1778 Portugese 10 Reis

[Riggleman]

This was the last thing i expected to find today when i took my 3 year old daughter out for a walk in the woods. Every time its just me and her we pull something nice, shes my good luck charm. At the base of a hill near a very large oak tree i saw a bathtub size depression about 8 inches deep. Right in the center i got a good clean high 80s reading on the mew AT Max, still figuring out the new machine i had no idea what or even if it was a coin. 6-8inches down out popped something old and copper. Then i saw one side was flat, like a chunk had been cut off. Right away i could make out an X and a wreath. When i got home i cleaned it with a toothpick rubbing horizontally with coin and some forehead grease (aquachigger). I know a lengthy post but i use this as a journal i can look back at. Now does anyone know how this Portugese coin could have ended up in the middle of the woods in West Virginia, or why a chunk is missing.Tomorrow im going back with a big shovel and sifter to see if anything made its way deeper than my small coil could detect.

 

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[Aureus]

Awesome copper! Congratulations!

 

[scruggs]

That’s a sweet oldie!

 

[trapperart]

Congrats on the old copper and nice pics

 

[pepperj]

That's a different copper for sure, congrats on the oldie and good luck with the digging and sifting.

 

[Blak bart]

To heck with the coin I dig the detecting cap your daughter has on. Looks like monster horns on that hat !! Got to get me one like that !! Congrats on the coin never seen one until now, very cool.

 

[bill_wabo]

Super rare find, congrats! I'm going to buy that hat too!

 

[Vldetecting]

That's really nice. Wonder how that got there...

 

[WilliamBoyd]

Nice find!

Lots of copper coins and tokens circulated in the American colonies and yours was probably one of them.

The "Red Book", A Guide Book of United States Coins by R. S. Yeoman lists some of them.

I have a similar Portuguese coin dated 1764 (different king).

Portugal 10 reis 1764, copper, 34mm, 11.09gm

 

[sutphin]

QUALITY TIME AND GREAT FIND, SOMETHING WE CHERISH FOR THE REST OF OUR LIFE

 

[Patriot Relics]

Certainly odd to wonder how that copper ended up in West Virginia, nice dig for sure

 

[Scrappy]

That's a big bad copper there. Very nice

 

[Kurios1]

Well that just ROCKS! Love it when our next find has us shaking our heads in disbelief?!? One things for sure, it's yours NOW! BTW, your little "monster" is PRICELESS! So cool you got to share this memory with her. Nothing cooler than that!

 

[against the wind]

Really sweet save.
No clue how it got there but glad you saved it.
Congratulations.

 

[huntsman53]

Congrats on the 1778 Portugese 10 Reis find in West Virginia! As has already been stated, it could have circulated through the colonies and the owner may have settled in or traveled through West Virginia. There were several main routes that settlers and Fur Trappers used when heading Westward into Kentucky and Ohio took when traveling from Jamestown. Where in West Virginia was the coin found?


Frank

 

[darktower007]

Man that’s one cool find! Thanks for posting.

Oh how you liking the at max?

 

[gheenoe78]

That's an unusual one for sure. Nice find!
Thanks for sharing.

 

[TwoYewts]

Awesome find!. As Huntsman pointed out, could have been dropped by some early trader travelling through the area. Also, if I'm not mistaken, there is a group of settlers that were found inhabiting the general area that researchers believe are the descendants of early Portuguese settlers/shipwreck survivors. They are known as the Melungeons (I believe I spelled that right). A brief overview of these people can be found here:
The Melungeons

Its possible that a Melungeon family had settled in the area and left that coin behind. One never knows and that is what I love about this hobby!

Happy Hunting!
TwoYewts