UNBELIEVABLE FINDS OF A LIFETIME! 1728 SPANISH SILVER & 1722 FRENCH COPPER!!

[cjon455]

Got out today down in good old Philadelphia with George. Started out at a 1700s riverfront home hes hit before, I didn't do to hot there but George made a couple of good finds there, I managed a flat button of sorts and the oil lamp part with the wick still attached , I cant quite make out the patent date. After that we tried door knocking and let me tell you how very very old and beautiful these homes were. Tried to get permission at 2 different places before George decided to take me to the site of his 8 reale from a few weeks ago. George wanted me to try his CTX3030 all day and see what I thought, I gotta say im impressed with it, its pretty fast compared to my etrac, similar operations/tones/VDI's, etc though. So we get geared up and went down by the pond, within 10 minutes I got a LOUD AND CLEAR 10-41-ish tone, it was 10 40 something, still a blur, I kinda lost focus for a bit when I popped the plug and saw that familiar glimmer of silver, and upon closer inspection I see SPANISH!!!, I carry it over to George, shaking, near puking, lightheaded etc etc etc, and wiped the dirt off it in front of him to reveal the most beautiful coin I have ever dug, the oldest coin I have ever dug, Three hard fought years of wishing/hoping/dreaming brought me to this point, 1728 SPANISH SILVER! I cant believe it still!! George was nice enough to get in touch with Bill D and he identified it as a Spanish pistareen. I was so pumped to get this, George gave me a hard time a bit because of HIS machine on HIS site but it was all in good fun lol! I cant believe it was only 5 inches down, I could've easily got that with my etrac!, ok anyway after that I had a hard time focusing, I was haphazardly detecting around until I sat, focused, and slowed down, managed a few more decent finds such as the 1889 IH, and a Silver Roosie, and a fired musketball. we had to leave shortly after that but I was in the mood for a little more so I headed to the school from 2 weeks ago and very first signal was this Mystery copper, I think I see FRAN___ something on the 2nd line of the one side of it. its slightly larger than a US quarter, I got 6 wheats after that and left because the sky opened up on me. I don't know if I can ever top this day, likely not and im OK with that, today was by far the greatest detecting day I have ever had, thank you George!!! super awesome of you to share such a killer site with me, hope I can repay you someday

thanks for looking and hh!!!!

 

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[doninbrewster]

Great find on the half pistareen! Like the French Colonies piece too. Neither one of these coins come up very often. Surprising to find the French piece in PA. Most of them were sent down to New Orleans area. Way to go! PS: like your new avatar

 

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[Carolina Tom]

Congrats Chris. When I got the first text, I could tell that you were pumped. Very well done.

 

[cjon455]

Great find on the half pistareen! Like the French Colonies piece too. Neither one of these coins come up very often. Surprising to find the French piece in PA. Most of them were sent down to New Orleans area. Way to go! PS: like your new avatar

thanks Don, I was shocked and think I got a little over aggressive with the rubbing on the deniers in the field, may have lost some of its detail, but ya know what, I don't care, I can tell what it is, that came from a school built in 1914, 186 years older than the school, insane.....

 

[cjon455]

Congrats Chris. When I got the first text, I could tell that you were pumped. Very well done.

thanks tom, sorry about the profanity, I didn't wanna offend your innocent eyes lol!

 

[treblehunter]

Great finds Chris, you like George have a horseshoe up your arse, lol
See, you don't have to get out everyday to find great stuff.
Congrats buddy!

 

[Scrappy]

Awesome find Chris. Glad you found that silver. If George had found it and texted me one more awesome coin I would have thrown my phone out of the window!

From now on expect to be a little less thrilled with modern silver. It's a symptom of Spanish silver finds.

Congrats again!

 

[Msbeepbeep]

Awesome finds! Great detail on it! Congrats!

 

[cjon455]

Great finds Chris, you like George have a horseshoe up your arse, lol
See, you don't have to get out everyday to find great stuff.
Congrats buddy!

Thanks Brad, to say im stoked at the outcome of that hunt is an understatement!, and as far as the luck is concerned, I was using Georges machine on Georges permission, in the presence of george lol! hes the one with all the luck getting on these killer sites!!, I was just fortunate enough that he shared with me

Awesome find Chris. Glad you found that silver. If George had found it and texted me one more awesome coin I would have thrown my phone out of the window!

From now on expect to be a little less thrilled with modern silver. It's a symptom of Spanish silver finds.

Congrats again!

Thanks Steve, I found a 1794 Spanish 1/2 reale last year but this one blows it away!, I know what you mean about the modern silver, when I popped the plug on that roosie and saw it wasn't a seated or older I was like "ahh ok, a roosie", that's dangerous for me, my area where I do most of my hunting is merc and roosie land, gotta snap out of that mindset. I saw george pop a 50 something Washington quarter at a 1700s home and was like "ahh a freakin Washington" I think he threw it in the river lol!!

 

[cjon455]

Awesome finds! Great detail on it! Congrats!

I know right? 287 year old foreign silver coming out of the ground as if it was dropped 50 years ago!

thanks so much!!

 

[DirtStalker]

thanks dave!, what a freaking feeling, I cant explain, I literally thought I was gonna faint, it took forever to wipe the kool-aid smile from my face. The sites George has access to is unheard of, I just gotta get myself back to reality of what we find around here. Back to mercs and roosies, but im ok with that, after these 2 coins, I can care less about yearly total goals, quality over quantity right?

Chris get back with us in a couple of weeks about being OK with digging mercs after these terrific finds. Think you'll have Vino disease... As in aw just new silver. Lol

 

[cjon455]

Chris get back with us in a couple of weeks about being OK with digging mercs after these terrific finds. Think you'll have Vino disease... As in aw just new silver. Lol

hey shut up lol, im trying here.....
I may have been bitten by the
OOOOld coin bug, darnit!

 

[Bill D. (VA)]

Hey Chris - that was great to get a call from George in the field yesterday about that awesome coin you dug. I sent George some additional info on it, and not sure if he forwarded that to you. In case you haven't seen, yours is a one reale pistareen. For some reason we don't find many whole ones down here in Virginia, but the cut pieces are quite plentiful. All pistareens were minted in Spain (as opposed to the New World mints), and you can see the mint mark "S" to the lower left of the shield (for Seville) on what's the front or obverse side of the coin. You can also see the "R" and "I" on either side of the shield which represents the denomination of 1 reale. And to the lower right of the shield is the single assayer's initial "P" (which represents Pedro Remigio Gordillo), and it was only used for 1728 and 1729 before they started using joint assayers initials. I dug a 1729 silver identical to yours back in March with the same assayer's initial. And that French copper is quite a nice find in itself, and is a coin I've yet to pass my coil over so congrats on that one as well. Now that you're totally spoiled with the colonial fever I hope you can soon add to your already impressive collection. Keep 'em comin' ....

 

[Vino]

Hey Crhis,
Just to let you know about that French copper, That almost definitely was carried be a Rev war soldier. Were you found that was were ever one was camped for the Battle of Germantown!!
Thats why we keep pulling KGs out of there..
You need to bring OLD DUDE down there..He might just find his War nickel Lol.

 

[Vino]

Hey Chris - that was great to get a call from George in the field yesterday about that awesome coin you dug. I sent George some additional info on it, and not sure if he forwarded that to you. In case you haven't seen, yours is a one reale pistareen. For some reason we don't find many whole ones down here in Virginia, but the cut pieces are quite plentiful. All pistareens were minted in Spain (as opposed to the New World mints), and you can see the mint mark "S" to the lower left of the shield (for Seville) on what's the front or obverse side of the coin. You can also see the "R" and "I" on either side of the shield which represents the denomination of 1 reale. And to the lower right of the shield is the single assayer's initial "P" (which represents Pedro Remigio Gordillo), and it was only used for 1728 and 1729 before they started using joint assayers initials. I dug a 1729 silver identical to yours back in March with the same assayer's initial. And that French copper is quite a nice find in itself, and is a coin I've yet to pass my coil over so congrats on that one as well. Now that you're totally spoiled with the colonial fever I hope you can soon add to your already impressive collection. Keep 'em comin' ....

Thanks For the info Bill.
It was great being able to share it with you..
You are a good resource to have in the pocket. .lol
Now come on and head north and hunt with me!

 

[cjon455]

Hey Chris - that was great to get a call from George in the field yesterday about that awesome coin you dug. I sent George some additional info on it, and not sure if he forwarded that to you. In case you haven't seen, yours is a one reale pistareen. For some reason we don't find many whole ones down here in Virginia, but the cut pieces are quite plentiful. All pistareens were minted in Spain (as opposed to the New World mints), and you can see the mint mark "S" to the lower left of the shield (for Seville) on what's the front or obverse side of the coin. You can also see the "R" and "I" on either side of the shield which represents the denomination of 1 reale. And to the lower right of the shield is the single assayer's initial "P" (which represents Pedro Remigio Gordillo), and it was only used for 1728 and 1729 before they started using joint assayers initials. I dug a 1729 silver identical to yours back in March with the same assayer's initial. And that French copper is quite a nice find in itself, and is a coin I've yet to pass my coil over so congrats on that one as well. Now that you're totally spoiled with the colonial fever I hope you can soon add to your already impressive collection. Keep 'em comin' ....

Bill, thank you so much for taking the time to help with ID, george showed me the info in the field but quite honestly I wasn't able to focus that much and actually read it, I was still on my coin high. So from what it sounds like, this coin is on the rare side? I can care less about value because this baby isn't going anywhere! That French copper was quite the shocker as well, george has a theory on how it got there. Perhaps a French soldier from the revolutionary war (which a battle took place very close to where I was), dropped it there, I gotta say im no expert but it sounds convincing to me!

again, thank you very much for the help!!

 

[cjon455]

Hey Crhis,
Just to let you know about that French copper, That almost definitely was carried be a Rev war soldier. Were you found that was were ever one was camped for the Battle of Germantown!!
Thats why we keep pulling KGs out of there..
You need to bring OLD DUDE down there..He might just find his War nickel Lol.

you just might be on to something, funny thing about that place, ya get rev war coins, and memorial cents lol!!! I wish someone was with me yesterday, I had my shovel clinched quite tight in case I had to shank someone with it (sketchy neighborhood) lol, just kidding, actually 2 people stopped to talk to me about the hobby, quite a surprise

 

[Fingerlakes119]

Congrats on the spanish silver, wow 1700s is great. Coins like that is what keeps us all digging. Great other finds to. George (Vino) is kind to share his sites. I see he does that quite alot with fellow Tneters. Special kudos to George also. HH

Sincerely
George , Fingerlakes119

 

[Bill D. (VA)]

Bill, thank you so much for taking the time to help with ID, george showed me the info in the field but quite honestly I wasn't able to focus that much and actually read it, I was still on my coin high. So from what it sounds like, this coin is on the rare side? I can care less about value because this baby isn't going anywhere! That French copper was quite the shocker as well, george has a theory on how it got there. Perhaps a French soldier from the revolutionary war (which a battle took place very close to where I was), dropped it there, I gotta say im no expert but it sounds convincing to me!

again, thank you very much for the help!!

No Chris, I'm not saying this coin is rare by any means as pistareens are quite common on colonial sites. I was just stating that I don't find too many whole ones down this way, but apparently they're more common up north. And my comment on the assayer mark was not meant to imply rarity either. I was just pointing out how the only 2 years a single assayer's initial was used during that general time period just happened to be for the 2 dates of the coins we've found (1728 and 1729). Rare or not, it's still a very nice find that certainly has special meaning to you. Ole George definitely took care of you .....

 

[cjon455]

No Chris, I'm not saying this coin is rare by any means as pistareens are quite common on colonial sites. I was just stating that I don't find too many whole ones down this way, but apparently they're more common up north. And my comment on the assayer mark was not meant to imply rarity either. I was just pointing out how the only 2 years a single assayer's initial was used during that general time period just happened to be for the 2 dates of the coins we've found (1728 and 1729). Rare or not, it's still a very nice find that certainly has special meaning to you. Ole George definitely took care of you .....

Gotcha, thanks again. Really cool to make the find of my life in front of others, especially people who can appreciate it like I do!

 

[cjon455]

Congrats on the spanish silver, wow 1700s is great. Coins like that is what keeps us all digging. Great other finds to. George (Vino) is kind to share his sites. I see he does that quite alot with fellow Tneters. Special kudos to George also. HH

Sincerely
George , Fingerlakes119

Thank you george, it was very exciting to say the least here it is in its final resting place lol