2 Half Reals & Counterfeit Half Pence

doninbrewster

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Jun 15, 2013
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New York
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CTX 3030
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A few weeks ago I was off in the woods and found an old flat button. Since then I was hunting two other spots where I pulled out 3 large cents, a 2 real, 1/2 real, 2 seated quarters, a seated half and 3 Indians. Needless to say, I was on a roll. This morning I went back to the woods where I found the flat button. Lo and behold, I couldn't have been there 3 minutes when I got a great signal on my CTX reading at 6". Out popped a counterfeit British half pence from the 1770's. I couldn't even tell if it was a coin or another flat button at the time as it was the right size and thin. The reason they made counterfeit British half pence is the made them with less copper and as a result they were thinner than a regal copper. Frequently they used 2 1/2 pence worth of copper to make 3 coins. That was their profit. This is not a Machin's Mills piece as it had the Union Jack lines in the shield where a Machin's piece has solid lines across the shield. I spent a little over an hour wandering the woods before I got another signal. It was very hard to dig as the soil was laced with rocks. After a few minutes out pops a half real. It was barely identifiable as you can see from the photo. I check the hole and about 6" away I got another good signal. Being more careful with my digging I came up with another half real, this one dated 1776. These coins are certainly not much to look at, but I'll take them any day. I've been checking my old maps and it seems to be paying off. One last thing, while walking back to the car I notice something on the trail and ended up finding a quartz arrow head. Never found one of those before. I guess it pays to keep you eyes open.
arrow head found 6-29-13.jpg coins found 6-29-13 obverse.jpg coins found 6-29-13 reverse.jpg
 

Upvote 5

StormSurge

Sr. Member
Oct 6, 2011
400
173
S E Virginia
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Don, looks like you found a HotSpot and some great finds. Bet there's more to be found there. Good Luck.:icon_thumright:
 

Erik in NJ

Silver Member
Oct 4, 2010
4,037
3,043
The Garden State
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Fantastic finds my friend!! Looking forward to see some of these excellent finds in person sometime in July!
 

GioTheGreek

Bronze Member
Sep 12, 2009
1,281
859
Hades
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XP DÉUS, Minelab E-TRAC, Pro-Pointer, Hawk-like Vision, Receding Hairline
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Don, you're killing it. :) Fantastic finds, man. I love that point and those Spanish silvers. :)
 

OP
OP
doninbrewster

doninbrewster

Bronze Member
Jun 15, 2013
1,539
2,778
New York
🥇 Banner finds
2
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
2
Detector(s) used
CTX 3030
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Thanks Gio. I've never found a point before and although I didn't use my CTX to find it I loved finding my first point. Still can't believe I found 3 half reales and a 2 reales in the last two weeks at 3 different locations.
 

CASPER-2

Gold Member
Jan 3, 2012
17,159
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NEW ENGLAND
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Evolution

Gold Member
Aug 2, 2007
5,278
2,481
Upstate NY
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Whites DFX (with 4x6 shooter DD coil and 12" spider coil), Minelab Rocco 2700. (E-Trac)
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Great finds Don. Sounds like you've got a pretty nice spot with a good bit of history to hunt. Keep the good finds coming! :thumbsup:
 

Ocean7

Bronze Member
Apr 15, 2004
1,751
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SE, PA
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Minelab Equinox 800
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wow! Now that's a colonial site. Very nice!
 

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