🥇 BANNER 1849 Territorial Half Eagle

goldbrick

Jr. Member
Jun 11, 2007
26
200
🥇 Banner finds
1
It had been a year since I had been able to hook up with my buddy Strick to do some relic hunting. This day was day 3 of my visit with him and we were off to a private property in the low Sierra foothills of California to meet up with Strick's friend, the ranch owner, and detect an early gold camp. We have been hunting this area for a few years when our schedules will allow. The last time I was here with Strick he had found a Quarter Eagle and some seated coins while I had only found buttons.
On this day things were not looking so great for me as I had only found one nice button and the usual assortment of period trash while Strick had scored a nice cast buckle wreath. We had just taken a break and had compared finds with the ranch owner, discussing the "whatizits" we had found. It was getting later in the day so we went back to detecting. I had earlier got into an area with quite a bit of scattered iron which developed into a nail bed which was obviously the remains of an old structure. So I returned to the heaviest area of nails which was about 250' away from the location of Strick's gold coin find, and was carefully searching through the machine gun iron signals when I hear a definite but scratchy signal on my Deus. It was jumping around depending on which direction I swung but was repeatable. Just another bullet or cartridge I think as I pop the plug. Then I see about a quarter of a gold coin sticking out of the plug as it crumbles. I didn't stop to savor the moment or reflect on my find like you hear so many times. I started screaming like a 14 year old Valley Girl, " I found a gold coin" and waving my arms at my friends who were a short distance away.
On the journey back to Stricks' I looked up the value of the coin as people always ask. I didn't much care as I did not plan to sell it but that is usually the first question from family and friends. I had not cleaned it well or looked at it too closely but I knew it had some wear so I figured a ball park figure of $500?
It wasn't until we returned to Strick's place that he was looking at it through a low power microscope and he says" Her headband doesn't say liberty it says Moffat". I had never in a million years ever dreamed I may find a Territorial coin but I knew in an instant that I had just scored the find of my life.
 

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Upvote 173

1235CE

Hero Member
May 23, 2006
663
195
The Beautiful Berkshires in Western Mass.
Detector(s) used
White's DFX
Just clicking the "like" button seemed so shallow to me, had to type something...……..OMG CONGRATUALTIONS, I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!!

Happy Hunting, just stare at that coin and let it inspire your every single day.

Greg
 

PullTabPete

Hero Member
Jun 14, 2012
784
777
Michigan
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
Excal II E-trac EQ 800
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Wow amazing find!! Love the story on coin (Thanks Mackaydon!)

Not sure why it isn't on the banner yet, but it will be soon, my vote is in.
 

bologna321

Bronze Member
Aug 26, 2017
1,153
2,816
SW MO
Detector(s) used
Garrett AT PRO, Garrett Ultra GTA 500, Equinox 600
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Banner vote in, great story amazing historical find
 

fyrffytr1

Gold Member
Mar 5, 2010
7,465
11,746
Southwest Georgia
Detector(s) used
XP Deus, White's DFX
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Unbelievable find! Congratulations!

How does one vote banner?

In the upper right hand corner his post, there is a red/maroon box marked "nominate banner". Click that, then write in the box explaining why you think it's a banner find and then send it.
 

PetesPockets55

Bronze Member
Apr 18, 2013
1,635
2,880
Indian River Co., Fl
Detector(s) used
AT MAX & Carrot, Nokta Pulse Dice (:
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
History, history, history. Not much more to say other than "Oh yea, it's gold too!"
Congratulations on a fantastic find.
 

GopherDaGold

Silver Member
Dec 12, 2009
2,817
3,356
St. Charles County, Missouri
Detector(s) used
Garrett AT Pro, Tesoro Vaquero, Bounty Hunter Land Star, Teknetics Delta 4000, Minelab Equinox 600, Garrett Carrot
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Someone please wake up the mods :laughing7:
This find should have been up top already.
 

WannaDig3687

Gold Member
Jun 5, 2017
23,801
112,404
O-H-I-O
Detector(s) used
Garret ATMAX
Primary Interest:
Other
This is just amazing! I am so happy for you! I voted Banner, also. I would never have know about this history had you not found it and everyone started giving information about it. A huge, HUGE, CONGRATULATIONS to you!



 

digging440yrs

Gold Member
Dec 5, 2012
5,946
4,410
UPSTATE NEW YORK
Detector(s) used
1970 COMPASS-
WHITES SILVER EAGLE-
WHITES DFX, 4X6DD COIL, 6X8DD COIL, 950 COIL, 10X12SEF COIL-
GARRETT PRO POINTER AT, GARRETT AT PRO , MINELAB EXPLORER SE with 8.5x12.5 Cors coil
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Smokey--I think you misread my post , I said 5000 plus. When the o.p. found this gem, he had thought 500. H.H. -Tom
 

Last edited:
Oct 5, 2014
31,886
35,424
Massachusetts
🥇 Banner finds
1
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
Garrett: AT Pro, AT Gold & Infinium; Minelab: Explorer SE, II; Simplex; Tesoro: Tejon & Outlaw; White's: V3i
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
Outstanding Gold recovery, congrats! :notworthy:
 

Tuberale

Gold Member
May 12, 2010
5,775
3,446
Portland, Oregon
Detector(s) used
White's Coinmaster Pro
After posting here, I'm going to nominate for banner as well.

This is such a HUGE find, RARE and EXTRAORDINARY.
 

sjvalleyhunter

Silver Member
May 5, 2014
3,716
2,172
Central California
Detector(s) used
Minelab E-Trac and Whites MXT
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
In the upper right hand corner his post, there is a red/maroon box marked "nominate banner". Click that, then write in the box explaining why you think it's a banner find and then send it.

How is it done while using the T-Net app?
 

Tnmountains

Super Moderator
Staff member
Jan 27, 2009
18,701
11,663
South East Tennessee on Ga, Ala line
🥇 Banner finds
1
Detector(s) used
Tesoro Conquistador freq shift
Fisher F75
Garrett AT-Pro
Garet carrot
Neodymium magnets
5' Probe
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
How is it done while using the T-Net app?

I think there is a report post or a banner button? My screen is different looking than yours so maybe someone else will weigh in on this fantastic find so you may vote.
 

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