✅ SOLVED A coin, a button, or something else?

[lenmac65]

I dug this item about 10 or 11 inches down the other day in an inactive farm field. I was so excited when it came out of the hole, as I thought I had my first large cent. I took it home, let it dry, and carefully removed the dirt with a toothpick. I was heartbroken when I saw nothing at all on the item; no image, no letters, no numbers, nothing. Could this have been a coin? Has anyone ever seen a large cent or colonial copper come out of the ground completely blank like this? While I fully expected corrosion, I thought there would be a faint impression of a bust or some lettering. If not a coin, could this have been a flat button? I see no evidence of a shank, but perhaps that wore off too? As for dimensions, it is 1 1/16 inch diameter (a little small for a large cent), weighs 7 grams (a bit light for a large cent, and a little too heavy for a button), and is about .08 thick. There is still some greenish color to it, so I think it was copper. Any opinions on what this might be would be most appreciated.

 

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[Red James Cash]

Hard money was scarce way back when.Coins were used until they were worn smooth.

 

[Rookster]

Might be a worn King George the . Nice find

 

[A2coins]

I own a microscope for these accaisions .Hope you can ID it.

 

[ANTIQUARIAN]

As James mentioned, it's likely a worn smooth copper, as I don't see any evidence of a loop on either side.

These pop up frequently on old farm sites, but mostly in the farm fields where they get worn smooth by the dirt and animal urine.

If you can more accurately determine the original size, someone should be able to give you an idea of what it may have been.

Dave

 

[DCMatt]

1 1/16th inch = @ 27mm. That's the right size for a Coronet cent. Although, as you said, 7 grams is a little light even for a heavily worn coin.

 

[Yak1366]

Nice find, Congrats!!!

 

[lenmac65]

I own a microscope for these accaisions .Hope you can ID it.

Mmmm... I checked the "coin" out with a magnifying glass, but did not try a microscope. I don't own one, but can probably borrow one. Identifying this object even with a microscope will be a long shot, but I am willing to try. Thanks for the suggestion!

 

[lenmac65]

Sounds like the general consensus is that the object is a well worn copper coin. Thank you all for the insights and speculation. I am going to assume it is a very old coin worn smooth by spending and the elements. Hopefully I can eventually find something on this coin to identify it or someone on this forum can provide a more solid guess based on the dimensions I provided, but I am not too hopeful. I guess I will just have to dig another one! Thanks again.

 

[EdHartzel]

Ahhh- the frustrations of trying to id a smooth copper!! Like it’s pulling at you to find out what it is! I have found different types of light of varying brightness and angle work best for otherwise unidentifiable coins. Set it flat on a table in a dim room and hold a flashlight off to the side- play around with the angle and distance of light. Sometimes you can glimpse just enoughdetail to ID!

 

[lenmac65]

Ahhh- the frustrations of trying to id a smooth copper!! Like it’s pulling at you to find out what it is! I have found different types of light of varying brightness and angle work best for otherwise unidentifiable coins. Set it flat on a table in a dim room and hold a flashlight off to the side- play around with the angle and distance of light. Sometimes you can glimpse just enoughdetail to ID!

Thanks for the tips. I will definitely give it a try, though I think the coin may be beyond hope. Happy new year!