A rare coin for California

[49r Relics]

Another fun adventure today in California's Gold Country. Although it started out as a pretty slow day with lots of hiking and elevation. Things picked up in the evening. It wasn't until we were working our way slowly back to the car when right under a huge oak tree (see picture) I dug a complete Chinese opium tin. Then just a few feet away I got a nice signal that sounded like a silver quarter. So I decided to video the dig just in case because where we were was right in the heart of the 1850's so I knew it had a good chance to be something exciting. Was fully expecting a silver quarter as it was a 12-46 on the CTX3030. Was not surprised to see it was a coin but was surprised to see a copper looking coin not much bigger than a nickel in diameter but thick like a large cent. Couldn't believe that little coin hit that high. Called Ron over and we carefully brushed some dirt away to see "HALF CENT" on the back! We have dug many large cents and even flying eagle cents, three cent silvers, three cent nickels, a two cent piece but never a half cent. It makes you wonder if a miner carried a half cent all the way to California!

Left it in some hot hydrogen peroxide for a couple hours and took some pics, will finish with some more soaking but it looks like it has strong details, very nice. It's an 1850 Half Cent, a day I will never forget!

We will post the complete hunt video up on our YouTube channel early next week. For now here's a few pictures.

Thanks for looking!

HH, Mark

 

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[RustyGold]

Very cool find!

 

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[Kurios1]

Sweet little copper there mate. Always nice to get a surprise find. I only managed two half cents since 2008 when I started MD-ing . Both were actually recovered in the tiny village I live in in northern Illinois. My oldest us coin is the 1826 half cent I recovered in my front yard with my DFX 300 while doing a night hunt. I had NO clue what the heck it was. One of my favorite coins finds to this day. Congrats on that little beauty.

 

[49r Relics]

My theory, and I have not seen this published anywhere, is that the half cent was needed to make change with the one Real, which was worth 12.5 cents.

Thanks Steve, that totally makes sense!

 

[sutphin]

NICE HALF CENT.

 

[coinman123]

Awesome coin! I have almost never seen any half cents posted on here. Probably dropped by a someone trying to get in on the gold there in the 1850's!

 

[texjim]

That's awesome.

 

[caprock]

Very, very nice find congrats

While it is possible that a 1/2 cent piece could have been used to make change of a one Real, it seems unlikely since so few are found in CA. If this were true they would be much more commonly dug. In Virginia City Nevada, and most of the west, there were one bit and two bit saloons, one bit =1 real, two bit or 25 cents or 2 real. It was common practice at the time to give a dime in change if the customer paid for his drink with a quarter in a one bit saloon, thus shorting the customer 2 and 1/2 cents with every purchase. For more info see "The Big Bonanza" by Dan Dequille.

 

[Steve in PA]

Very, very nice find congrats

While it is possible that a 1/2 cent piece could have been used to make change of a one Real, it seems unlikely since so few are found in CA. If this were true they would be much more commonly dug. In Virginia City Nevada, and most of the west, there were one bit and two bit saloons, one bit =1 real, two bit or 25 cents or 2 real. It was common practice at the time to give a dime in change if the customer paid for his drink with a quarter in a one bit saloon, thus shorting the customer 2 and 1/2 cents with every purchase. For more info see "The Big Bonanza" by Dan Dequille.

Caprock, I am only suggesting that the half cents were MINTED to offset the odd fraction created by the 12.5 cent one Real. I'm not commenting on the practices out west in the mid 1800s, just saying that you see lots of early half cents being found (Draped Bust) and their minting correlates with the time when there was still a lot of Spanish silver in circulation. You don't see very many later date half cents. Out of 25 or so that I have dug, the vast majority are Draped Bust and the latest ones are 1820s. Which is also why I believe the half cent was discontinued the same year Spanish was outlawed.

 

[caprock]

Steve in PA:
Don't disagree with your point. It could very well be. Thanks for info.
In addition, I have also read that by the 1850s, the vast majority of half cents were sent to post offices where they were used to make change.
HH

 

[Gridwalker306]

Awesome half cent, don't see those dug every day!

 

[Ed (Upstate NY)]

Great find. I've only found two half cents in nearly 30 years of detecting and both were found probably at least 25 years ago. Tough even to find here on the East Coast...

 

[IMAUDIGGER]

I think your find IS fairly rare considering the time frame and where you found it.

 

[Garrett424]

Beautiful find. Those are rare everywhere....