🥇 BANNER Revolutionary War USA Relic? No Idea, but I Know It's Old!

[FreeBirdTim]

Deep in the woods today near the spot where I found a Rev War era stirrup. Got a low 70's signal 6 inches down and thought I had dug a flat button. Wiped it off and noticed that one side had grooves on it instead of a shank. Then I turned it over and saw a USA logo on it! Looks similar to the Rev War button logo, but not quite the same. It's 1" in diameter and appears to be brass.

Did some research online, but I drew a blank. No idea what this is or how old. Hoping it's Rev War, but it could be later than that. What the heck did I find?

 

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[DownNDirty]

Congratulations on a very rare find. Banner vote in.

 

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[CRUSADER]

If I were you I would get this checked out just to confirm it & to quickly think about stabilizing the flaking - ASAP.

 

[FreeBirdTim]

Same question back at you. Why was someone in 1785 wandering the woods...lol Never make the mistake of trying to make sense of why things turn up where they do, only worry about what they are.

Probably lived there, since there's a cellar hole 75 feet away from where I found it. I'm a mathematical person. The odds of 1 of 65 counterfeit 1860 bar cents being dropped deep in the woods of RI are astronomical. Plus, they minted thousands of bar cents compared to the meager 65 counterfeits, so that skews the odds in my favor even more. Just my take on it...

 

[CRUSADER]

Probably lived there, since there's a cellar hole 75 feet away from where I found it. I'm a mathematical person. The odds of 1 of 65 counterfeit 1860 bar cents being dropped deep in the woods of RI are astronomical. Plus, they minted thousands of bar cents compared to the meager 65 counterfeits, so that skews the odds in my favor even more. Just my take on it...

I understand, but with something as important as this you need a expert to see it in their hands & you need to think about conserving it.

 

[pa-dirt_nc-sand]

I think you need to re-bury this coin immediately to stop the flaking. I can give you an address in PA where there is special conservation soil... happens to be my backyard. Seriously, I had one copper earlier this year come out super green, but after a day it really started to dry out and turn white so in this instance I hit it with some olive oil, but it was worth maybe a couple bucks. Renn Wax would probably stabilize the flaking, but if you wanted to remove the wax for proper preservation or "cleaning" it would require a solvent to melt the wax off which might take some patina off as well. Tuff decision on a special coin. Good luck

 

[West Jersey Detecting]

Banner!

 

[treblehunter]

JMO be careful who you let touch this coin, who you let conserve it. You need someone knowledgeable in coins of this type. My experience with dealing with coin dealers always is the same. They recommend guys who only deal with old coppers, who really understand about dug coins. Now is when your research will pay off. Find a guy who knows what hes doing.
Nice find congrats!

 

[creade]

A unbelievable find I would put that in mineral oil immediately to stop the flaming . I wonder if you can uses the same method that’s used on pewter? half Elmer’s/half water

 

[lairmo]

IF it's real then TRIPLE WOW!!! If it's a repro then just WOW!!!

 

[Ahab8]

JMO be careful who you let touch this coin, who you let conserve it. You need someone knowledgeable in coins of this type. My experience with dealing with coin dealers always is the same. They recommend guys who only deal with old coppers, who really understand about dug coins. Now is when your research will pay off. Find a guy who knows what hes doing.
Nice find congrats!

Agreed! 90% of your coin shop guys will have little to no experience with coins of this type. Colonial coinage and dug coins are something that most rarely deal with. Add in the scarcity of your coin and I would be doing my homework and driving as far as I had to for the right answer by the right person

 

[FreeBirdTim]

I appreciate all the conservation tips, but I think it's a lost cause. I've had large cents start to flake away until they're just a smooth coin. If I place it in oil, the flaking areas will lift off and then it's a smooth coin. If I do nothing, it may be okay for awhile or it may get worse.

When I look at it under magnification, the "U" in USA already has a small chip out of it. There's no detail under that spot, just the flat coin. I could try to rub Renaissance Wax on it, but that may lift off the detail as well. Damned if I do something and damned if I don't...

 

[creade]

If this was mine,I'd stabilize it first. Then I'd take it to a coin show . Lots of dealers there with some that focus on just colonials. Most big cities have 1-2 a year. I go to Manchester NH twice a year..My fugio was a flaky mess,I put it in mineral oil for a day,pat dry ,then I put in a clear plastic case. That was 2 years ago,not flaky anymore.

 

[villagenut]

Great find Tim, I think you got a winner, and your first banner coming soon!

 

[FreeBirdTim]

Thanks for all the great comments and banner votes! If this boy doesn't make it, I'll probably never get one! Going to be very hard to top this coin!

One more note. I was messing around with the video I shot of the find and took a screenshot of one frame. I think it shows the little spike thing on the second bar from the top, but you decide. Even if it is there, I don't know if that's a 100% guarantee that it's not the 1860 counterfeit.

 

[creade]

Thanks for all the great comments and banner votes! If this boy doesn't make it, I'll probably never get one! Going to be very hard to top this coin!

One more note. I was messing around with the video I shot of the find and took a screenshot of one frame. I think it shows the little spike thing on the second bar from the top, but you decide. Even if it is there, I don't know if that's a 100% guarantee that it's not the 1860 counterfeit.

View attachment 1563463

It does look like it, what does it look like under magnification?

 

[johnnyblaze]

I think it's an 1862 version..Still a killer find..It is believed to have been struck around 1785, and the "A" passes over the "S". There is also a copy struck around 1862, distinguished by the "A" passing under the "S"..

~Blaze~

 

[coinman123]

I can't find any photos of the 1862 reproduction, but here is the original. The S and A look to same to me as on the OP's coin.



Has anyone found a reference photo of the 1862 reproduction for a comparison?

 

[coinman123]

Well, I found a photo of an 1862 copy of the bar cent, struck on silver, using the same dies though.
View attachment 1563568

 

[johnnyblaze]

In the 2003 Red book there is some good info i read about and supposed to have a pic..True lots of real ones are worn so the "A"looks like it is under..I see some questionable areas on the back bars and the top right of the "u" looks bent in..But it's dirty,worn and geez im stumped on it..The Patina looks Colonial era aged..I just cant say for sure..The area he always hunts was a very active mill town in the 1860's..I see him all the time i hope it's real maybe he will buy a new car!!If he hasn't already..

~Blaze~

 

[FreeBirdTim]

Here's a real one with heavy wear that sold on eBay. The "A" may have been on top at one time, but it wore off, so it looks like it's under the "S". Note that the weight is 4.16 grams, close to the weight of my coin.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1785-BAR-CENT-COLONIAL-VERY-GOOD-DETAILS-WITH-REVERSE-DAMAGE-hucky-/222832872851?hash=item33e1dfcd93%3Ag%3AJOYAAOSw-JJafyMg&nma=true&si=%252FckkX1J%252FkSi9z6m74TH2DAiQkBI%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557