First Spanish coin, maybe 2 Reale coins?

[pa-dirt_nc-sand]

I made it out to my new site deep in the woods at my local community park near Pittsburgh. Last week found a 2 cent coin and my oldest coin a 1846 LC there. Today I found my oldest coin by far. I think it is a 1788 Half Reale. Here it is in the hole (note I parted the poison ivy to clear the target brush). Here are some close ups. Anyone know the origins of this one?
But wait, theres more. I also dug a holed silver coin, larger, but nearly as thin. This guy was really caked with a layer of blackness, but I did manage to get most of it off. Anyone know what this is, One Reale?
Here are the rest of this mornings finds.
Coupe of pics with both silver "coins".

If the holed piece is a coin it would be my first holed coin and the half Reale is my oldest and first Spanish/Colonial/1700's coin. It was a good couple hours in the woods...

Any ID help would be appreciated!!!!!

Good luck out there!

 

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[collector01]

Glad the research and hard work paid off. Two spanish silvers, I'd be digging in the ivy too.

 

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[Steve in PA]

Thanks guys! I never thought I would find coins this old in W PA, but I knew I was digging a really old site because I had my treasure map with me! (Otherwise known as Historical Maps, Penn Pilot and Google Earth layering.) And yes I had an X on the map that I thought would be the spot and it worked out. I searched a 20'x20' area slowly for 2 hours. Many hours of research, but who knows what the rest of this park has hidden away in its hundreds of acres!

Special thanks to Jeff of PA for awesome threads on researching PA sites and Steve of PA for his icon / collection of Spanish silver that gave me hope!

Congratulations on your first Spanish silver score! I believe it was only a couple weeks ago that I predicted this would happen and you have already made me look like a genius . Keep up the good research and get on some older sites and the Spanish silver will not be so worn.

What is the diameter of the larger silver?

 

[Steve in PA]

Went back to site last night for a couple more hours. Major bush whacking into the briars to see if I missed anything. Old roached out silver plated fork and spoon, a few more shotgun shell end and one last flat button. In all 4 coins from 1700's and 1800's, 6 flat buttons and 2 buckles in a 20'x 10' sweep of land. Here is the last button View attachment 1463838 View attachment 1463839 View attachment 1463840
First one piece flat button I have found that has something on the front. Looks like a deer to me. Anyone seen one like this before? Time to move onto the next site.

Neat button with the animal on it, very likely a sportsman's button from the 1820s.

 

[toasted]

Congratulations on your first Spanish silver score! I believe it was only a couple weeks ago that I predicted this would happen and you have already made me look like a genius . Keep up the good research and get on some older sites and the Spanish silver will not be so worn.

What is the diameter of the larger silver?

I have the same problem with only finding worn Spanish silver but at least mine are worn cobs. Lol. As others have said, If I do ever find any milled pillars and globes or bust reales then they will likely be in brand new condition. LOL

 

[Turbo21]

Looks like you are hitting the deep areas of frick park ? Awesome pulling some Spanish silver!!!!!

 

[Metal Headz]

Awesome research and finds, you're brave knowingly digging in poison ivy. I just got over some nasty poison ivy blisters on my hands for not paying attention where I was digging almost 2 weeks ago. Those damn stems and roots seem to have more concentrated urushiol oil than the leaves.

 

[pa-dirt_nc-sand]

Congratulations on your first Spanish silver score! I believe it was only a couple weeks ago that I predicted this would happen and you have already made me look like a genius . Keep up the good research and get on some older sites and the Spanish silver will not be so worn.

What is the diameter of the larger silver?

Thanks again Steve! Please, please, please make your next prediction for me a $20 Golden Eagle coin!

I'll measure the larger one and post when I get home tonight.

 

[pa-dirt_nc-sand]

Looks like you are hitting the deep areas of frick park ? Awesome pulling some Spanish silver!!!!!

Thx Turbo21! Finding Spanish silver in Pittsburgh is an awesome feeling. I have heard there are old sites in certain Frick Park wooded areas that are productive, but I don't hunt in the City, all of my finds are in the North (lunch hunts) and South suburbs.

 

[Turbo21]

I work right next to liberty tunnels (port authority ). So I have hammered a lot of the city parks. Getting hard to find good sites. I have put a ton of time into seldom seen. I have pulled 4 large Rubbermaid tubs full of old bottles (turn of century -1930)
But the sites are getting thin

Check out my bottle collection from seldom I ran out of room so the rest are in bins lol


seen

 

[pa-dirt_nc-sand]

Pics showing measurements.

 

[pa-dirt_nc-sand]

I work right next to liberty tunnels (port authority ). So I have hammered a lot of the city parks. Getting hard to find good sites. I have put a ton of time into seldom seen. I have pulled 4 large Rubbermaid tubs full of old bottles (turn of century -1930)
But the sites are getting thin

Check out my bottle collection from seldom I ran out of room so the rest are in bins lol


seen View attachment 1463993

That's a serious bottle collection. Nice job!

 

[Steve in PA]

Pics showing measurements. View attachment 1464159 View attachment 1464160 View attachment 1464161

That looks like 24 mm? See attached link for diameters of colonial Spanish silver coins
Spanish Silver Reales Coinage

 

[pa-dirt_nc-sand]

That looks like 24 mm? See attached link for diameters of colonial Spanish silver coins
Spanish Silver Reales Coinage

I have the Half Reale at 17.5mm (high end of the size range) the holed coin at 23mm (outside of the 1 Reale range by 1.5mm) and the Quarter spot on at 23.5mm as a control. The holed coin must be something else? I need to try the silver test acid method to see if I can get some detail on this one.

 

[crabstang44]

I have the Half Reale at 17.5mm (high end of the size range) the holed coin at 23mm (outside of the 1 Reale range by 1.5mm) and the Quarter spot on at 23.5mm as a control. The holed coin must be something else? I need to try the silver test acid method to see if I can get some detail on this one.

it really does work, i had a silver quarter compltely smooth, no detail at all, after using acid on both sides, it was a 1894 barber with O mint mark, let me know if you id it

 

[crabstang44]

you get an id yet?

 

[pa-dirt_nc-sand]

you get an id yet?

I just ordered an acid test kit, about time huh. Probably won't be in until end of next week. I definitely will try it and post to this thread even if it doesn't work.

 

[crabstang44]

I just ordered an acid test kit, about time huh. Probably won't be in until end of next week. I definitely will try it and post to this thread even if it doesn't work.

as worn as that is give it about 10-20 seconds at a time, then dab with a cloth then rinse, there is a couple of youtube videos up of people doing this, i hope it works for you, by the way on some coins it turns them real dark, just lightly rub with some polish to take some black away if it gets too dark, also for some of my silver coins that i rubbed too shiny from when i didnt know what i was doing i put acid on both sides for 2 secons, rinse then wipe hard with cloth, and it looks great and not shiny

 

[pa-dirt_nc-sand]

Here are pics after two 15 second silver acid methods per side.
I can't make out any familiar coin markings, but the initials J F in an older script look like they were carved into this piece of silver? Any ideas? Should I try a couple more attempts with the silver acid?

 

[crabstang44]

Here are pics after two 15 second silver acid methods per side. View attachment 1467998 View attachment 1467999 View attachment 1468000 View attachment 1468001 View attachment 1468002
I can't make out any familiar coin markings, but the initials J F in an older script look like they were carved into this piece of silver? Any ideas? Should I try a couple more attempts with the silver acid?

hey man, i feel kinda bad it didnt work too well, did you place just one drop on each side and spread the drop around? i would try one more time 30 seconds on each side and if nothing then, leave it be, at least you see some carved letters

 

[pa-dirt_nc-sand]

I tried one more application, no dice. It was worth a try. I know this piece is old. Everything I have found at this site is 1800's or older. The mystery of this item is intriguing. It definitely looks like JF was carved casually onto it, but the initials don't align with the hole. So was this a silver pendant that had some kind of enameling on one side that degraded and they carved the back. Was there a pattern or slogan on the front that wore away? Was this some kind of coin, but just too far gone? Maybe I'll never know, maybe someone a year from now will see the post and have a positive ID. Thx!