A double silver day today. First Franklin half

[beez0404]

Got out today and finally got to hit a vacant lot I've had my eye on but have never checked out. It's a small lot with a tiny brook running along the back of it. There used to be a house on the lot that was built in the early 50s. I found nothing of note on the entire lot and was headed out. I though I would swing along the tiny brook on the way out. This is where I found the Franklin half. The bottom of the plug was filled with water and when I pulled out the coin I thought it was a clad dollar coin and just tossed it in my pouch. I've never found a silver coin that looked like this. I've seen photos of silver coins found in salt water but this is fresh water so I am not sure if this caused the heavy black tarnishing. The merc I found at the next spot I hit.

I've tried to clean the Franklin and using both dish soap and then baking soda and a toothbrush it will not come clean and shiny like I like them. Any suggestions?



Sorry for this lousy photo. Ben enjoyed his bath in lemon juice and baking soda exfoliant brushing.

 

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[Fingerlakes119]

congrats on the half always nice to see the big silvers coming out of the hole

 

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[MackDog]

Nice

 

[Professor of Engineering]

Nice silver finds!

 

[Old Dude]

I kind of like the way that half looks as it is too. I have only ever found clad halves, and only 2 of them. I think I am due, lol.

 

[Roadrunner007]

Job well done.

 

[Burnt Chimney]

That's a Great old coin you got there !

 

[Pointman]

Hot water, aluminum foil shiny side against coin, salt water and baking soda. Do it a few times to get the sulfur sulfide off the coin. This is the safest way outside of just rinsing to clean a coin without damaging it.

If you already used baking soda as a paste on the coin you could probably might as well use electrolysis which will work in seconds. For this, you take a cell phone charger old stainless knife and two alligator clamps and a mason jar. Cut the plug from the adapter and attache the alligator clamps. Put the positive alligator clamp on the coin and the negative attached to the knife in the jar and add a salt water solution. Then plug in the adapter. There should be bubbles coming off the coin pretty quickly. Depending on the charge, could take 20 seconds to 1 minute to clean, too much time and it will eat up the coin.

 

[park pirate]

Awesome..

 

[ShovelNose]

Nice finds J. No matter what you do the finish is toast. Might as well leave it as found.

 

[thrillathahunt]

Well, you got me beat, I have yet to dig a Franklin half. As far as the condition, I have dug silver coins from creeks and lakes that are so black that it is impossible to remove it all because it gets etched into the coin.

 

[DigIron2]

nice finds Beez,congrats on the Franklin

 

[port ewen ace]

yo, Jay--- my first Merc of the 2014 season was dug at the Thruway traffic circle along Colonel Chandler Drive and the exhaust pollution turned it black. only thing that worked was the wet baking soda/ aluminum foil rub for a few minutes and she was back to her shining silver luster. on another matter----- get another hobby, really sick (not) of you digging silver while I sit here digging out of snow with my swing and dig arm in a sling for 4 more weeks,--- then wait for snow to melt and permafrost to unfreeze. REALLY----take up knitting or hang gliding, or go back to baseball cards. SO D@&M JEALOUS!!!!! hh. strongly considering your E-TRAC proposition. Rich

 

[Carolina Tom]

Very very nice coin. Congrats on your latest conquest. GL&HH.