It took 20 years, but I finally found a gold coin. Well, 4 gold coins. All French!

[DFW_THer]

Hello THers!

I have been wanting to share this find now for a couple weeks, but was waiting for my friend to edit and drop the video first.

This coin was found at low tide on a rocky river edge. I was using a Garrett AT Max with the wrong coil considering the conditions, but it was too late in the day to change it. (NEL Thunder coil) I literally hit this coin with my predator hand digger at about 5 or 6". I'm still sick about it, but like the flowing hair half dime incident, at least I found it... I'm probably about as messed up about finding it as the person was who lost it 250+ years ago! I don't know exactly how it managed to separate into 4 pieces of pie in just one strike, but it did. I could probably whack a coin 100 times before it broke the way this one did. It's just crazy to me... I managed a few other very nice finds that day, as did my mates, but I will have to come back and edit this thread once the whole video drops. It was a disgusting and incredible day that I am truly humbled to have been a part of...

I know many of you don't like video shares on this forum, so I have attached some close-up pictures. If you're brave enough to watch the video, grab a box of tissues.



Thanks all!

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

A History of Mining on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska - Grab it through Amazon!

[smokeythecat]

On second thought, a contemporary counterfeit would make more sense than you breaking it with a digging tool. Gold does not shatter. I found a tiny nugget and took a hammer to it to see how it would break or bend, it flattened like a pancake and there were no crack lines on it at all. I would have the carat value of the coin tested. May be 8 carat or such, which would explain the breaking thing. I have seen guys on you tube find coins hundreds of years older than this one, and they are very bent up. Careful annealing and straightening gets them very close to back to their original shape. I think it's probably a very low carat weight counterfeit. Gold just doesn't break like that. And in that anaerobic mud, the original color of the coin would be preserved. Take a small gold nugget, place it on a flat surface and it spead out a LOT before it would shatter.

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Cry Of The Eagle: History And Legends Of The Cherokee Indians And Their Buried Treasure - Grab it through Amazon!

[Mike N Tn.]

Incredible and historic find. I like the way it looks. It's got a cool story.
Congratulations on finding the Holy Grail of Relic Hunting. Definite banner worthy.

 

[Megalodon]

On second thought, a contemporary counterfeit would make more sense than you breaking it with a digging tool. Gold does not shatter. I found a tiny nugget and took a hammer to it to see how it would break or bend, it flattened like a pancake and there were no crack lines on it at all. I would have the carat value of the coin tested. May be 8 carat or such, which would explain the breaking thing. I have seen guys on you tube find coins hundreds of years older than this one, and they are very bent up. Careful annealing and straightening gets them very close to back to their original shape. I think it's probably a very low carat weight counterfeit. Gold just doesn't break like that. And in that anaerobic mud, the original color of the coin would be preserved. Take a small gold nugget, place it on a flat surface and it spead out a LOT before it would shatter.

I agree with this post. I've been bothered by this picture since it was first posted. Something just "doesn't look right" with the "strike". It looks possibly cast. I have seen the real thing at coin shows many times and they don't have the same appearance. A contemporary cast counterfeit of lower purity would be more likely to break like this than the real thing. It could have been cast from a real coin or even a copy of a copy.

 

[Digemnega]

Congrats! I saw the video and it was amazing to watch this unfold. Don't worry about it breaking. That is how it was meant for you to find it. And. It is still gold. Congrats again!! I have vote banner.

 

[hbru123]

WOW! All I can say is WOW!!! Congrats on the once in a lifetime find! Definitely BANNER!

 

[woody50]

Just does not sound right to me. You should first test to see if it is gold.

I cannot understand how such a coin can break using only a hand tool, even if it is brittle.
I have found enough gold coins from the Celtic BC period, and the years between 700-900 period in Europe and never found a brittle one. We are talking about gold, not silver or bronze.
Gold does color a bit, but brittle, have never seen such.

 

[Scrappy]

Once again, an excellent find. I’m really hoping your coin makes banner. Who the hell really cares if it’s broken is my personal opinion. The fact is you found it is quite incredible. Thanks for sharing it.

Banner

 

[smokeythecat]

To be clear it is an awesome find.

 

[Megalodon]

Not only an awesome find but also an opportunity for further research.

 

[wildthunder]

You could just feel the look on his face when he found the next 3 parts.. My heart sank just and his did... You still have a Gold coin.. Now Pirate addition CUT.
My favorite YouTube detectors..


Don't Brad it Bob.
Now eat your lunch

 

[Ammoman]

I remember watching old westerns where the cowboy would bite the gold coin to see if it was real. Not sure if this was just a Hollywood thing or if people really did bite the coins to check for hardness.

 

[woody50]

Is true, gold coins back then were mostly gold 22K. I have seen coins with teeth marks in them. But it must have been hard on the teeth...

 

[Megalodon]

Is true, gold coins back then were mostly gold 22K. I have seen coins with teeth marks in them. But it must have been hard on the teeth...

Good business for the dentists.

 

[DFW_THer]

I will carefully acid test this coin tonight, possibly post some up close and personal photographs of the breakage line. The weight is SPOT ON. Thanks for all the additional thumbs up and banner nods. I greatly appreciate you all stopping to comment!

 

[orange_sweetheart]

Way cool -- Congratulations!!!

 

[smokeythecat]

Brad, the weight wold have to be dead on for it to pass as a counterfeit. Inquiring minds want to know.

 

[DFW_THer]

Brad, the weight wold have to be dead on for it to pass as a counterfeit. Inquiring minds want to know.

France 1736-K louis d'or - CoinFactsWiki - I think mine was 8.0X or 8.1X, I don't remember. It made sense, considering a flake or two was probably lost in the process of obliterating it. I will weigh it on 2 different jewelry scales tonight, and then perform an exceedingly careful and light acid test. I will not apply acid directly to this coin, in case anyone was concerned. It's only true value now is the gold weight, however...

 

[DFW_THer]

https://photos.app.goo.gl/Sjpw8NK62t5ltwEn1 - I hope this link works. Weight and karat match are spot on. I'd love to hear any feedback.

 

[hbru123]

https://photos.app.goo.gl/Sjpw8NK62t5ltwEn1 - I hope this link works. Weight and karat match are spot on. I'd love to hear any feedback.

Amazing!! Congrats! Now there is no doubt it is real!!

 

[hbru123]

It took 20 years, but I finally found a gold coin. Well, 4 gold coins. All F...

How is this not a banner yet? There is proof that it is gold!