Colonial coin mystery.

[Sniffy]

Here's a coin I found in a colonial (1740's) homesite in MA. I placed it next to a 1787 CT coin for size. Please somebody help. Could it be a Farthing? A king George? A MA state coin?

Thank you,

Sniffy

 

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[Sniffy]

I forgot to mention that it is completely smoothed over. Before I cleaned it, I made out some markings, and a number 7. As I cleaned it with peroxide I gently wiped away all evidence. I was completely devistated.

 

[Don in SJ]

One thing I always recommend, if you have found a copper that looks in bad shape, but you can see some details, TAKE A PIC of it BEFORE any type of cleaning is attempted. A good habit to get into is the "Before" and "After" photos.

A lot of times the details you see are just the now corroded metal/hardened dirt, which is going to wash away with almost any type of cleaning, it sort of like just an impression of what used to be solid metal and no longer is, cleaning off dirt, never really "ruins" the coin the coin was already destroyed by corrosion. Also, never rub much on the iffy coppers if you want to save what corroded details are left, it takes experience to know when to do what with a coin or a button.

With that said, I do not think it is a Farthing, cannot tell exactly how much smaller than your CT copper to the right, but it could a a small, light weight KGIII copper of some type, usually size in diameter and weight in grains or grams helps in determining some intelleigent guesses on unknown coppers....

Don

 

[Iron Patch]

Remember the condition... and don't try cleaning similar ones. Even just water or peroxide will wipe the surface clean if the detail was mostly in the dirt or corrosion. I see people wetting coins and relics they shouldn't, and I see it over and over and over again. Anyone who has a nice green relic, but big brown or black spots... guess what... you did most of it!

Obviously the coin was very poor to begin with, and even the rarest coppers aren't worth much when that bad, so just think about finding the next.

 

[Sniffy]

Remember the condition... and don't try cleaning similar ones. Even just water or peroxide will wipe the surface clean if the detail was mostly in the dirt or corrosion. I see people wetting coins and relics they shouldn't, and I see it over and over and over again. Anyone who has a nice green relic, but big brown or black spots... guess what... you did most of it!

Obviously the coin was very poor to begin with, and even the rarest coppers aren't worth much when that bad, so just think about finding the next.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure I done most of the damage myself. Lack of experience I suppose. I was just hoping it to be my oldest coin (which it probally is) but i'll never know for sure. I am focused on the next big copper, cant' wait.

 

[Iron Patch]

Remember the condition... and don't try cleaning similar ones. Even just water or peroxide will wipe the surface clean if the detail was mostly in the dirt or corrosion. I see people wetting coins and relics they shouldn't, and I see it over and over and over again. Anyone who has a nice green relic, but big brown or black spots... guess what... you did most of it!

Obviously the coin was very poor to begin with, and even the rarest coppers aren't worth much when that bad, so just think about finding the next.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure I done most of the damage myself. Lack of experience I suppose. I was just hoping it to be my oldest coin (which it probally is) but i'll never know for sure. I am focused on the next big copper, cant' wait.

Possible. I've learned my lessons through experience and wiped the date off my oldest coin (at the time). It was a 1719 George I Farthing and I had the bright idea of taking a little bottle with water in it to let the coins soak before I got home. My friend was doing the same thing, and we were in shock after getting home to see how many of our old coppers had lost detail... just since we had dug them 2 hours before. (we had found a new site and was great) The farthing was done the week before, but that still wasn't enough to learn the lesson. One coin that was very nice from the group we ruined was a Brit. 1700s big penny with initials carved in. Out of the ground you could read everything, but being all the detail was in the dirt and corrosion/patina it was almost all washed away. Now I find it pretty easy to tell which ones should be left alone, but it did come at a little price. I can imagine the look on our faces when we took out those dozen coppers that didn't look anything like they did going in. I wish it was on video, would be pretty funny!