The key date Morgan dollar dug !!!

CoinFetcher

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Hello again!

I found myself with about 1 hour before I had a lunch date w my oldest relative from my grandfathers family. I helped him get his new laptop setup, and connect his email ect.

Anyways, I was going to do a easy in-town hunt, and I saw a current low tide of 5ft ( a high low tide ) - and I figured I would try to preciously unproductive but accessible street end beach. The downtown shoreline of Puget Sound townships at the turn of the 1900s were fish plants, lumber mills, wharfs and mosquitoe fleet docks. I don’t hunt these places very often because I usually just find large boat and dock pieces. At this spot, the best I’ve done is a kung-fu throwing knife, and junker ring. That was a year ago or so.

I walked onto the beach with a PMDA - positive metal detecting attitude. One of the phrases that passed through my brain was that I was going to look for a silver dollar. I dug a few high conducting lead wads. A fishing sinker and brass nails. I walked to where the rocks where a little larger, and I liked the deeper larger targets there. I was willing to dig any target, I wasn’t cherry picking silver dollar signals people! Sensitivity was on 13 or so. I’m Not sure what was interfering so bad, but because of all the junk and iron here, I had to run it low.

What I remember before I dug the only coin of the day was that the signal was pegging the machine, but it was smaller than a popcan. I pulled some gravel back and pinpointed a nail or two in the peripheral. I pick the machine and found the high toned signal about half a foot to the left. I stab and scrape. My orange pinpoiner is still turned on from honing in on thoes nails, but I don’t need the orange stick. I see a freakin Morgan dollar in the ground. It wasn’t too far from the top of the beach, so it wasn’t full purple in color.

With this Orange and black stained dollar in the hole, ready to be harvested and examined, I dare not even touch it until I called someone to be on the phone with me. My dad picked up and I cheered to him about the dollar I dug on a beach he has been familiar with for 70 years. “What’s year is it?” He asks, I tell him, “jeepers, I don’t know” and With that I now have permission to pluck the precious coin. “1893” I tell my pops. I was happy to have a coin from the 1800s. I only have a few this old. I flip it and it registers an ‘s’ mintmark. I assume it’s a common coin. I’m actually excited to dig a Morgan I can fondle. While on the phone, I look at the online price guide and see the numbers. I look at the date and mintmark to double check. I double check the guide and mintage number. I google it. The numbers add up - 100,000 minted. I realize on the phone w my dad that I dug the key date Morgan dollar!

1893 - s Morgan dollar

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I went to my cousins and helped him out, and got to do a little show-and-tell w the dollar the retirement home. The guys at our lunch table liked it.

I’ll be back soon to this spot, but my hopes are not too high! I really think a gold coin could be possible though - I just need to keep my PMDA ;p
 

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Upvote 53

Jose The Goon

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Nice big hunk of silver !!!!!!!! Key date to boot !!!!!!!!! Congrats !!!!!!!
 

Whyme

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Wow very cool! Congrats on the key date Morgan! :icon_thumleft:
 

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CoinFetcher

CoinFetcher

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44E52AC1-E3F6-4CBC-9C86-18B76A58B7CF.jpeg

Here a little pic of the beach she was gleaned off of.

The metal detecting club meeting is tonight! And I have two Morgan’s to bring in.. so stoked!
 

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HuntH2002

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Amazing key date find:occasion14:
 

xcopperstax

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Excellent coin and great story. Congrats. At risk of offending the "don't clean it crowd" that coin looks like a great candidate for the baking soda foil boiling water method. I used it on my morgan and the results were great. Best of luck on the coin and the PMDA!
 

mike b

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"PMDA - positive metal detecting attitude"

I like that!
 

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CoinFetcher

CoinFetcher

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"PMDA - positive metal detecting attitude"

I like that!
I want to give credit to whomever’s signature that is on the forums. I am totally convinced you need a good attitude and a idea of what signals you want to be excited to dig (garbage or not)
 

huntsman53

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Congrats on a really nice Key Date Morgan find! Although it appears to have a chip out of the Eagle's wing or it corrosion making it appear that way, I believe with Conservation by PCGS and if given a grade or net grade, it appears that it would grade somewhere in the Very Fine grades after any deductions for problems. Very Fine money for that coin is $5,000 plus and it is seriously a coin that Collectors will pay good money for due to the low mintage. Definitely a Banner worthy find and my vote went in.
 

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RelicMaster777

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What a score. The undisputed king of the entire series. I would have it graded and maybe professionally cleaned. Awesome banner worthy find.
 

xr7ator

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FAN DOLLAR TASTIC! Key date, congratulations on a fine hunt.
 

digging440yrs

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washingtonian

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Here's another mind-blowing tidbit:

"[FONT=&quot]Today, according to numismatic expert Q. David Bowers, only 6,000 to 12,000 Morgans of this date and mint exist in all grades."

Source: [/FONT]
https://www.littletoncoin.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Display%7C10001%7C29555%7C-1%7C%7CLearnNav%7CMorgan-Silver-Dollars-Key-Dates.html
 

huntsman53

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What a score. The undisputed king of the entire series. I would have it graded and maybe professionally cleaned. Awesome banner worthy find.

Yes, the 1893-S is the undisputed King of the Morgans struck for circulation but if you collect the Proofs as well, then the 1895 is Overlord of all the Kings.
 

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