Found my oldest coin today! 1867

rodo717

Greenie
Mar 6, 2015
19
169
Arizona
Detector(s) used
AT Pro
Equinox 800
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Went out to detect a local park that I believe some of you have already hunted. I have seen many with detectors in the park. I have also hunted the park many different times with mine. I have pretty much given up finding any copper or silver in the park. As a result, I have begun to dig all of the mid tone sounds. I dug over 100 pull tabs, bottle caps, and foil today. You must have left them there for me to find. Hahaha.

As I was on my pull tab digging adventure, I found a 1905 V Nickel! I was excited to find a coin over 100 years old. After taking a picture of the nickel and placing it in my pocket, I continued with the bottle cap finding bonanza. After I dug another hole that gave me a mid tone signal, I pulled out my pointer and stuck it in the hole. I fished around a little and there popped out a small green/brown colored circle coin with a little dirt. It was the size of a dime but I was confused why my detector gave me a mid tone signal. Dimes always hit high. While looking at the coin, feeling a little confused, I brushed it off and it had a Roman numeral III on it. What the………….

To my great surprise, it was an 1867 three cent piece! First ever that I have found and also my oldest coin found to date! For some strange reason, I always thought that they were the size of a nickel. I was way wrong. Now I know that they are dime sized. Anyway, my question at the end of hunting was this; Was it worth digging so many pull tabs, bottle caps, and tin foil in order to find two coins? Absolutely! Merry Christmas and thanks for reading. 12-22-15 1.png 12-22-15 2.png
 

Last edited:
Upvote 25

detectahead

Silver Member
Dec 1, 2007
2,563
874
Western, N.C.
🥇 Banner finds
1
Detector(s) used
Equinox 600, Bandido UMax II, Fisher F5, Tiger Shark, Ace 250
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Fantastic find buddy! Hats off to you for hanging in there! Just goes to show that all those "good hunters" aren't so good! Love the three center, an elusive coin! Congrats!
 

Gridwalker306

Gold Member
Nov 10, 2010
6,012
7,406
Canada
🥇 Banner finds
1
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
2
Detector(s) used
XP Deus, ATPro
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Don't see many of those three cents posted, and when they are they are usually nasty looking. Yours is really pretty, cool find!
 

UnderMiner

Silver Member
Jul 27, 2014
3,783
9,644
New York City
🥇 Banner finds
2
Detector(s) used
Minelab Excalibur II, Ace 250
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
That there is not just your oldest coin, that's a trime!
Very desirable and rare to find! Also very good condition too! :treasurechest::thumbsup:
 

doninbrewster

Bronze Member
Jun 15, 2013
1,539
2,778
New York
🥇 Banner finds
2
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
2
Detector(s) used
CTX 3030
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
I've found lots of coins much older, but have never found a 3 cent nickel. Great find. Haven't seen many of those come out of the ground.
 

qaela4

Bronze Member
Jul 24, 2014
1,379
1,606
Keene, New Hampshire
Detector(s) used
Bounty Hunter Quick Silver,Tesoro Silver Sabre uMax.
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Well, you did your oldest coin to date in style. 3 centers are few and far between, especially in that condition. Well done.:thumbsup:
 

Trezurehunter

Gold Member
Mar 22, 2003
17,887
21,529
Illinois / Oklahoma
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
8
Detector(s) used
Minelab Equinox 800 - Fisher CZ 5
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Congrats on your oldest coin. There are a lot of people still waiting to pull a 3 center out of the ground.
 

Carolina Tom

Gold Member
Apr 4, 2014
10,059
17,063
Charlotte
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
XP Deus V3.2 9" & 11" Coils, AT Pro, ProPointer AT, Lesche 55, 75 & 80LT
Primary Interest:
Other
Very well written, I feel the exact same way sometimes.

Awesome finds! The three center is really nice. You don't see many of them found. Well played.
 

Sod Buster

Sr. Member
Jun 14, 2014
482
487
NE Ohio
Detector(s) used
Garrett Ace 250, White's Bullseye TRX
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Beautiful 3 cent piece. I love those coins.
 

Old Dude

Gold Member
Feb 20, 2013
8,799
9,850
Luzerne County, Pa
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
2
Detector(s) used
Fisher F75, Garrett ATPro, Garrett GTAx 500
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
In case you don't believe everyone in the previous posts, I can provide photographic proof that most just don't look anywhere near yours! Congrats on 2 terrific coins.
 

Perses

Bronze Member
Jul 15, 2013
1,207
113
Florida
Detector(s) used
XP Deus, Whites TRX bullseye Pin Pointer
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Very nice find my friend! If you stick to digging to mid tones, especially if there are a lot of them, you will end up finding gold. Last year I had a park like that, not one high tone left, moved on to mid tones and started digging gold rings and a few pins. Stick to it and you will be rewarded!
 

sutphin

Gold Member
Oct 2, 2013
8,344
4,466
brunswick md
Detector(s) used
WHITES 5900, MXT 300, MXT PRO, MXT ALL PRO/ 8X6 SEF COIL
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
RODO NICE FINDS , AND WELCOME TO TNET .....
 

WHADIFIND

Gold Member
Apr 9, 2012
12,063
38,137
South of the Mason-Dixon Line
🥇 Banner finds
1
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
4
Detector(s) used
Garrett AT-MAX
Garrett AT-PRO,
Garrett Groundhog,
Pro-Pointer,

Jack Hammer!
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
An excellent couple of coins to find! Welcome to the privileged circle of the very few who find a nickel 3-cent piece!

Also, I know exactly what you mean by "was it worth it?" I have been looking for a VERY long time. And, from time to time, when I look at some of the really crappy examples of old coinage I've recovered. Like those green disks that can only be identified by one or two letters that can still be discerned. The bent, corroded, banged up ones that I have to prove are what I say they are when asked. I look at these coins and say "This is worth it all?!??" :dontknow:

The answer still comes back, yeah, it is, but, sometimes....I wonder.

Enjoy it for as long as you can!

And welcome! Many happy returns of the day!
 

terpfan

Bronze Member
Oct 31, 2007
1,655
694
Maryland/ NC
Detector(s) used
White's Matrix M6
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Seeing your found 3-cent piece was a real treat. That are hardly ever posted, and I'm still waiting to check that one off the list.
 

Oct 5, 2014
31,886
35,425
Massachusetts
🥇 Banner finds
1
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
Garrett: AT Pro, AT Gold & Infinium; Minelab: Explorer SE, II; Simplex; Tesoro: Tejon & Outlaw; White's: V3i
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
Congratulations on the old coin finds! :occasion14:
 

thrifty76now

Silver Member
Mar 18, 2009
3,987
3,723
Sunman Indiana
Detector(s) used
Whites XLT MINELAB SE
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Great find on that three cent nickel.Those are hard to come by ,and yours is in awesome shape ,as nickel usually takes a beating underground.
 

Top Member Reactions

Users who are viewing this thread

Top