Hello All,
Been a while since we've posted, but we did have a chance to do some back-to-back hunts this week (at last!) so we have some goodies to share with y'all. Here's a little video I made:
The first day we got out and I dug a flat button and then IMMEDIATELY Shang-o-lang dug a KILLER half real, 1782! Although I was a little jealous of such a nice coin, it felt great to strike some colonial silver before 7am!
Next thing I know, he's got more silver--this time a little piece from a silver brooch or similar item. Very thin, tiny fragment--but gives us hope for finding more of this item and being able to ID it at some point.
Then that old silver sniffer dug another silver--a Mercury Dime. This one was a 1923 (farmer drop). When I saw this coin come up, I had memories of digging them in my childhood in Virginia, back when Mercury Dimes were everywhere
I thought it would be nice to dig one--just one--instead of a seated or spanish for a change
(this new Gawgag silver was not available to have its picture made, so here's just a dug photo)
Then I got an Indian Head--which was a little bit of a surprise. Crusty old thing.
Well, then the parade of Gawgag coins came. V nickels and Beefaloes. Not what we were after, but it does appear that one of the V's was modified with a leather punch
Then--redemption! I dug my first Mercury Dime in Louisiana. Only took 7 years of living here, and Shang had dug one last spring and another this hunt. Funny how that works--I have dug over 35 Spanish Silvers (just myself) and over 50 Seated Silvers. Heck, I've dug more Seated Half Dollars than Mercury Dimes in Louisiana.
At any rate, I was glad to see this in the plug-- 1917 Mercury Dime (worn slick and nasty but beautiful to me):
And MINE was not shy about having its picture taken!
Diggergirl (my WIFE--not my daughter lol) dug this cool prohibition era token. Here's a link to a non-dug one.
DEALERS / PRESENT THIS COIN / TO THE / H.T. COTTAM & COMPANY / NEW ORLEANS PURITAN / MALT EXTRACT / DISTRIBUTORS / AND / RECEIVE 25¢ IN CASH / NOT GOOD AFTER / AUG. 31, 1927 (TC-364494) New Orleans, Louisiana (Orleans Parish), U.S.A.
And here's a link to a fascinating article about home brewing during prohibition--which is what these tokens were redeemed for (while "officially" sold for baking, bohemian hop flavored malt was really used to brew beer!)
Homebrewing During Prohibition
Cool find!
Then I got a couple little silver items, including a cufflink, and also this piece of colonial era engraved silver. Not sure what it is/was. Perhaps more of it will turn up in the future...
Then after my video camera had run out of battery, of course I dug my best find from the day--an 1841-O half dime
And of course Shang dug another great find that didn't end up on video either! This cuff-sized early Navy Button!
Backmark is "J. MANNS EXTRA RICH"
Sorry, no photos of the two Mummies we found. You'll have to watch the video to see those.
Happy Hunting,
Buck
Been a while since we've posted, but we did have a chance to do some back-to-back hunts this week (at last!) so we have some goodies to share with y'all. Here's a little video I made:
The first day we got out and I dug a flat button and then IMMEDIATELY Shang-o-lang dug a KILLER half real, 1782! Although I was a little jealous of such a nice coin, it felt great to strike some colonial silver before 7am!
Next thing I know, he's got more silver--this time a little piece from a silver brooch or similar item. Very thin, tiny fragment--but gives us hope for finding more of this item and being able to ID it at some point.
Then that old silver sniffer dug another silver--a Mercury Dime. This one was a 1923 (farmer drop). When I saw this coin come up, I had memories of digging them in my childhood in Virginia, back when Mercury Dimes were everywhere
I thought it would be nice to dig one--just one--instead of a seated or spanish for a change (this new Gawgag silver was not available to have its picture made, so here's just a dug photo)
Then I got an Indian Head--which was a little bit of a surprise. Crusty old thing.
Well, then the parade of Gawgag coins came. V nickels and Beefaloes.
Not what we were after, but it does appear that one of the V's was modified with a leather punch
Then--redemption! I dug my first Mercury Dime in Louisiana. Only took 7 years of living here, and Shang had dug one last spring and another this hunt. Funny how that works--I have dug over 35 Spanish Silvers (just myself) and over 50 Seated Silvers. Heck, I've dug more Seated Half Dollars than Mercury Dimes in Louisiana.
At any rate, I was glad to see this in the plug-- 1917 Mercury Dime (worn slick and nasty but beautiful to me):
And MINE was not shy about having its picture taken!
Diggergirl (my WIFE--not my daughter lol) dug this cool prohibition era token. Here's a link to a non-dug one.
DEALERS / PRESENT THIS COIN / TO THE / H.T. COTTAM & COMPANY / NEW ORLEANS PURITAN / MALT EXTRACT / DISTRIBUTORS / AND / RECEIVE 25¢ IN CASH / NOT GOOD AFTER / AUG. 31, 1927 (TC-364494) New Orleans, Louisiana (Orleans Parish), U.S.A.
And here's a link to a fascinating article about home brewing during prohibition--which is what these tokens were redeemed for (while "officially" sold for baking, bohemian hop flavored malt was really used to brew beer!)
Homebrewing During Prohibition
Cool find!
Then I got a couple little silver items, including a cufflink, and also this piece of colonial era engraved silver. Not sure what it is/was. Perhaps more of it will turn up in the future...
Then after my video camera had run out of battery, of course I dug my best find from the day--an 1841-O half dime
And of course Shang dug another great find that didn't end up on video either! This cuff-sized early Navy Button!
Backmark is "J. MANNS EXTRA RICH"
Sorry, no photos of the two Mummies we found. You'll have to watch the video to see those.
Happy Hunting,
Buck
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