🥇 BANNER First hunt of 2013 produces multiple colonial silver!!

[Bill D. (VA)]

My good hunting buddy Dan and I got back out yesterday and hit our new site for the 3[SUP]rd[/SUP] time, and the first time since before Christmas. This place is very early and holds a high probability of containing colonial silver, although we had yet to swing our coils over a nice coin before today. Dan had been under the weather for a few days and wasn’t sure he could even make it out, but the lure of those early colonial relics was too great and he was determined to get out and hunt the entire day. We started out gridding where we left off in the field last time. It’s a large area with loads of iron, brick and black glass and it’s produced a decent amount of relics during the first 2 trips, but not that killer find we’ve both been looking for. About halfway through the hunt just as we were starting a new area Dan hollers over to me to come check out what we both thought might be a hammered silver coin lying in the dirt pile. Sure enough, it turned out to be an Elizabeth I sixpence and it was Dan’s first hammered coin, and likely from the 1500s at that. It was very exciting to be able to witness Dan making that find. Not to be outdone I soon dug a nice 1768 half reale only about 50 ft from where Dan’s coin had come from. And not long after that Dan pulled out another first – a rarely seen very tiny ¼ reale. I dug one of those about 10 years ago, but don’t recall ever seeing another one on the forums. The back-and-forth continued and not far from where I dug the ½ reale I got a promising signal and unexpectedly found myself holding a 1698 cob. And only a few feet from that I unearthed an early coin and an apothecary weight. So this was turning out to be quite a day for both of us. I also dug this small and very thin silver item that at first I thought was a coin, but after further examination I was pretty sure it wasn't. But Crusader recognized it from the pic as a rare British Commonwealth silver penny from the reign of Cromwell during the mid-1600s which was a shock as I had no idea (see link in his reply below). We soon finished up gridding that section, but since the sun getting low and we had to start making the long trek back to the trucks. Other than the coins we both dug a nice variety of other interesting colonial relics including lots of buttons, buckle pieces, and other early do-dads. My take for the day is shown in the pics below along with a couple shots of Dan’s coins. It was a super fun day and I can’t wait to return to what’s becoming a very productive site.

 

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[CRUSADER]

I put my banner vote in for the Commonwealth Penny, since from what I am hearing they are very difficult to find even in the UK. Is this how orthers are voting?

I hope so, but I think it should be acceptable by the MODs to have a banner day, based on a variety of great finds. The Penny would be hard/near impossible for me to get in another 10 years of hunting & I'm in CW Country.

 

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[4reale]

Lets see if this works! Well, sort of works.Clockwise from Washington is a 1/2 reale (found in Vero Beach, FL in 1998), a 2 reale and a four reale, those both found in Jupiter, FL in November, 1997. So the coins are out there, just nowhere near as common as the larger coins. Here's a closer look at the 1/2 reale front. I found this ring on September 15th, 2004, way up on the beach in Jupiter in a place where I never expected to find anything - I didn't even have to dig it, just flipped it out of the sand with the toe of my right foot, and I made a mad dash for that glitter rolling away from me that I knew wasn't just gold. Ring was 18 kt., 22 grams, size 5 3/4, with 24 .20 kt. matched virtually flawless diamonds. When I showed this to my jeweler, who deals in very fine things for filthy rich people that live in gated communities, his jaw just dropped. He had to size the ring up to a 7 for it to fit my wife's finger because the ring was so wide and thick.
Here are a few keys I've pulled out of the water over the years.

You guys did better than good - you've got your own personal treasure chest, with lots more to explore. It doesn't get any better than that!

 

[HomeGuardDan]

I hope so, but I think it should be acceptable by the MODs to have a banner day, based on a variety of great finds. The Penny would be hard/near impossible for me to get in another 10 years of hunting & I'm in CW Country.

Crusader - in your honest opinion, which is the better find the hammered silver or the 1/4 reale. I like them both, but have seen more hammered than the 1/4 reale. I agree the commonwealth penny was amazing. When Bill dug it, he sort of talked himself out of it being a great find, I still had my suscipions, though had no idea it would be that good!

Thanks for all the kind words.

Dan

 

[CRUSADER]

Crusader - in your honest opinion, which is the better find the hammered silver or the 1/4 reale. I like them both, but have seen more hammered than the 1/4 reale. I agree the commonwealth penny was amazing. When Bill dug it, he sort of talked himself out of it being a great find, I still had my suscipions, though had no idea it would be that good!

Thanks for all the kind words.

Dan

I don't have enough data/experience to comment on the 1/4 reale (I had no clue what it was from the 1 sided picture) & it could be as rare a find in the US as the Penny, but my point I guess is that you both deserve a banner for a day, that I think will be hard to repeat.

 

[HomeGuardDan]

I don't have enough data/experience to comment on the 1/4 reale (I had no clue what it was from the 1 sided picture) & it could be as rare a find in the US as the Penny, but my point I guess is that you both deserve a banner for a day, that I think will be hard to repeat.

NO NO...I did not mean it as that at all. I just wanted your opinion on the 1/4 reale, if they show up over seas or not. I keep going back with Bill on which one I was more excited to dig...one sunk in right away (hammered) the other after the fact once I realized what it was. Trust me I think the group should be banner, but I also don't dig for banners. I just wanted to clear that up, I respect your opinion you make on many posts, just figured I would get yours.

 

[freddy williams]

Now that is an awsome day of detecting I'd say. HH all of us would love to have days like that one. Sometimes we do just not so much silver

 

[CRUSADER]

NO NO...I did not mean it as that at all. I just wanted your opinion on the 1/4 reale, if they show up over seas or not. I keep going back with Bill on which one I was more excited to dig...one sunk in right away (hammered) the other after the fact once I realized what it was. Trust me I think the group should be banner, but I also don't dig for banners. I just wanted to clear that up, I respect your opinion you make on many posts, just figured I would get yours.

I didn't think you were, I was sticking to facts. But any Spanish in the UK is very rare, other than on off-shore Wrecks. I've had none & have heard of none in my area, although the closest I have come is a few Spanish coppers. (this may vary across the UK, specially if closer to Sea Ports)

 

[Bill D. (VA)]

I didn't think you were, I was sticking to facts. But any Spanish in the UK is very rare, other than on off-shore Wrecks. I've had none & have heard of none in my area, although the closest I have come is a few Spanish coppers. (this may vary across the UK, specially if closer to Sea Ports)

That's interesting and unexpected that you guys don't find any spanish silver over there. But I guess you've always had your own coinage. The US didn't get its own until the 1790s, and spanish silver was the standard prior to that as it was the accepted coinage in the New World due to Spain having a big presence over here not to mention all those mints in Mexico, Peru, Bolivia, etc.

 

[CRUSADER]

That's interesting and unexpected that you guys don't find any spanish silver over there. But I guess you've always had your own coinage. The US didn't get its own until the 1790s, and spanish silver was the standard prior to that as it was the accepted coinage in the New World due to Spain having a big presence over here not to mention all those mints in Mexico, Peru, Bolivia, etc.

Exactly, we had no reason to need Spanish currency, which for you was another Colonial coinage. During the early 19th C when we had a Silver shortage, we did counterstamp some Spanish 8 Reales, but this would be another great find. (I have only come close with a counterfiet)

 

[Steve in PA]

In regard to Dan's question about the 1/4 real versus the hammered, I feel there is no doubt the 1/4 real is much more scarce over here than the average English hammered silver. That being said, if I had a choice of which one I would rather dig, it would be the hammered - those coins just have a lot more character in my opinion. They are old and crude and the portraits of midieval kings and queens on the coins is really cool.

 

[Dr.Tones]

Whoa! Great site!

 

[HomeGuardDan]

In regard to Dan's question about the 1/4 real versus the hammered, I feel there is no doubt the 1/4 real is much more scarce over here than the average English hammered silver. That being said, if I had a choice of which one I would rather dig, it would be the hammered - those coins just have a lot more character in my opinion. They are old and crude and the portraits of midieval kings and queens on the coins is really cool.

I Agree with you Steve...though I keep staring at both and grin ha. I too was surprised with the lack of spanish silver in the UK...make perfect sense to me though. I Guess I always figured that because the coins were currency here, as english colonies, they made their way back over, but guess I never thought it through. Crusader...when are you going to come over and dig some for yourself? ha

 

[CRUSADER]

I Agree with you Steve...though I keep staring at both and grin ha. I too was surprised with the lack of spanish silver in the UK...make perfect sense to me though. I Guess I always figured that because the coins were currency here, as english colonies, they made their way back over, but guess I never thought it through. Crusader...when are you going to come over and dig some for yourself? ha

Your beginning to understand, I have a much better chance over there than here.

Also, I'm pretty sure I would get as 1/4 Spanish first before a COMMONWEALTH Penny.

Ask SS on his thoughts, I think I know the answer

 

[Bill D. (VA)]

Crusader - I just happened to come across the UK finds database website and they have a section on Commonwealth coins. There were quite a few of the pennies and half groats. I'm sure you're familiar with that website, but here's the link if you want to check out the Commonwealth coins.

UK Finds Database - - - UKDFD

 

[Wildcat1750]

What an exciting hunt! Plenty of colonial coins and goodies there!

 

[bountyhunter]

Nice find

 

[Westfront]

I nearly missed this one.... What a day you had! Even over here it was an above average day as Cru stated before. Big Congrats! My vote is in too for the Penny if a Banner day did not count for the mods!

 

[DMN]

Hey Bill. Just re-gawked at your finds. Just a great collection and variety. The buckles look sweet and very detailed.
What is your specualtion of the quality of the finds? Do you think the social status of the original owners was better than average (not the general worker of the day)?
Also, any idea what the little square item (looks like lead) with the 5 dots on it, ala dice configuration, in the upper center of the collection picture?
Have to say once again, what a great collection!

 

[HomeGuardDan]

Hey Bill. Just re-gawked at your finds. Just a great collection and variety. The buckles look sweet and very detailed.
What is your specualtion of the quality of the finds? Do you think the social status of the original owners was better than average (not the general worker of the day)?
Also, any idea what the little square item (looks like lead) with the 5 dots on it, ala dice configuration, in the upper center of the collection picture?
Have to say once again, what a great collection!

This was a wealthier than average site, but only later in years (1700s). The site dates back to the 1600s and though small and off the beaten path has over 350 years of history associated with it. The sqaure item is a coin weight.

Dan

 

[jerseyben]

A refreshing post for sure. Congrats and thanks for sharing!