I found a Napoleon coin in California!!

hbru123

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Jun 4, 2016
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San Diego California
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I was metal detecting at a early 1800’s-1920’s homestead. The Mormon battalion camped there, Union soldiers camped there and so did General Kearny’s troops. After about five minutes I got my first signal which was a small mule shoe, I took a few steps and got a solid 77-78 signal that was only half an inch deep so I expected it to be a beer can or something like that so I flipped the plug and out flew a quarter sized silver coin, I picked it up and the back was completely blank so I flipped it over and saw a bust that looked like a barber so I thought it was a Barber quarter, I went to rinse it off in the creek and immediately I knew it was not a barber quarter, I saw a few words around the rim and one said “Napoleon” so I looked up Napoleon coin and there it was! It is a Napoleon I 1 franc (these coins stopped being made after Napoleon Bonaparte’s defeat, subsequent governments pulled his coins out of circulation and melted them which makes these quite rare) ! These coins date from 1807-1814, why I find this coin amazing is that it predates California’s statehood, there is also a chance that is was dropped during the California Fur Rush in the early 1800’s which went right through this area. This is definitely not a common coin to find in the US (I have only seen one other found in the US) and even more rare to find on the west coast!
 

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hbru123

hbru123

Bronze Member
Jun 4, 2016
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San Diego California
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sprailroad

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Jan 19, 2017
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Grants Pass, Oregon
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What a great, great coin you have found, I say that because it is a thrill and a half to find one with a lot of nice detail on it, but one like yours with the extreme amount of wear on it, can't help but make you wonder about it's story, from it's "birth" in France (1807-1814) to it's "re-birth" in Calif. 2018. All the hands it was held in, all the pockets & purses it was carried in, and all the counters it was slid across for all the things it may have bought. If it could only talk and tell you it's story, what an evening that would be. Very nice find.
 

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hbru123

hbru123

Bronze Member
Jun 4, 2016
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San Diego California
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Minelab Equinox 600
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What a great, great coin you have found, I say that because it is a thrill and a half to find one with a lot of nice detail on it, but one like yours with the extreme amount of wear on it, can't help but make you wonder about it's story, from it's "birth" in France (1807-1814) to it's "re-birth" in Calif. 2018. All the hands it was held in, all the pockets & purses it was carried in, and all the counters it was slid across for all the things it may have bought. If it could only talk and tell you it's story, what an evening that would be. Very nice find.

Thanks so much! That would be amazing! Sometimes the best coins have a little wear on them because that way you just know how much history it witnessed.
 

Rubka888

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Jun 13, 2013
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What a cool find out there! Congrats! Awesome coin!
 

vince76

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Oct 2, 2015
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Macedonia
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Very nice find, congrats!
 

IMAUDIGGER

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Mar 16, 2016
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Great find. Those old coins are hard to find in many parts of California

I believe that there was a shortage of coinage in the US prior to 1850.
As a result, many well worn foreign coins were in circulation.

Later, the primary currency was raw gold and coin.
Although I have read that much of the transactions were via promissory notes and trade for goods and labor.
 

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hbru123

hbru123

Bronze Member
Jun 4, 2016
1,120
1,023
San Diego California
🥇 Banner finds
1
Detector(s) used
Minelab Equinox 600
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
Great find. Those old coins are hard to find in many parts of California

I believe that there was a shortage of coinage in the US prior to 1850.
As a result, many well worn foreign coins were in circulation.

Later, the primary currency was raw gold and coin.
Although I have read that much of the transactions were via promissory notes and trade for goods and labor.

Thanks so much!
 

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