How old could you expect

[danec71]

I hope this question makes sense. So given when the site that you are detecting was established how old of coins could you expect to find in there. Say a site was established around 1880. Obviously you could find coins from that date and on. But what were people typically caring as far as coins around that time. Were most coins out of circulation if they if they were to old to have a value that was current with the coins of the time. I doubt you would find a 1750 coin that was still good for circulation and had value around that time. For example the two sites that I have started checking out this year are both from the 1800s. mainly mid 1880s. I did find a coin from 1891 which makes sense. I guess it may also depend on the region you're in. West Coast versus East Coast possibly could make a difference. Here in Washington state i may only expect to find coins real close to sites established date. Anyway just curious what you guys think.

 

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[miboje]

I'd imagine that coins stayed in circulation a long time. You will notice that some "found" coins are so worn that you can't read the date and some are still very sharp and detailed. Of course the soil acidity/alkalinity would play a part, but I would think wear would come from being in circulation.

 

[Loco-Digger]

The town I reside in was settled in 1818 and incorporated in the 1830's. I have dug a 1780 real and a Chinese cash coin that was minted between the late 1600's and the early 1700's.

DO me a favor. empty all you pockets of change and see how old the oldest coin is. It's not uncommon to find a nickel from the 1960's in your change. That coin will be almost 60 years old.

 

[RustyGold]

With the amount of wear on old coins, it would suggest that the coins were in circulation for many years.

 

[Xraywolf]

I would suspect people in the past carried coins a decade, 2 or 3 old with them just like we do today.
I think about that sometimes too, just because you found a coin say 1899 doesn't mean it has been there since the 1800's, could have been lost in 1920, 30 or even 40.

Exceptions, 1 would be 1964 silver.
People knew well in advance that would be the last year of silver production so they were largely hoarded as they reached circulation - For that reason, probably far fewer of that date lost than others preceding.
[Might have been progressive for a few years leading up to 1964, not sure of the lead time that people knew in advance]

Outside of perhaps prime coinage like silver dollars and gold, don't know if there are any other period examples of people hoarding particular coins at or close to their mint dates, for whatever reasons.

 

[Xraywolf]

Interesting wiki writeup confirming there was indeed alot of hoarding going on in the early 1960's as melt value approached face, and only government keeping silver spot down by mandate prevented melt from zooming and decimating silver coinage.
In fact there was a large coin shortage preceding the coinage act of 1965 which ended silver US coins, the writing was on the wall for quite some time before the trigger was pulled.

Other interesting facts:

* Was proposed to make dimes and quarters 40% silver as well as halves, was rejected - How nice it would have been [for us]

* Less than 1/3 of the silver Kennedy halves made it into circulation - Predictably, they were hoarded not only by investors but average folks wanting a memento bearing the presidents likeness. This lack of circulation greatly contributed to their general unacceptability in actual monetary transactions.

* It was proposed and accepted to mint 45 million silver dollars, using the Peace Dollar design.
Dated 1964, 300,000 were actually struck but a public outcry arose [correctly] claiming that they would only be hoarded. They were all melted, none are known to survive.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coinage_Act_of_1965

 

[Dr. Syn]

I would think the said location could have some effect on what you would find also. Like was it on an old trade route, there might be French or Spanish or Viking, to name a few, whom might have traveled the area before it became a settlement. So older coins then the establishment date could be found.

Ditto if it is say on the shore of the ocean. You could have had travelers, explorers, traders, pirates, and so on who could have dropped some change.

Funny, reminds me of the movie Sahara. Dirk and Al were talking about Confederate coins in the desert,and Al tells Dirk about his father's coin collection and how he had a Roman coin. "Dirk, coins travel"

 

[dts52]

The town I reside in was settled in 1818 and incorporated in the 1830's. I have dug a 1780 real and a Chinese cash coin that was minted between the late 1600's and the early 1700's.

DO me a favor. empty all you pockets of change and see how old the oldest coin is. It's not uncommon to find a nickel from the 1960's in your change. That coin will be almost 60 years old.

Sorry Loco-Digger, my pockets are empty LOL.
HH
dts

 

[against the wind]

The house I moved into is said to have been built in 1905. Many of the neighboring houses were moved here from about a mile away. I recently spoke to a homeowner who is also a real estate agent. She told me that all of our houses sit on what was once a huge farm. We sit where there was once pasture. The oldest US coin that I gave recovered so far is an 1887 IHP.
One foreign copper coin I recovered is a French coin from the 1850's
Who knows how many hunters and trappers, coal miners and lumberjacks passed through here and dropped a coin. There was plenty of activity going on prior to this house being built.