Dirtwisher
Hero Member
Wow. I've been preparing to write this since I found the coin, but I couldn't even concentrate enough to get my thoughts down, let anyone perform my professional or family duties. Let me set this up a little first though. During the course of the past few years, it has become an obsession for me to ponder the infinitesimal probability of finding of a MA tree coin on every property, park, beach, foundation or town square I drive by. When I saw Abe's incredible pine tree shilling a while back, the possibility seemed somehow more real. Here was a guy in what used to be part of Massachusetts, a guy who puts so much effort into his research and traveling to remote locations in search of old dirt, and he found one. Maybe, just maybe, I could find one too. But usually after five more hours in a field with nothing but a couple shotgun headstamps and some melted lead to show for it, the hope seemed to dim just a little more each day. You can tell this is going to be a long post, can't you...
Then came yesterday afternoon - my second day on a new permission, a smallish field that had an original late 17th/early 18th century home nearby. I had seen it last year, but only got up the nerve to ask permission last week when I was getting very discouraged at my usual spots. I hunted three hours the first day and man, what a letdown. I lost track of how many mangled aluminum cans and pulltabs I unearthed. No shoe buckles, no harmonica reeds, no buttons, not even many square nails, and basically no hope. Then I decided to move to a different smaller field and got a toasted large cent in the path that connected the two fields. I was a little more upbeat then, but could manage nothing else but some more garbage.
I came back yesterday though, because the large cent had stoked the fire just enough. I couldn't write this place off after one day, could I? Well, yesterday was pretty much a carbon copy of the first day. Found a bunch of modern junk, then popped what looks like a toasted KGII from a grassy slope adjacent to a stone wall on the high side of the field. Hmm.... Two coppers in 5 hours... but then two more hours of nothing. I realized what time it was and I had to go home and start making dinner for the kids, so I figured I'd swing by the spot I nabbed the copper and head from there to the car. Yup, the ol' trip to the car story! Sure enough, 20 feet into the corn stalks, I had what rang up at 69 on the Deus. Pretty much figured it was a pulltab, and I was pretty beat from two days of yardwork, but you know how you dig it all when you're on the way to the car? I took one shovelful and it was not in the hole. The pinpointer said it was in the dirt, but I couldn't find it. Then I had something round and SMALL in my palm, so I figured it was part of a beavertail. I picked it up and wiped off some dirt off one edge. The dirt was fairly hard to remove, but I thought I saw and N and an E. I thought, could it be? NO way, don't get your hopes up, so I turn it over and give it a soft, spit-laden wipe. Do I see branches? I DO! Wait, these are NOT pine tree branches... What the heck do the other branches on the MA silver coins look like? I couldn't remember because I thought if I ever found a tree coin, it would be the most common variety of pine tree. By this point I'm shaking, I'm down on one knee, resting the coin on my thigh, trying not to die of excitement. I let out a couple loud "YES! I finally did it!" yells, then got back to absorbing the enormity of the moment. I had to go grocery shopping, do all the dishes and that kind of stuff, so I had to wait until tonight to make sure I had my thoughts together. Here's the proof! Sorry the pics are screenshots - hard to remove GPS info on my laptop...
Now comes the BEST part - I got home with the coin and tried to figure out what exactly I had found, but I couldn't find any examples anywhere on any website. I thought that might be good, that it might be rare or super rare, but maybe that was my imagination running away with me again. Then my wife sends me to the grocery story so the kids will have something to eat at school. So there I am, last night in the cereal aisle at Stop and Shop, texting Abe pictures of my coin and asking if he can help with an ID and variety. Like the amazing guy he is, he says he will look it up today for me. I never expected what he would text me though. He said he found it in his book, that it is an NOE 26, 4-A.2 Oak Tree, and there are likely BETWEEN 5-8 OF THESE KNOWN!!! Are you kidding me!!!
I just found one of the rarest freaking coins in the United States!!! I ran downstairs and told my wife to get off the treadmill and tell me who her daddy is. Then I called Abe, who allowed me to go on like a schoolgirl about the find (he encouraged it, actually) and he expressed the most sincere happiness for my find. What a guy. Here's to you, buddy. Sorry for the super long post, friends. I never thought I'd get this opportunity.
Best of luck to everyone. I can't express enough thanks to everyone on T-net for reading, and to whatever force miraculously led my coil over this coin!
Jeff
Then came yesterday afternoon - my second day on a new permission, a smallish field that had an original late 17th/early 18th century home nearby. I had seen it last year, but only got up the nerve to ask permission last week when I was getting very discouraged at my usual spots. I hunted three hours the first day and man, what a letdown. I lost track of how many mangled aluminum cans and pulltabs I unearthed. No shoe buckles, no harmonica reeds, no buttons, not even many square nails, and basically no hope. Then I decided to move to a different smaller field and got a toasted large cent in the path that connected the two fields. I was a little more upbeat then, but could manage nothing else but some more garbage.
I came back yesterday though, because the large cent had stoked the fire just enough. I couldn't write this place off after one day, could I? Well, yesterday was pretty much a carbon copy of the first day. Found a bunch of modern junk, then popped what looks like a toasted KGII from a grassy slope adjacent to a stone wall on the high side of the field. Hmm.... Two coppers in 5 hours... but then two more hours of nothing. I realized what time it was and I had to go home and start making dinner for the kids, so I figured I'd swing by the spot I nabbed the copper and head from there to the car. Yup, the ol' trip to the car story! Sure enough, 20 feet into the corn stalks, I had what rang up at 69 on the Deus. Pretty much figured it was a pulltab, and I was pretty beat from two days of yardwork, but you know how you dig it all when you're on the way to the car? I took one shovelful and it was not in the hole. The pinpointer said it was in the dirt, but I couldn't find it. Then I had something round and SMALL in my palm, so I figured it was part of a beavertail. I picked it up and wiped off some dirt off one edge. The dirt was fairly hard to remove, but I thought I saw and N and an E. I thought, could it be? NO way, don't get your hopes up, so I turn it over and give it a soft, spit-laden wipe. Do I see branches? I DO! Wait, these are NOT pine tree branches... What the heck do the other branches on the MA silver coins look like? I couldn't remember because I thought if I ever found a tree coin, it would be the most common variety of pine tree. By this point I'm shaking, I'm down on one knee, resting the coin on my thigh, trying not to die of excitement. I let out a couple loud "YES! I finally did it!" yells, then got back to absorbing the enormity of the moment. I had to go grocery shopping, do all the dishes and that kind of stuff, so I had to wait until tonight to make sure I had my thoughts together. Here's the proof! Sorry the pics are screenshots - hard to remove GPS info on my laptop...
Now comes the BEST part - I got home with the coin and tried to figure out what exactly I had found, but I couldn't find any examples anywhere on any website. I thought that might be good, that it might be rare or super rare, but maybe that was my imagination running away with me again. Then my wife sends me to the grocery story so the kids will have something to eat at school. So there I am, last night in the cereal aisle at Stop and Shop, texting Abe pictures of my coin and asking if he can help with an ID and variety. Like the amazing guy he is, he says he will look it up today for me. I never expected what he would text me though. He said he found it in his book, that it is an NOE 26, 4-A.2 Oak Tree, and there are likely BETWEEN 5-8 OF THESE KNOWN!!! Are you kidding me!!!
I just found one of the rarest freaking coins in the United States!!! I ran downstairs and told my wife to get off the treadmill and tell me who her daddy is. Then I called Abe, who allowed me to go on like a schoolgirl about the find (he encouraged it, actually) and he expressed the most sincere happiness for my find. What a guy. Here's to you, buddy. Sorry for the super long post, friends. I never thought I'd get this opportunity. Best of luck to everyone. I can't express enough thanks to everyone on T-net for reading, and to whatever force miraculously led my coil over this coin!
Jeff
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It's crazy how one minute you're on top of the world and the next minute the wife is sending you to Stop and Shop, lol
I found an Oak Tree shilling ten years ago, and I’m still digging holes like there’s no tomorrow - all to feel that rush of exhilaration that such a find brings. You won’t forget this thrill anytime soon. You can be certain of that. You have my banner vote for the coin and your story!
(Never rely on numbers)
. Some of us just obsess about these things like some mythical creature that likely isn't real but we keep digging holes just in case it is. The best part of this hobby for me is seeing somebody find that one thing that they completely obsess about. The one thing that stands alone at the top of the list. When Jeff sent me the pics of that coin I knew how much it meant to him. I was sitting there thinking "wow that's such an amazing find!....and this is a guy who truly deserves it and respects it." I get so genuinely excited and satisfied by these rare accomplishments. 
