bonepicker
Bronze Member
Went back to the half dime field thinking the recent rains might help with conductivity and the digging.
Had some really good finds at this site in the past, but lately we havent been finding much.
Decided to go really slow and work the iron patch, and dig lots of iffy signals in the same area that we have dug many 1830-1850 US half dimes.
Fortunately one of those iffy signals turned out to be a spanish silver half real that i think was sitting on edge.
The coin was pressed into the sidewall of the hole, and there were also lots of nails in this hole, which could be why this coin was missed, as i know we have been over that spot many times.
Unfortunately the coin was very worn, completely black, had a pie slice gash in it, a tiny hole that looks like someone tried to poke a nail through it, and it appears i scratched the front of it when i was digging the plug.
The coin is slightly smaller than a US dime, so im assuming its a half real. It looks like the date is 180_, and i think that would make it a Carolus IIII.
This is the second spanish half real dug from this site, and both were almost completely worn slick.
The site was a homestead where a Spanish family moved to this area from Cat Island, MS. around the year 1840.
The family Patriarch was a baker and a sailor. The site also has deep anchorage. Supposedly Mr. B_ _ _ _ _ also raised goats, and would trade with other sailors that came to port in his tiny harbor.
My guess is this coin was probably still in circulation around 1840-1850 when lost.
First 2 pics will be the coin uncleaned. I also added a pic of the iron/junk, and a pic of a tiny brass square nail, a couple pieces of semi-interesting lead and 2 whatsits id love some help with.
Had some really good finds at this site in the past, but lately we havent been finding much.
Decided to go really slow and work the iron patch, and dig lots of iffy signals in the same area that we have dug many 1830-1850 US half dimes.
Fortunately one of those iffy signals turned out to be a spanish silver half real that i think was sitting on edge.
The coin was pressed into the sidewall of the hole, and there were also lots of nails in this hole, which could be why this coin was missed, as i know we have been over that spot many times.
Unfortunately the coin was very worn, completely black, had a pie slice gash in it, a tiny hole that looks like someone tried to poke a nail through it, and it appears i scratched the front of it when i was digging the plug.
The coin is slightly smaller than a US dime, so im assuming its a half real. It looks like the date is 180_, and i think that would make it a Carolus IIII.
This is the second spanish half real dug from this site, and both were almost completely worn slick.
The site was a homestead where a Spanish family moved to this area from Cat Island, MS. around the year 1840.
The family Patriarch was a baker and a sailor. The site also has deep anchorage. Supposedly Mr. B_ _ _ _ _ also raised goats, and would trade with other sailors that came to port in his tiny harbor.
My guess is this coin was probably still in circulation around 1840-1850 when lost.
First 2 pics will be the coin uncleaned. I also added a pic of the iron/junk, and a pic of a tiny brass square nail, a couple pieces of semi-interesting lead and 2 whatsits id love some help with.
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It sure has had a rough life, still, I'd love to dig one someday.
