Welcome Back T-Net…Scored my Oldest Silver Yet!!

[romeo-1]

This past Saturday morning I decided to hunt a site I hadn’t hunted in a couple years. I have previously hunted this site five or six times along with several other hunters. It has been a productive site and is in fact where I found a 1784 1 reale during my second year of detecting. My rationale for returning to this hunted site was I’m pretty sure that my detecting skills have improved dramatically since the last time I was there. I used to avoid the heaviest concentrations of iron but have since changed my style to focus on the iron as well as all around the iron patch. Needless to say, I am so glad I went back!

I went straight to the iron patch and the first target was the shoe buckle fork tine. Good sign if this had been missed so many times before. Next couple targets were a couple plain flat buttons including a heavy silver plated lead backed button. Next two targets were the lead bale seal and the navy button. I was able to research the button and it is a 1787 Royal Navy officer’s cuff button (shank is intact).

The last target of the hunt was found well off the main site. It is most definitely the oldest coin I have found…it’s a 1676 Louis XIV 4 Sol! Very early French silver. I know it looks like a 1696 but this style of 4 Sol was only minted from 1674-1677 (Someone please correct me if I am wrong or confirm that I am correct). Funny thing is I almost didn’t dig it. When I was pinpointing it only sounded in one direction…must have been on edge. It wasn’t very deep so I decided to dig in and pull out some iron…and when I flipped the plug it was sitting on the blade of my shovel! I knew it was old silver right away but didn’t know how old until I got home. Very pleased.

Ps…this was going to be the back-up site for when IronHorse was here…now I’m glad we didn’t need a back-up.

 

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[umrgolf]

Damn good find Romeo It looks like '76 to me

 

[Rick (Nova Scotia)]

One way signal...hmmm...makes you wonder. Sure we all past a few of those, I know I have in the hotrock laiden fields of late.

Congrats on your oldest silver, good shape too.

 

[HomesteadHunter]

What an excellent group of finds, especially when you consider they came from a "hunted out" site. And i'm suprised at the overall condition of the finds, especially the button. And finally, what can I say about the silver except.......wow. Its not bent, damaged or worn, absolutely unbelievable. You definitely have a banner silver, congratulations on a great hunt.

James.
HomesteadHunter.

 

[romeo-1]

One way signal...hmmm...makes you wonder. Sure we all past a few of those, I know I have in the hotrock laiden fields of late.

Congrats on your oldest silver, good shape too.

I was thinking that same thing Rick, how many "on edge" silvers have I left in the ground...always good motivation to re-hunt those early sites.

 

[Colonial Copper Zeus]

Congratulations Romeo. Your patience paid some huge dividends. I am drooling over the coin.
Chris

 

[RELICDUDE07]

NIiiiiiiiiice very niiiiiiiiiice!!!!!!! Damn i needed my relic fix! THANKS

 

[halfdime]

That's a beautiful coin!

 

[Tennessee Treasure Hunter]

great finds...nice silver!

 

[romeo-1]

NIiiiiiiiiice very niiiiiiiiiice!!!!!!! Damn i needed my relic fix! THANKS

Yeah, it was a tough week off wasn't it! To quote 80s glam band Cinderella..."Don't know what you got till it's gone"!

 

[The Patriot]

Damn romeo that's one sweet old silver there...nothing wrong with the navy button either...save some for me in the spring...frozen up here now...
Congrats

 

[birdman]

Wow!! You are cleaning house !! That is one awesome old coin.

 

[HISPAN]

Nice silver coin .....I'm glad to see you again.
congrats!

 

[romeo-1]

Damn romeo that's one sweet old silver there...nothing wrong with the navy button either...save some for me in the spring...frozen up here now...
Congrats

Don't worry, there are plenty of viable areas to hunt yet. I think some of the best sites are going to be those that have been hunted and written off as finished. I've been having great luck on those types of sites lately...I'll also be researching new sites and in fact have just secured spring permission for a large site that is unhunted and is a battle site and homestead. Win/win there!

 

[Iron Patch]

Yep, 1676. No doubt these have a high mintage but they didn't span many years and were only made in two locations. (Paris & Lyon) So the book says.

The Navy is interesting, not sure I've seen one of those with a dotted field. Have you been able to match it? Backmark?

 

[romeo-1]

Yep, 1676. No doubt these have a high mintage but they didn't span many years and were only made in two locations. (Paris & Lyon) So the book says.

The Navy is interesting, not sure I've seen one of those with a dotted field. Have you been able to match it? Backmark?

I've found pictures on the interweb but I don't have the right books. No backmark. See attached...looks like a match.

http://www.angelfire.com/wa/dianaspage/reference/BritishNavy.html

 

[timekiller]

Nice finds like the coin. The button looks to be RN Midshipman - 1787-1812
one like it here.
http://www.colchestertreasurehunting.co.uk/navy buttons.htm
Take Care,
Pete

 

[Iron Patch]

Yep, 1677. No doubt these have a high mintage but they didn't span many years and were only made in two locations. (Paris & Lyon) So the book says.

The Navy is interesting, not sure I've seen one of those with a dotted field. Have you been able to match it? Backmark?

I've found pictures on the interweb but I don't have the right books. No backmark. See attached...looks like a match.

http://www.angelfire.com/wa/dianaspage/reference/BritishNavy.html

Yes, looks very close, and maybe just a size difference to account for the small differences. Regardless it's a War 1812 era button so good enough to throw in the display!

 

[romeo-1]

Yep, 1677. No doubt these have a high mintage but they didn't span many years and were only made in two locations. (Paris & Lyon) So the book says.

The Navy is interesting, not sure I've seen one of those with a dotted field. Have you been able to match it? Backmark?

I've found pictures on the interweb but I don't have the right books. No backmark. See attached...looks like a match.

http://www.angelfire.com/wa/dianaspage/reference/BritishNavy.html

Yes, looks very close, and maybe just a size difference to account for the small differences. Regardless it's a War 1812 era button so good enough to throw in the display!

Done and done!

 

[wildheart]

Wow - I've been off-boards for like 3 months, and come back to these awesome finds -- thanks for posting! Definitely was worth my trip back, especially to learn that what you might think is a hunted-out site may not be, after all. I know I'll go back to some of my first ones. Even now, after about 2 years of serious hunting, my skills have really improved and I think I could make some hay out of my first sites.

Gonna be a long wait till spring this year...

Mary