1739 Spanish Silver

Don in SJ

Silver Member
May 20, 2005
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MINELAB SE Pro
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Went out this morning for a hunt at the sawmill site that gave me my first 1680's Charles II Irish Halfpenny earlier this year, this site is old, even for my area. I hunted about an hour or so in the hot white open sugar sand with only a piece of buckshot to show for it, so I decided to do some old sandy road walking towards the nearby river.

I no sooner got on one rarely used sandy road and got a pretty good high tone on the detector. I dug and I dug, I kept spreading the sandy loam out and the darn signal kept on evading me, that is good, since when that happens it means small silver and yes, that is exactly what it was.

To my delight I finally saw the small disc laying in the sand and new I either had a half dime or half real. Well, was not sure of what Real it was until I got back to the truck and than I saw the Pillar and new it was an oldie. 1739!!! That by far is my oldest Half Real I ever have found by over 32 years! It was the first Pillar type Half Real, which will go nicely with the couple 1 Pillar Real I have and the one 2 Pillar Reale.

Both my son and I over the years have done pretty good on walking the old dirt roads and getting random drops but in recent years that has not been happening. I believe the last random road find we have found was my son's counterfeit Copper 2 Reale. Anytime we find a road find like that, we always scour the area on both sides of the road in hopes of a work area or homestead, no such luck today.

Don
 

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Nice going Don! I 'bout passed out when I dug mine a few months ago....what a great feeling! ;D

HH, Hank 8)
 

I'd be delighted too! Spanish does not come easy for me anymore. ..and like my day, the start never really matters does it, it's all about the end.
 

That is quite a find, Don. I admire your ability to improvise in your hunts and still make finds, even getting away from the obvious areas. That coin was a needle in a haystack--and you managed to get your searchcoil over it.

Just about any other detectorist, and that beautiful silver would still be waiting underground.


Best Wishes,


Buckles
 

Don in SJ said:
Colonial Copper Zeus said:
I'm happy for you Don. That is one great find being so close to a Pistereen. I found a 1752 1 Real this year and yours is even older. I'll bet your bloodpressure was up when you realized that the reading you had was probably a small silver. I'm sure you will be regalling us again soon with something that will peak CKK's interest. :icon_thumleft:
Chris

I was actually hoping it would be an early half dime over a half real, but was very happy it was my first Pillar Half Real. I have a few Pillar Spanish coins, but did not have the Half Real. I also do have a Pistareen, found one of them back in 2001 at one of my best spots for detecting ever. It is a 1726 Phillip V Cross One Real.(Pistareen). I just checked my son's finds record and he has me beat on Pistareens, a 1721 One Real and a 1737 2 Reale!

Don

Don, did you find your pistareen at the King George I peace medal site? I can't seem to find your post where you listed all the finds found there.
 

My Pistareen was not found at the KGI Indian Peace medal site, back in the late 90s we found a small colonial community site that no longer exists and did quite well on coins there, lots of buttons also but nothing of great significance, the the site was loaded with State coppers, Vermont, CT and NJ coppers, Rosa Americana and of course KG and Irish coppers. My son found his 2 Reale Pistareen at a colonial era tavern site that he did very well on in recent years , not sure where he got the 1 Real Pistareen, would have to search my records, but I think he found it where I found mine, but many years later.

Here is the link to the Indian Peace medal post and the list if down a few replies.

http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,50212.0.html

Don
 

Don in SJ said:
My Pistareen was not found at the KGI Indian Peace medal site, back in the late 90s we found a small colonial community site that no longer exists and did quite well on coins there, lots of buttons also but nothing of great significance, the the site was loaded with State coppers, Vermont, CT and NJ coppers, Rosa Americana and of course KG and Irish coppers. My son found his 2 Reale Pistareen at a colonial era tavern site that he did very well on in recent years , not sure where he got the 1 Real Pistareen, would have to search my records, but I think he found it where I found mine, but many years later.

Here is the link to the Indian Peace medal post and the list if down a few replies.

http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,50212.0.html

Don

This is why I love Colonial sites so much. Connecticut coppers, Vermont coppers, New Jersey coppers, King George coppers, and Spanish silvers all found on the same ground within a few of one another.

I found it very interesting that you found Spanish buttons, coins, and a buckle at that Indian peace medal site. I wonder if the Spanish buttons and buckle were worn by an early Spanish settler on that site? I haven't seen, at least on the forums, any Colonial Spanish relics (i.e., buttons, buckles, etc.) being found so far north.

Kyle
 

It is painful reading some of these great posts that have been coming from the region while my DFX sits on a workbench getting serviced. The cooler weather makes for some great hunting and I am glad to see you are taking advantage of it. That is a beautful piece of silver that would make anyones day!

It's also about time your son joined Tnet and started posting his own great finds!

I am looking forward to your next posts now that you are heading into detecting season!

Neil
 

WAY TO GO DON!!! :hello2:
Fantastic find. Congrats on finding that beauty. You deserve it. :thumbsup:
-MM-
 

Great find Don...congrats on the old silver. I've found my first two Spanish silver coins this year and what a rush when you see what you have. Does that feeling ever get old?

NJ
 

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