1849 Liberty Head Gold Dollar

[Javadroid]

This weekend, I found an 1849 Liberty Head gold dollar that was pretty nicked up. It's so small, I thought it was from a charm bracelet or earring, but when I looked up the diameter and weight, my find matched the website's information I checked. I then took it to a gold dealer who verified it was 22K, which matched the 90% gold of the actual dollar coin. So, I am assuming it's real at this point and is my first gold coin! I've been on a buzz since Sunday from it and still can't believe I have finally gotten one - albeit as small a one as I could possibly get!
Best part - my son told me that now that I've found a gold coin, I'm now a "real treasure hunter!"

I'd like to know from you who have hunted for a long time, am I likely to ever have another gold coin? I've talked to a couple of more experienced coin shooters who have never found one at all, so it's made me all the more stunned. Can anyone encourage me I haven't likely found my one and only??

 

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[pepperj]

Congrats on the gold, and yes I believe that one can find a gold coin more than once.
That being said I have got one and that was from across the pond, never one over here. That's with 45+ yrs of playing in the dirt so the odds are stacked not in my world. Lol

 

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[Peyton Manning]

can you not be happy for a week at least before you moan about finding the next one!

 

[Trezurehunter]

What a great find. As far as if you will ever find another one - it all depends on where you hunt, and where you step at that particular hunt, but best of luck to you on another one.

 

[Agent Green]

Congrats!!

 

[UnderMiner]

If you found one gold coin it means where ever you found it will likely produce more - or at least coins from the same time period which are quite rare in most parts! Take special care to hunt the area you found the gold coin in very thoroughly, you may be surprised but sometimes finding one gold coin leads to more nearby as the coin may have fallen out of a pocket long ago that had a hole in it - and that pocket would be losing other coins as the person walked along leaving them behind for you to find 150 years later!

So my advice is to keep looking, this is definitely not your one and only IF you take the initiative and just keep searching. Treasure comes to those who are persistent. Excellent job so far, you are a real treasure hunter now!

 

[ScubaDetector]

Congrats on a great score.

One of us on here has found more gold coins than probably all of us on this site in America have found put together. That would be Tom in California. I got a nice 1893CC eagle out of a park in the 1990's.

 

[UnderMiner]

can you not be happy for a week at least before you moan about finding the next one!

That's like when Mel Fisher was recovering gold coins off the East coast of Florida from the 1715 Spanish Fleet wrecks and no matter how many gold coins he would find he would always complain that it was just not enough - that he wanted more - and that attitude lead him to sell all that gold he had found and use it to finance his quest for the mother load - the Atocha, and he found it in the end. So the moral of the story is enjoy your treasure, but don't stop and 'be happy for a week' if it means pausing the hunt. The hunt is the best part - the treasure is simply the trophy you get at the end.

 

[HighVDI]

congrats! how did this coin ring up? foil? tab? zinc range?

 

[Fullstock]

I've been digging for 40 years and I've found a ton of stuff, but never found a gold coin. Congratulations on yours, you're a lucky guy!

 

[chefjuan]

Wowowowowow!!


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[Javadroid]

Congrats on an amazingly rare find! Hard to predict if there'll be more in store- I've been at it 26 years and consider myself a pretty well-skilled hunter- still haven't found one, so you never know. Even if you never find another one, you are already a part of a pretty elite club! Here's hoping there's more in store for both of us!

-- Jeff --

Thanks Jeff - and I agree! Best to you in your pursuits as well!

 

[Javadroid]

congrats! how did this coin ring up? foil? tab? zinc range?

It was between the nickle and tab indicators on the AT Pro, mid 50's range. Not real clear signal, but it's a tiny coin (12.7 mm and 1.67g). If I had been at a more modern site, I probably would have passed on it (LESSON LEARNED!!) Because of the site's age, I assume, I wasn't finding any tabs, so I was curious when I dug, hoping for a ring or Liberty Head nickle (don't we all?). One reason I like to hunt older abandoned sites it that I can trust the "Rings/Gold" range to hit less trash, or at least more interesting trash!

 

[Javadroid]

can you not be happy for a week at least before you moan about finding the next one!

ha! I am beyond happy, and don't feel it any less! More excited than anything.

 

[Javadroid]

Now you can say "I metal detect and I have dug a gold coin". I think we all wish we could say that. Congratulations!

There are members here who have dug multiple gold coins, so it does happen. However the vast majority of hunters will never dig one. Location + persistence is the key.

Thanks a lot by the way. It's going to rain and be windy tonight, but all this talk of gold coins is convincing me to go out and detect anyway heh.

Thanks J -- I'll be looking forward to your post when you find yours -- Today could be the day!!

 

[Javadroid]

If you found one gold coin it means where ever you found it will likely produce more - or at least coins from the same time period which are quite rare in most parts! Take special care to hunt the area you found the gold coin in very thoroughly, you may be surprised but sometimes finding one gold coin leads to more nearby as the coin may have fallen out of a pocket long ago that had a hole in it - and that pocket would be losing other coins as the person walked along leaving them behind for you to find 150 years later!

So my advice is to keep looking, this is definitely not your one and only IF you take the initiative and just keep searching. Treasure comes to those who are persistent. Excellent job so far, you are a real treasure hunter now!

Thanks UnderMiner! Really appreciate the advice and encouragement!

 

[Javadroid]

That's like when Mel Fisher was recovering gold coins off the East coast of Florida from the 1715 Spanish Fleet wrecks and no matter how many gold coins he would find he would always complain that it was just not enough - that he wanted more - and that attitude lead him to sell all that gold he had found and use it to finance his quest for the mother load - the Atocha, and he found it in the end. So the moral of the story is enjoy your treasure, but don't stop and 'be happy for a week' if it means pausing the hunt. The hunt is the best part - the treasure is simply the trophy you get at the end.

One of my favorite responses - thanks much.

 

[DFW_THer]

niiiiice!! Congratulations. I've been hunting hard for a number of years, in old areas, no gold coins yet! Not from anyone in my immediate group actually. We're close, I know that much.

 

[Javadroid]

niiiiice!! Congratulations. I've been hunting hard for a number of years, in old areas, no gold coins yet! Not from anyone in my immediate group actually. We're close, I know that much.

I know I was much more lucky than anything, but I do believe finding likely sites greatly increases the odds. I hope you get yours soon! All I can find myself thinking about is wanting to get back out there swinging...

 

[eastcoastdetectorist]

Congrats! I would definitely go back to that site and hit it hard!

 

[Davers]

This weekend, I found an 1849 Liberty Head gold dollar that was pretty nicked up. It's so small, I thought it was from a charm bracelet or earring, but when I looked up the diameter and weight, my find matched the website's information I checked. I then took it to a gold dealer who verified it was 22K, which matched the 90% gold of the actual dollar coin. So, I am assuming it's real at this point and is my first gold coin! I've been on a buzz since Sunday from it and still can't believe I have finally gotten one - albeit as small a one as I could possibly get!
Best part - my son told me that now that I've found a gold coin, I'm now a "real treasure hunter!"

I'd like to know from you who have hunted for a long time, am I likely to ever have another gold coin? I've talked to a couple of more experienced coin shooters who have never found one at all, so it's made me all the more stunned. Can anyone encourage me I haven't likely found my one and only??View attachment 1471075

Without reading all the reply's.
Luck , Fate , time hunting, old sites , broken jewelry , + other things will dictate if you did another one.

Most will find none maybe 1 in a lifetime (I never dug one) & some will find 2-or 10 'more likely if you hunt out West imo.
&
Some will dig a Hoard .
Time will tell, Conratz on finding 1 & a $1 one at that.
I would have thought Can slaw on that one unless it was a (dig it all site).

Was it from a Rocky area ?

Still a Banner .