1808 Spanish 8 Reales, 1943 Mercury Dime, etc.

[UnderMiner]

Found this Spanish pillar dollar today in the ocean. (Edit: I initially thought it to be too light to be genuine, weighing in at only 16.5 grams, but as many T-net users have pointed out, being exposed to salt water for 200+ years corrodes silver, and I can confirm the coin is much thinner than normal, likely due to this corrosion process, and so the weight reflects this accordingly.)

It was also under the sea long enough to become encrusted with sand deposits which I don't believe a base-metal alloy coin would have been able to survive long enough to be, not with the level of detail preserved as seen on this.

The edge shows the classic milling pattern of a Spanish dollar, and appeared silver after I scraped it on a nearby rock.

Here is a close up of the coin, the date is directly at the bottom and reads 1808, though very difficult to see in this picture. A T-net user also pointed out there is a notch taken out of the edge on the upper right side of the coin above the bust.

Also found a 1943 mercury dime, a 1985 Peruvian Un Inti, and about $9.40 in clad USD.
Finds from today's hunt:

 

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[Maritime]

I agree with bkurent - likely authentic. That cut across the edge - seen it so many times in field finds - no one faking would do that. Surface finds great - love to see colonials on top - bet there are a bunch of others around there. Helpful research on colonial fear about faked coins in The Wreck of the Faithful Steward on Delaware's False Cape, book released April 2023. Lots of fake 8s back in the day.

 

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[UnderMiner]

I agree with bkurent - likely authentic. That cut across the edge - seen it so many times in field finds - no one faking would do that. Surface finds great - love to see colonials on top - bet there are a bunch of others around there. Helpful research on colonial fear about faked coins in The Wreck of the Faithful Steward on Delaware's False Cape, book released April 2023. Lots of fake 8s back in the day.

If I can confirm the coin is indeed genuine this will make the location I found it in extreemly interesting from now on. There is no documented history of lost treasure or major shipwrecks in the area I found it.

On the other hand we did have many pirates in NYC that were always looting ships of valuables. Many were caught and hung never to reveal the location of their plunder.

I wonder if that brass keyhole, which has a similar amount of crust on it as the coin, was part of a chest of loot buried by pirates. I know it sounds almost too fantastical to imagine, but the pirates did exist.

Interesting tale, the history of the NYC river pirates. Everyone is so facinated by Caribbean pirates, and forget that they litterally operated everywhere.

 

[Groundhogg]

That's a good day at the beach!
Congrats

 

[xr7ator]

Gold items are just heavy enough to keep under the top soil, even if gravel.
I'd get out there with the detector and I bet you find something worth the effort.

 

[Digger RJ]

Found this Spanish pillar dollar today in the ocean. (Edit: I initially thought it to be too light to be genuine, weighing in at only 16.5 grams, but as many T-net users have pointed out, being exposed to salt water for 200+ years corrodes silver, and I can confirm the coin is much thinner than normal, likely due to this corrosion process, and so the weight reflects this accordingly.)

It was also under the sea long enough to become encrusted with sand deposits which I don't believe a base-metal alloy coin would have been able to survive long enough to be, not with the level of detail preserved as seen on this.
View attachment 2095844
View attachment 2095843

The edge shows the classic milling pattern of a Spanish dollar, and appeared silver after I scraped it on a nearby rock.
View attachment 2095842

View attachment 2095841
View attachment 2095840

View attachment 2095857

Here is a close up of the coin, the date is directly at the bottom and reads 1808, though very difficult to see in this picture. A T-net user also pointed out there is a notch taken out of the edge on the upper right side of the coin above the bust.
View attachment 2096473

Also found a 1943 mercury dime, a 1985 Peruvian Un Inti, and about $9.40 in clad USD.
Finds from today's hunt:
View attachment 2095858

Awesome!!! Congrats!!!