Marc in VA
Jr. Member
- Jun 27, 2003
- 69
- 170
- 🥇 Banner finds
- 2
- Detector(s) used
- Minelab GPX 4500, Minelab Equinox 800, 3 Minelab XS Explorers
- Primary Interest:
- Relic Hunting
Back in October 2006 My buddy Dale and I went relic hunting at a freshly cleared construction site. The first few hours were fairly productive as we were digging both union and confederate bullets and a few buttons. The finds were becoming few and far between so I decided to move on to another area of the large site. I saw an area that had many holes dug from the previous weekends hunters so I thought I would see if they had missed anything. Right away I dug a deep Gardner bullet, then another, and another. A foot away I received another bullet signal on my Explorer and I dug a hole fully expecting another Gardner. I was shocked to see a small silver coin on top of my dirt pile. I picked up the coin and first thought it was a Spanish half reale. Then I looked more closely and realized it was an American coin and then I saw the date 1792. I wasn't sure what I was holding but it was old. I knew I had seen the bust before but where. I flipped the coin over and found the reverse very worn but I thought for sure I could read Half Disme. I called my buddy over and we looked at my find for a few minutes and then went back to detecting. I tried hunting some more but I couldn't concentrate. I just had to know what I found. I walked to my truck and called my wife. I asked her to get my red book and look up the coin I had just dug. She said that the half dimes started at 1793. Thats when I realized what I had dug. I told her to go to the colonial section and she found it. When she told me what it was worth I about died. Needless to say my day of digging was over.
I spent the next few days searching the internet and learning about the history of the half disme. The half disme was the very first coin ever minted by the United States. The silver used in these coins was donated by George Washington mainly in the form of Martha's silver serving set. Three thousand 1792 half dismes were minted in a basement in Philadelphia. The US mint building was still under construction. After the coins were minted Thomas Jefferson personally took them to Monticello and then delivered them to George Washington at Mt. Vernon. From there George gave many to friends and dignitaries and many others were put into circulation. Between 250 and 300 1792 half dismes are known to exist today.
I never thought I would ever dig a very rare coin and I had no idea what to do. I consulted with many people and received lots of good advice. I first had it authenticated and then came the hard decision as to sell it or keep it. I knew that coin prices were at their peek and there was always the chance that more 1792 half dismes could be found and come on the market which would drop the price. I also thought that such an historical coin did nobody any good sitting in my safe. It needed to be in a major collectors collection or in a museum. I decided to consign my half disme to Stacks Rare Coins in NY City and it was auctioned off at the Baltimore Coin Auction in March. Do I regret selling it? Not really. I have the memories, the pictures, the Coin World article, and the W&ET Best Finds issues and award. My advice to anyone who digs a valuable coin or relic is this. Seek advice from reputable people. Dint rush into anything. Be prepared to make a very hard decision, to sell or not. And if you decide to sell do your homework. Ebay is not the place for rare coins. Go with a trusted and reputable auction firm such as Stacks. Thank you for looking and I hope everyone someday makes their find of a lifetime.
Marc
I spent the next few days searching the internet and learning about the history of the half disme. The half disme was the very first coin ever minted by the United States. The silver used in these coins was donated by George Washington mainly in the form of Martha's silver serving set. Three thousand 1792 half dismes were minted in a basement in Philadelphia. The US mint building was still under construction. After the coins were minted Thomas Jefferson personally took them to Monticello and then delivered them to George Washington at Mt. Vernon. From there George gave many to friends and dignitaries and many others were put into circulation. Between 250 and 300 1792 half dismes are known to exist today.
I never thought I would ever dig a very rare coin and I had no idea what to do. I consulted with many people and received lots of good advice. I first had it authenticated and then came the hard decision as to sell it or keep it. I knew that coin prices were at their peek and there was always the chance that more 1792 half dismes could be found and come on the market which would drop the price. I also thought that such an historical coin did nobody any good sitting in my safe. It needed to be in a major collectors collection or in a museum. I decided to consign my half disme to Stacks Rare Coins in NY City and it was auctioned off at the Baltimore Coin Auction in March. Do I regret selling it? Not really. I have the memories, the pictures, the Coin World article, and the W&ET Best Finds issues and award. My advice to anyone who digs a valuable coin or relic is this. Seek advice from reputable people. Dint rush into anything. Be prepared to make a very hard decision, to sell or not. And if you decide to sell do your homework. Ebay is not the place for rare coins. Go with a trusted and reputable auction firm such as Stacks. Thank you for looking and I hope everyone someday makes their find of a lifetime.
Marc
i love finds like that!! what a day buddy 
