Key Date 1877 Indian Head Cent...... Lightning strikes again!

[Digger USA]

Last November, I dug an 1877 IH cent while using my X-TERRA 705. I figured that would be a "once in a lifetime" event. Tonight, I went to a place that I'd hunted a couple times in the past. Once with the X-TERRA and once with the E-TRAC. On those trips, I'd found one Wheat penny with the X-TERRA and one IH with the E-TRAC. Tonight, using the E-TRAC with the stock coil, I set up with an open screen and began the hunt. As my typical fashion, I will find a "good target" with one group of settings, then switch to others, just to see how they compare. I know some of you think that is nuts. But that is how I learn what settings work best for me, in the sites I hunt. Anyway, I had just switched back to 2-tone ferrous when I got a high ferrous tone surrounded by low tones. Being a high tone in ferrous 2-tone, I knew the ferrous reading would be 17 or less. A quick look at the TID confirmed the target was a 12-35. Switching to the Conductive mode, open screen, multiple tone, I got the high conductive tone with the same TID of 12 - 35. For the record, I also checked the target in a modified Coin Program, and got the high conductive tone. But not as distinct as in the open screen modes. After pinpointing the "good" target, I dug a plug about 6 inches deep. Scanning the plug, I determined the target was still in the hole. I probed the area with my SunRay probe and gently removed another 3 inches of dirt. Out popped an Indian Head cent. I have to admit, I use to stick all the IH cents in my bag until I got home. But ever since finding that 1877 last fall, I always check the dates! I carefully wiped away some of the dirt and saw the last number of the date was a 7. Getting a little excited, I wet it down and wiped the dirt from the remainder of the date. I thought my heart was going to jump out of my chest when I saw the 1877 on this one. I didn't even stay and hunt. I went back to the truck and tried to take some pictures. I hadn't changed the camera from the last time I used it in video mode, and was so excited I couldn't figure out how to change the settings, I got in the truck and drove home for my other camera.

Attached you will find a picture of how it looked as it come out of the ground. A picture of it and the one I found last November, and had slabbed (didn't want you to think this was the same coin as I found last November) and one after I rinsed this one off. I still need to soak some of the dirt off. But based on what I can see so far, it is even better condition than the one I found last year. And the coin shop insured it for $2300.00 when he sent it to be graded. After I get the rest of the dirt off, I'm headed back to the coin shop to have this one sent in too. Maybe this time I'll send it to NCG as I understand they will assign a grade to dug copper coins. PCGS charged me $70 to certify the other one was "authentic".

Sorry if I sound all excited. But I had hunted for 37 years and never found an 1877 IH cent. Now I've found two of them in a little over 8 months. What are the odds? Thanks for looking. HH Randy

 

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[allen]

you are one lucky dog...congrats !!!

 

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[muttandjeeps]

Ain't no luck here. You have to be out and working it for the "luck" to find you! Congratulations, pretty strong showing for an old guy I'm thinking I may have to move out to the midwest to keep up!!! You know things come in 3's right?

 

[Dixiedigger]

Great find and a great story, congrats

 

[fistfulladirt]

Congrats on the mean green! Who wants a brown one? As far as the grade, phooeey!
Lightning really does strike twice! ffd

 

[Goes4ever]

absolutely unreal! congrats !!!!!!

 

[dfx willy]

a lot of people are sAying maby there not so rare if so many are being found. i think those are the people who hasent found one but i was surprised to see on the forum last year or it might of been the year before that i think 4 or 5 were found (including myself) just goes to show alot of them went to the ground. if a hoard was found the price on them might change. congrats again . willy

 

[dfx willy]

also wasnt there one up on banner what happened willy

 

[Digger USA]

Thanks for the responses folks. Good to hear some of you have found the illusive 1877 as well. As to being RARE, I guess that could be explained by the odds...... There were 1,849,219,942 Indian Head cents minted from 1859 to 1909. Of those, there were only 852,500 minted in 1877. Mathmatically, if all IH cents were lost, regardless of the year minted, there would be more than 2169 "non-1877" IH for every 1877 out there. The odds of finding two of them?

Over the years, I've dug a lot of IH cents. But I'm sure I've not dug 4338 of them. So if any of you have dug at least 2170 IH cents and not found an 1877, I apologize for finding the second one so soon. HH Randy

 

[testing123]

If I remember correctly, some collectors think there may have been less than 852,500 1877 IHCs minted. This is because the circulation strikes all have the same shallow "N" on the reverse because they were struck from just one die. They think that one die could not produce such a large quantity. Who knows... just something to think about.

 

[DigginThePast]

Congrats on another great find! Grab a lottery ticket while you are beating the odds.

 

[Digger USA]

Thanks again testing123..... you said:

some collectors think there may have been less than 852,500 1877 IHCs minted. This is because the circulation strikes all have the same shallow "N" on the reverse because they were struck from just one die. They think that one die could not produce such a large quantity. Who knows... just something to think about.

I found the information you referenced.............. the typical die can strike about 200,000 coins. For a mintage of 4 times that amount we should see many more obverse and reverse dies. For circulations strikes, the Mint Report for 1878 states that 3 obverse dies and 6 reverse dies were made in 1877, but only 2 obverse dies and 1 reverse die were actually used. The remaining reverse dies were used in 1878.

This is important, as one must ask where are the other coins? If they were struck with 1877 dates, we should find at least one example from a different reverse die. If the Mint Report is correct, and there is no reason to doubt it, then there is one obverse die used that we have not yet seen. It would be expected that if a new die was made for the 1877 issue it would have been a Bold N die. Since all 1877 Indian Cents except for Proofs are struck from a pre-1870 Shallow N die, it seems that there is a huge amount of coins missing.


And this........The 1877 Indian Head Cent is known as a key date coin of the series. There were 852,500 pieces reportedly produced for circulation, although Rick Snow* suggests that only 200,000 coins were struck. Whatever the number is, the coin is rare in all grades.

ANA awards Rick Snow "Numismatist of the Year" 2010

Thanks again for the info. HH Randy

 

[Brian(upstateNY-Central Fla.)]

sweet finds

 

[ProPointer]

Whoa! I thought one was a find of a life time!

-PP

 

[Trezurehunter]

Great finds on the pair of 1877's. With that kind of luck, you should be digging a 16 D Merc in no time !!. Ron in IL.

 

[Indianhead Jones]

Ok.....Maybe I'll just throw my detectors away...or use them for doorstops!

I bow down to you Digger, you seem to have the magic!!!

KUDOS my friend on finding two extremely RARE cents...coins that most of us have almost no chance of finding in our lifetimes!

Larry G.