1739 Spanish Silver

Don in SJ

Silver Member
May 20, 2005
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Detector(s) used
MINELAB SE Pro
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
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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Upvote 0
great find ....i love those old walking trails ....you never know whats hidding in the ground ....i shocked your hunting the woods so early don ......just thinking about chiggers scares me ....great job . hope to get all southern NJ guys together for a hunt this fall .........AL
 

Congrats on the milestone Don :headbang:

Great coin and pictures to :o

SS
 

Wow... Great find! You always seem to find some great spots to hunt. Congrats!
 

Always good to better yourself, very nice, & still on my list :icon_thumright:
 

Don,

Awesome 1739 you dug there! You have my oldest silver beat by 7 years. I bet this has your passion boiling even more. Congrats once again!

Kirk
 

Don, you almost nailed one of those elusive pistareens. I believe the last year they minted them was in 1738. I think your 1739 Milled Pillar is much more special, though. This is the first time that I've seen a 1739 Milled Pillar on this forum and the other relic forums that we post on. :headbang:

GREAT find and it is nice to see you entering the hot Colonial zone this September. :headbang: If your recent finds -- solid silver cufflinks, 1809 half cent, and now this half real -- are any guide to what you are going to dig this fall, I think we are all in for a real treat on this forum!

Kyle
 

WOW !! The old silver is what I dream of finding. Someday an old real will end up under my coil :wink: Until that day happens I will just drool over yours if you dont mind ;D


Congrats on yet another GREAT find, VPR
 

:o Fantastic find, Don!! :icon_pirat:

Nana :)
 

Great Post. Congratulations on finding your oldest half real. I really appreciated your first photo, it really helps me understand the type of sites you are finding all the oldies. If you don't mind me asking, how far are your sites from populated areas? Are you hiking great distances before you pull out the coil?
 

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
 

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
 

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