1857 FLYING EAGLE PENNY

Goes4ever · Apr 12, 2011

Today I had no where new to go so I went back to the farm where I dug my 100th indian last fall....almost winter. This yard gave up a ton of wheats, several silver and a lot of indians, and a couple V nickels.

Today I did NOT expect much but I was going to dig all iffy signals I skipped before because of time, I was digging deep shot gun shells, scraps and bits of copper, brass etc...nothing good. I get this 6-7" deep signal that was bouncy but fairly solid from two ways. On the etrac it was 17-21....15-23..around that area. What the heck I am digging everything. I saw a coin in the hole and thought hmm, must be an old nickel of some sort....NOPE...it was an 1857 Flying eagle....wooHOOOOO. This is only the second flying eagle I have ever dug in 3 yrs. And this one is way nicer than the first!

I was on cloud nine, but continued to hunt, I got a real deep signal I was hoping was a nickel but the FE number was REAL low, it was 01-12, 01-14. But it turned out to be a deep V nickel...1906. Sweet...

I also got a 6 wheat penny spill, did not take pics of it yet, but it had five copper wheats and one steel one that was a solid rusted disk.

Last decent item was the knife, it has some cool details.....marked sterling plated.

mainer · Apr 13, 2011

That FE cleaned up nicely. :icon_thumright:

DMN · Apr 13, 2011

Gee, that Flying Eagle cleaned up well!

JerV3 · Apr 13, 2011

They don't get nicer than that.

Congrats they are hard to find. I have found 2 or 3 over the yrs. They are usually toasted. You have some nice sites and nice soil in your area.

Jer

mastereagle22 · Apr 13, 2011

That coin is, without a doubt, my most favorite design of any coin. And yours in is great shape.

Congrats on an awesome find!! :icon_thumleft:

terpfan · Apr 13, 2011

steelheadwill said:
Those FEs are a rare dig!
Yours is a beauty
It's all about the soil, I pulled one from clay that was in super shape.
I think the density of clay excludes oxygen (THE most reactive element) and that's the key to it's preservative qualities.
3 years of issue & the 56 was only a strike of 2000
as examples for congressional approval, a few proof strikes for collectors.
this is the lowest mintage I recall for a US coin.
this was a radical change from 60 years of the large copper cent.
Great Find

Nice theory about the oxygen, but I'm not sold. Sandy soils have the most oxygen, and those incredible sugar sand New Jersey soils seem to preserve coins the best of all.

Goes4ever · Apr 13, 2011

thanks for so many kind comments!

olekyground · Apr 13, 2011

ON MY WISH LIST!! GOOD ONE! :icon_thumleft:

allen · Apr 13, 2011

Awesome coin !!!
In my 7 years of detecting ive yet to get lucky
enough to recover one of those beautiful coins !!

birdman · Apr 13, 2011

Nice! I am still learning my etrac . Starting to get it but it is slow going.

treasurepirate1 · Apr 13, 2011

very nice flying eagle i have never seen a dug one in such nice shape :headbang:

. Also wondering if this coin going to be featured in one of your videos?

freddy williams · Apr 13, 2011

Very nice coins Especially the FE HH gep on diggin em up :icon_thumright:

Goes4ever · Apr 13, 2011

treasurepirate1 said:
very nice flying eagle i have never seen a dug one in such nice shape . Also wondering if this coin going to be featured in one of your videos?

I got a small vid but nothing special. I didn't record any digs because most everything I dug was junk since I was digging nickel signals

lorraine · Apr 13, 2011

I want that coin, G4E!

crazyjarhead · Apr 13, 2011

That is one of the best I can recall seeing on here. That V nickle is sweet too :notworthy:

Tennessee Treasure Hunter · Apr 13, 2011

Awesome finds Congratulations!!
TTH

oakhunter27 · Apr 14, 2011

Great flying eagle very nice

liftloop · Apr 14, 2011

treasurepirate1 · Apr 14, 2011

Goes4ever said:
treasurepirate1 said:

very nice flying eagle i have never seen a dug one in such nice shape . Also wondering if this coin going to be featured in one of your videos?

Click to expand...

I got a small vid but nothing special. I didn't record any digs because most everything I dug was junk since I was digging nickel signals

i appreciate the reply thank you :icon_thumleft:

boondocker · Apr 14, 2011

Nice job on the FE, :headbang:

that's on my list, hope I find one. Dean

Bartman · Apr 15, 2011

That's a beautiful FE. Still waiting for my first. If you don't mind me asking, how did you clean it. Whenever I use hot peroxide on my indians it tends to take off that nice green patina. Olive oil doesn't seem to get them clean enough though.