version and the German version, I still believe mine is German. I'm pretty sure I can spot a star on the eagle side of my coin. I do not see any stars on this side of the American token. I can't say with 100% assurance, but I'm pretty sure that is the case. Thanks so much for sharing this token, too.
 

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Nitric, yes, the one I found was the size of a large cent. Just look for a "large cent" without the wreath on the back. I learned something new through this exchange, too.
 

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