Indian Head Cent Mystery

[BuckleBoy]

Hello All,

I am posting this in "Today's Finds" because I just noticed this recently.  I always keep meticulous records in my journal of where I hunt, what I find, how long I spend, and my detector settings for each hunt.  I usually even keep a rough map of the site and mark where good finds are made.

Anyhow, I was going back through all my recovered Indian Head Cents (they are housed in those blank, blue-colored, Whitman coin boards with a date of recovery written under each) and I saw the first Indian I had ever recovered back in the early 90's.  I realized that it looked strange.  The reverse was tarnished with an even green patina.  About 80% of the reverse, however, looked like it had never been dug. 






When I saw this my heart skipped a beat!  I was so new to detecting in general back then that I had no idea what I'd found.  Since then, I have recovered many pocket spills from old to modern, and the coins frequently bear these marks where they were laying on top of each other in the ground.  I was shocked!  I would certainly have remembered if something else came out of that hole, since this was my first Indian.  In fact, I was probably so excited that I forgot to re-check the hole!  I took the penny out of the coin board and put it on the desk where I could get a better look.  I got another dug penny and put it on top of the Indian.  It was too big for the coloration marks on the coin    Then I got a dime and placed it on top of the penny.  It fit perfectly.   

Now, the good news is that there is a good bit of wear on that Indian, so the coin resting on top of or underneath it was likely a Mercury Dime...but who knows.  It could've been one of these:



So what ELSE did I leave in that hole in the Virginia soil 15 years ago?  I may never know.  But I do know where the coin was found, and I will return there.  The property owners were quite aged, and it is hard to tell what I will find when I get there to check it out...but when I go back to Virginia for a Civil War relic hunt, you can bet I'll be stopping by to knock on their door.  When I do, I'll also update this thread...and until then, always remember re-check your holes.

Regards,


Buckleboy

 

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[Colonial KirkPA]

Back when I was a rookie, I recovered 6 Indian Heads in the same hole. That was a thrill back then.

Bucks, you were even a pro back then. You recovered an IH without "decking" it.

Bone Dry Detecting...Kirk

 

[Don in SJ]

Good possiblity on it being a dime, LOL, would that not be something if you got back to the same site and found a dime there!! That would be a short story worthy of W&E, under the title of Oh well, interesting regardless.

Don

 

[{Sentinel}]

Yep, that was what I thought too as soon as I saw the IH!~You were probably all the way on the other side of Virginia from me in Norfolk though huh

It is nice to see that I am not the only one who gets out his old finds to STARE at them Heck, I do it almost every night......if not every night

 

[BuckleBoy]

Yep, that was what I thought too as soon as I saw the IH!~You were probably all the way on the other side of Virginia from me in Norfolk though huh

It is nice to see that I am not the only one who gets out his old finds to STARE at them Heck, I do it almost every night......if not every night

Yes, this was the Western part--up in the Mountains. Yeah, I dust off the old finds quite a bit and re-read the detectin' journal from time to time. It goes a long way toward me thinking about what I might have missed...but this one was a first LOL. A big surprise. Hindsight is always 20/20.

-Buckleboy

 

[Colonial KirkPA]

I have all of my 2007 coin finds, but-tin finds, and musketball finds out on my bedroom desk now. At times, I will sit down with a cup of tea and look over my 2007 collection. This is a great hobby!

Bone Dry Detecting...Kirk

 

[rhedden]

Back in 1999, I dug a severely corroded 1907 Indian at a depth of 1.5 inches. But it read out as a +76 at 0.5" deep on my Spectrum XLT, rather than the +64 or so that I would expect. There was indeed a silver dime hiding under it in the hard-packed soil. I didn't leave my dime in the hole, and here it is- a key date 1903-S Barber dime worth about $400. This was my best coin recovery, and remains my best to this day. I hope you are as lucky when you return to the site to re-dig the hole!

 

[wildrider]

I bet it was a 1830 something bust dime

 

[Mainedigger]

BuckleBoy...good luck when you make it back to that site, and you may get real lucky and find its not only a dime...but a Bust dime!!!

 

[Slabman]

Hey Buckleboy, You have to go back!! I'll be thinking about this for days.
I just know there was a $2.50 gold piece on that injun. When I was teaching
my brother in law how to detect, we were in an old park, and he told me that
he had a signal that said nickel one way, and penny on the return swing. I told him
it could be a double target in the hole, but he dug
the hole, and retrieved the nickel, and walked away. I sauntered over to where
he dug, and there was still a signal in the hole, and I pulled out a 1914-D Lincoln
cent. It was in such good shape, I sent it in to PCI for slabbing, and it came back
"AU-55" "Environmental Damage". Last I checked it was around an $800.00 coin.
I'm like you, and love to look at my finds, but most of the goodies are in a safety
deposit box. Good luck hunting, and have fun!
HH Slabman

 

[BuckleBoy]

OH MY! Now I'll be losing sleep until I get back. Looks like key or semi-key date coins like to hang around in pocket spills!

 

[kindafoundabuckle]

Lets go recheck the hole. I'LL DRIVE.

 

[wildrider]

Lets go recheck the hole. I'LL DRIVE.

I'll buy lunch ...once and maybe Hooters for supper if you guys are good.

 

[Colonial KirkPA]

Bucks, don't worry, all pros have made mistakes like this. With your skills, you should recover that coin in under one minute after securing permission again.

Bone Dry Detecting...Kirk

 

[wildrider]

Bucks, don't worry, all pros have made mistakes like this. With your skills, you should recover that coin in under one minute after securing permission again.

Bone Dry Detecting...Kirk

Shouldn't you be farming or in OZ with the other little people?

 

[MUD(S.W.A.T)]

Go get that coin....See ya in 20 years !!

Keep @ it and HH!!

 

[matt092079]

Did you ever go back? lol

 

[BuckleBoy]

When I went back, the property had changed hands. I wasn't able to catch the new owners at home, but I will return again.

 

[VOL1266-X]

Good advice as usual BB!! Not only re-check your holes but your junk boxes too. HH, Quindy.

 

[Ironman!]

Here is some more motivation Buckles, for some multiple coins possibly being in that hole! I hope you catch up with the new property owners!!

IM

9 seated halves 1853-1871.....one was dated 1871 CC!