jerseyben
Gold Member
I have literally been waiting for this day to come for years! My best day detecting to date:
Jim and his mom GRACIOUSLY invited me to their special spot for a day of detecting. After spending a short time in a front field and digging 2 buttons, I kept looking over to a spot way in a side field with a slight hilly incline. I made my way over there and dug a few wheaties and some more buttons before coming back around to the edge of the field. As I was swinging back to Jim's truck for some water and to ditch my sweatshirt, I hit a high tone but an unfamiliar 12-36. After digging the target, it turned out to be my FIRST half cent but I did not immediately identify it so after showing it to Jim, he tells me I am the proud owner of a Liberty Cap Half Cent! A frenzy ensues and we all rush over to the corner of the field and just go nuts! We were all digging targets rapidly but for me, out popped a flat button, then a Dandy button, then a cut large copper coin, then another half cent (which we all erroneously ID'd as a Farthing lol). After a while of this, Jim had already dug his beautiful NJ copper and I was working my way back up the "hotspot" area, when I hit on another 12-36. Jim and his mom watched me dig it and out popped another half cent. The reverse looked nice but the obverse was caked with a hard crust. It was thick with a lettered edge, so that helps with the year. Toward the end of the day I found what seemed like my dozenth spoon but it turned out to be Sterling! Jim then ID'd my cut copper as a cut NJ copper! After a long full day, we all had finally had enough and headed home.
At home, I was mulling through my Red Book and removing the loose dirt from my coins. After conserving the crusty half cent, I looked for the year and noticed that mine had a BIG dot in between Half and Cent with "berries" clearly visible on the wreath. Even with the obverse toasted, that can only mean one year, 1793!!! After carefully removing the crust on the obverse, I could see the details clear as day, once the water started to dry on the surface of the coin. 1793, head facing left!
The 2nd half cent is a Liberty Cap and the date is partly visible with 17XX showing. It is a thin planchet with no edge lettering making it 1795, 1796, or 1797 as the only choices. The 3rd half cent is a Braided Hair with 18XX showing but it is in pretty rough shape. I have no clue on the NJ Copper as I cant find a date or any identifying marks.
Sorry for the bad pics but you can really see the detail very well only when the coins are wet and starting to dry. I didn't have time to clean my other finds so I decided to post pics of that stuff tomorrow. Thanks for looking. What an awesome day!
UPDATE: Pics of the rest of the day's finds including: Wheaties, 2 IH's, James Monroe token, good luck token, 8 buttons, 1 bird token/button?
Posted better pics of the NJ for Don as well as better pics of the 1793 where you can see the bust and date clearly. Enjoy!
Jim and his mom GRACIOUSLY invited me to their special spot for a day of detecting. After spending a short time in a front field and digging 2 buttons, I kept looking over to a spot way in a side field with a slight hilly incline. I made my way over there and dug a few wheaties and some more buttons before coming back around to the edge of the field. As I was swinging back to Jim's truck for some water and to ditch my sweatshirt, I hit a high tone but an unfamiliar 12-36. After digging the target, it turned out to be my FIRST half cent but I did not immediately identify it so after showing it to Jim, he tells me I am the proud owner of a Liberty Cap Half Cent! A frenzy ensues and we all rush over to the corner of the field and just go nuts! We were all digging targets rapidly but for me, out popped a flat button, then a Dandy button, then a cut large copper coin, then another half cent (which we all erroneously ID'd as a Farthing lol). After a while of this, Jim had already dug his beautiful NJ copper and I was working my way back up the "hotspot" area, when I hit on another 12-36. Jim and his mom watched me dig it and out popped another half cent. The reverse looked nice but the obverse was caked with a hard crust. It was thick with a lettered edge, so that helps with the year. Toward the end of the day I found what seemed like my dozenth spoon but it turned out to be Sterling! Jim then ID'd my cut copper as a cut NJ copper! After a long full day, we all had finally had enough and headed home.
At home, I was mulling through my Red Book and removing the loose dirt from my coins. After conserving the crusty half cent, I looked for the year and noticed that mine had a BIG dot in between Half and Cent with "berries" clearly visible on the wreath. Even with the obverse toasted, that can only mean one year, 1793!!! After carefully removing the crust on the obverse, I could see the details clear as day, once the water started to dry on the surface of the coin. 1793, head facing left!
The 2nd half cent is a Liberty Cap and the date is partly visible with 17XX showing. It is a thin planchet with no edge lettering making it 1795, 1796, or 1797 as the only choices. The 3rd half cent is a Braided Hair with 18XX showing but it is in pretty rough shape. I have no clue on the NJ Copper as I cant find a date or any identifying marks.
Sorry for the bad pics but you can really see the detail very well only when the coins are wet and starting to dry. I didn't have time to clean my other finds so I decided to post pics of that stuff tomorrow. Thanks for looking. What an awesome day!
UPDATE: Pics of the rest of the day's finds including: Wheaties, 2 IH's, James Monroe token, good luck token, 8 buttons, 1 bird token/button?
Posted better pics of the NJ for Don as well as better pics of the 1793 where you can see the bust and date clearly. Enjoy!
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