FINALLY AN INDIAN HEAD

Natman

Bronze Member
Jan 8, 2007
2,487
461
Hazelwood, MO
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
White's Prizm II, White's Coinmaster
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Hi all,

If you can believe this, it was 74 degrees in Missouri today (a record) so I wanted to get out and try hunting an older area. My wife recently told me about a friend and co-worker who lives in a house that was built in 1869, and I was very interested in seeing what history may lie beneath the ground in the yard surrounding it. I received permission to search the property and arrived there at about 10:15 a.m.

I started my search, and within 5 minutes I found 2 Lincoln Memorial cents and a 1943 Merc dime. I had visions of silver coins everywhere after finding the Merc, but for some reason it was the only silver coin dug after hours of careful searching. I continued to pound the yard as carefully and deliberately as I could, and my efforts paid off with my first Indian Head, an 1887. It was about 5 inches deep and was unrecognizeable at first. I saw the greenish color and knew it wasn't a modern Lincoln or a wheat (although it rang up as a modern penny). So I had 2 firsts today, my first Indian and my first coin from the 1800's.

By 2:30 p.m. I found a total of 25 coins - 13 Lincoln Memorial cents, 1 Indian Head cent, 1 wheat cent (1956-D), 1 nickel, 1 Merc dime, 5 Roosevelt dimes and 3 quarters. All the clad had recent dates.

I was also approached by 2 people during my hunt..one lady from across the street said her house was built in the 1930's (another potential yard), and after that the lady next door walked over, so I told her about the coins I had found. Without even asking, she gave me permission to check her yard, and it's even bigger than the one I checked today..the house is more than century old as well. It was getting late and I was too tired to thoroughly search another yard, so I told her I'd come back.

IH3.jpg


IH2.jpg


If anyone knows a way to bring out the details on this common date IH without ruining it, please let me know..I've cleaned lots of wheats but never attempted to clean one of these.

Nat
 

Upvote 0

PACO

Sr. Member
Apr 1, 2007
341
91
Williamsport PA.
Detector(s) used
Minelab Equinox
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
HEY NATMAN, YOU HAD A GOOD DAY BRO. NICE JOB ON YOUR FIRST I.H....
I.H. AND SILVER IS A GOOD DAY TO ME......1869, THERE SHOULD BE SEATED THIER. KEEP HITTING IT.............CONGRATS....PACO, BDD
 

Wasabi

Hero Member
Nov 7, 2005
920
13
Brevard County, FL ~ USA
Detector(s) used
Minelab Excalinbur II,White's Beach Hunter ID 300, Garrett AT Pro, Minelab E-Trac, Fisher F75, Tesoro Golden UMax, Whites 4900/D, Bounty Hunter IV, Bounty Hunter Big Bud
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Congratulations on your first IH Nate.
I know the feeling of finding one. I am up to 4 now and my first was an unreadable date and all corroded, but I was still excited.
That will probably not be your last.
Nice Merc to and way to break into the 1800's for 2008.
Very nice.
 

Nana40

Gold Member
Feb 3, 2005
11,486
279
🥇 Banner finds
1
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
MXT
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
:o New sites to hunt AND super keepers today!! YOU had a GREAT day, Nat!!

Congrats! Nana :)
 

BobinSouthVA

Bronze Member
Mar 1, 2007
1,655
107
SE Virginia
Detector(s) used
Minelab Explorer SE Pro / Whites Prism II
Congrats on your two firsts.

I like the peroxide method for indian heads, but maybe you want to try it with a wheat cent or memorial first to be sure you like it too.
 

silverfreak

Silver Member
Aug 9, 2007
4,062
1,077
Wherever Silver's Hidin'
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
Minelab Explorers and E-Trac
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Congrats on the injun' Nat. I like diggin' them just as much as silver. Sounds like you got some new areas to search too :)
 

Moonshadow

Silver Member
Sep 25, 2004
3,257
128
Aiken, SC
Detector(s) used
Ace 250
Way to go Nat!! Gosh, don't you just love our hobby?!!! Love the Merc too. I'm gonna find one this year! I can't wait to see what the other yard brings ya! Let us know, K?

Good luck and Happy Hunting,
Moon
 

The Buzzard King

Hero Member
Mar 29, 2005
643
5
N.E.P.A.
Detector(s) used
Fisher CZ-5, Fisher 1280-X
Nice coins! The first Injun is always the hardest to get. It took me almost 3 years to find my first, then I got over 50 more within the next 9 months.
They should start jumping out of the ground at you now! ;) :D ;D
Congrats.
 

gold fish

Bronze Member
Sep 21, 2006
1,116
20
N.W.A.
Detector(s) used
Tesoro - Cortez Minelab SE
Hit those private yards hard and thorough, they can pat REALLY good dividends. Be careful of those old coins tho', they can lead to collecting and addiction.......
 

Captn SE

Silver Member
Apr 1, 2007
2,774
13
Southern CA
Detector(s) used
Minelab Explorer SE; X-1 Target Probe; Pro Coil, 6x8 SEF, Coiltek Platypus Elliptical, Sunray X8, Expl. 1050 coils
Great job, Nat. You're in the 1800's now, buddy!! Welcome to the club!

HH,
CAPTN SE
Dan
 

Mirage

Silver Member
Sep 16, 2005
3,718
38
Cleveland, OH
Good deal on the stuff - IH looks decent but from my experience and how yours looks I doubt it will clean up much better. I usually clean my IH's with a q tip soaked in ammonia followed by olive oil soak. Sounds like you got some new good spots.

Bob
 

Ed-NH

Bronze Member
Feb 4, 2006
1,371
37
Detector(s) used
Minelab Explorer ll
Congrats on your first IH. I bet the next door yard will be fun to hunt. I can see some seated dimes coming soon ;D
 

kdismuke1

Silver Member
Jun 14, 2007
2,597
12
georgia
Detector(s) used
garrett 1500-ace 250-garrett ads groudhog deepseeker
NICE COIN HOPE YOU FIND MORE ON YOUR NEXT HUNT.
 

Don in SJ

Silver Member
May 20, 2005
4,931
832
Detector(s) used
MINELAB SE Pro
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Nat , congrats on your first IndianHead and I am sure more to follow. I would only use warm water and cotton swab on that IH. I really cannot say much for helping on the verdigris on the coin, if you soak it is in oil, some maybe removed but it will just basically hide the corrosion, so I just recommend warm water soak, distilled if you have it. Then gently with wet cotton swabs see how much dirt comes off without seeing the fragile patina disappearing.

Glad your first one was from the 1800's, a plus for sure.

Don
 

OP
OP
Natman

Natman

Bronze Member
Jan 8, 2007
2,487
461
Hazelwood, MO
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
White's Prizm II, White's Coinmaster
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Thanks for the replies and cleaning ideas..I used the peroxide method and it brought out more of the copper look..the coin is pitted and I know that cleaning can't help it any because the metal has eroded. No matter what it looks like though, it's still recognizeable and I can read the date.

I'm sure my seated coins will look much better ;D I'm going to try to hunt there again before spring if the weather lets me.

Nat
 

Top Member Reactions

Users who are viewing this thread

Latest Discussions

Top