Coin Machine Jammed with Gold...?

[Avago]

Went in to the bank to do my usual $1k dump into one of the coin counters I use in the area, and upon starting up I heard something jingling around the spinning tray left over from a previous user. Happens all the time really, though usually it's a bent coin or some other debris that ends up in the internal reject tray.

I started dumping with the junk still inside and when the bag filled, I informed the attendant that something was kicking around the tray. Their machine does break frequently from people depositing foreign objects, so I just wanted to make sure they got it out to make sure it didn't do any damage.

They pulled out the item (along with three acorns that someone also deposited!!) and after a cursory glance handed it over to me.




I find rejected religious tokens all the time, and due to the machine damage on this one I considered tossing it in the trash (it even looks plated on the front.) But it was gold colored, and had a very tiny stamp on the reverse, so I thought I'd better take it home and have a look under the scope, just to be sure.

Sure enough, with the aide of magnification I was able to make out a "750" stamp, which in Italy, where this was evidently manufactured (VATICANO of course) indicates 75% gold, aka 18 karat!!



I don't have a gram scale handy but I suspect it weighs near three grams, which is a little over $95 in scrap right now! Glad I did my due diligence!

It's my second gold find from a coin machine, the other being a 2 gram (with stones) 10k ring, worth maybe $35. Keep your eyes peeled, you never know what will get left behind!

[dirtdigginfool]

Nice! A little bonus to brighten your day, and grow that gold pile...Ddf.

[smokeythecat]

Wow!

[Twitch]

Nice find Avago. Congrats. Always cool to see gold in the CRH forum. I'm also a member of the gold club.

[Diver_Down]

I would acid test to make sure. Italy stamped gold is often not as described.

[Avago]

I would acid test to make sure. Italy stamped gold is often not as described.

I will definitely need to do that. The appearance of the piece, particularly that it looks plated had me suspicious, but it feels heavy for its size. Don't know for sure until it's tested, like you said!

[Terry Soloman]

Congratulations!!!!!

[port ewen ace]

I dummies who put these things in the machine. mine was a tiny 14K crushed ring a few years back..... and the "American Prospector" 1 OZT .999 silver.

to paraphrase Lt. Joe Kenda----- "if you dump it------ I WILL find it"

great little dividend ya got

[Philvis]

Finding gold doesnt get easier than that!

[Megalodon]

Its a hobby of amazing variation and ups and downs. The most common jammed finds in my machines, besides foreign coins and bent US coins, is live ammunition; .22s are the most common, but the tellers say they see a variety of calibers.

[Professor of Engineering]

Nice Gold find!

[A2coins]

Thats a cool find

[Avago]

Alright everyone, a little update. I ordered a gram scale and a gold acid test (which was long overdue anyway) and got some results.

Acid test looks like genuine 18k to me, and... don't come to me to estimate weight by hand. On the scale it is 5.64 grams, almost twice what I estimated! That puts it at nearly $180 today! Wow!!

[Uncleslick18]

That’s pretty awesome. Congrats!