🥇 BANNER A Coin Spill for the Ages: Spanish Silvers, Large Cents, and a massive Old Silver!

[Scrappy]

The day started at sunrise with me hiking through the dark woods. You see, I snuck out at 6am and before any of my 15 Thanksgiving guests awoke. After a 3/4 mile hike I arrived at my target site. It turned out to be a complete bust full of beer cans and illegal dumping.

So instead of going home I hiked to a spot about a half Mile away I've had my eye on for quite some time. It had great features; next to a good river, had high ground, and fertile soil. There was no record of a home existing there according to 1841 and later maps, so this was a complete gut hunch. Upon arriving I find an indentation at the high ground, which turned out to be a cellar hole. It was hidden as you can see...



Here's the well...


I turned on the machine and I hear iron, dig a few and find hand wrought nails. Here's a hand-wrought rose head nail which were used up to about 1800. Bingo! Great sign...



Without much luck with non-ferrous targets, I work my way around to the front, and then to the other side. I get a jumpy signal that was double hitting, and thought I had surface trash. I dig it and out pops a 1800 Spanish 1-real!





A video:

I'm quite excited and after a 10 minute intermission I rescan and find another target...and out comes a 1/2 reale. Wow!


A video:

Excited now, I swing around the hole and have another hit...a Large Cent! Nice...



Next hit brings the biggest surprise of them all. It was choppy and grunting, but a high was coming through. I open it up and almost fall right over...



A crazy video:

Staring back at me was what looked like a Spanish 8-real! I pull it out and low and behold it's an equally large French coin: a King Phillip 5-Franc monster silver!!!! The size of this coin is amazing - about the size of a Spanish 8. I'm still shocked when I look at the coin.


Wow. If this isn't what dreams are made of I don't know what is...

A minute or two later I dig yet another large cent and this ended my best coin spill ever.




If I learned anything from this, it's to go with your hunches. Cross your fingers and get out there and hunt.



Good luck and good hunts everyone!



Happy belated Thanksgiving!
Steve

 

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[TXPIRATE]

Congrats love the coins.

 

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[DownNDirty]

Wow what a day! Who needs turkey? The reals are impressive but the five francs is quite a find and serious chunk of silver. Congrats

 

[Dave N Japan]

 

[CRUSADER]

Wow that's a great find, never seen another one posted!

 

[Scrappy]

Congrats on the silver spill. Great job.

Thanks Vince. I was looking at the Mintmark, and realize that coin came from a place much closer to you that Me. (Lyon, France)

Cheers!

 

[Scrappy]

Epic spill. All Spanish and French silver coins were the only foreign legal tender silver coins in the US up until the civil war. See lots of worn out Spanish that were in circulation for a long time but the 5 Franc was only legal tender French silver after 1834 I believe. I dont recall seeing much French silver posted here either

That's really interesting. I didn't know the act affected the foreign coinage allowed to circulate in the early days of the United States. I do know citizens struggled for legal tender then, so a big chunk of silver like this might have proven tempting.

That said, the large cents are dated 1834 and 1835, so my guess is the spill happened not long after judging by the wear on the Franc.

Thanks for looking buddy

 

[Scrappy]

Great day out scrappy , congrats ,, cheers mick

Thanks. Today consists of caring for two children that are under the weather, and cleaning the house. Holding the coins and thinking about yesterday helps! Lol

 

[Eastcoasthunter21]

Wow scrappy your not kidding "one for the ages. I really really wish I was there to see your face when they came out one at a time. I absolutely love the 5 franc coin its amazing to say the least.
Congrats on a great SOLO hunt andi wish you many many more. I vote banner too !

 

[Scrappy]

Fantastic Scrappy and happy for you! Now, if your holiday guests were irritated by your departure you can show them the goodies and make them happy!

John

Many thought they were "neat" But failed to see the true awesomeness of the find

 

[Ahab8]

Ok buddy now that I have a minute to respond in a way deserving of these coins here it goes. That's an incredible spill my man. You know what my best spill was though it was only 2 coins. That feeling is priceless. Almost like you're floating or something. You start having visions of the person and the setting and how those were lost....INCREDIBLE!!!! I'll vote BANNER on this. That big 5 Franc together with the Spanish?why the hell not. That's epic stuff

 

[trapperart]

Congrats on some very nice finds and your hunch. You're right you have to get out there and try over and over and you increase your odds of winning

 

[JeffInMass]

What a hunch- simply AMAZING!! Congrats on one of the best cluster of finds I've ever seen posted!

-- Jeff --

 

[Scrappy]

Wow.
After 3 years of being on Tnet, thought I had seen it all.....
And a Colonial coin spill gets me thinking of maybe 2 or 3 toasted keepers....
But no, you score 5 gorgeous coins, and the hair on my arms are on end as I read this post.
You ARE the bastid of the bramble!!!
I am going to go back and watch the videos, when I'm done, I'll expect to see your hand holding the goods on the Banner.
Congrats my brother, ya done good!

I'm sitting on the couch drinking coffee, and looking at this whopper. Yep, it gives goosebumps!

Check out the edge. Bad arse



Thanks for the Banner Vote Dave!

 

[Scrappy]

Wow scrappy sounds like Christmas came about a month early for you. Incredible find. Definitely the stuff we all dream of, and what keeps us all swinging and digging. Thanks for the inspiration. And congratulations. I wold probably be fondling those coins for the rest of the month at least.

That's right Bart. Definitely came early, like yours many months ago with those insane cobs.

Cheers

 

[Scrappy]

Wow - what a day you had Steve!! I'm quite impressed with those Spanish silvers and the coppers, but the 5 franc coin takes the cake. Never seen anything that like ever posted on any of the forums. Looks like you really have something to be thankful for, and I'm sure your incredible find must have taken the edge off having all that company occupying your house. Congrats again man!!

Thanks for the kind words Bill. The massive silver dos take the cake. When I compared it to my 8 reale coin, it's only about ~1 mm smaller in diameter. This is like a French "8-R"! I also didn't realize this is the largest silver French coin minted at that time at 0.723 Troy ounces. The mint mark is Lyon.

 

[Scrappy]

do not call 911--- that was not an earthquake >>>>>>>>>>>> just me falling off the chair and they said there was no winner in the lottery ----'cept fer SCRAPPY

Haha. Thanks man. It was certainly a winning dig!

 

[Scrappy]

Dude I can't keep my bottom jaw up! It keeps dropping... What is the percentage of silver on that big ole franc??

I found this, about the 1831 5 Franc coin.


90% silver

 

[btjbtj]

Scrappyyyy!!! WOW! These coins are fantastic. Our first time seeing that massive French coin. Congrats! -Lisa & John

 

[Tommy G]

Holy crap, Scrappy, that is one amazing dig!! You had one helluva hunch there, buddy! And all of them have some good detail. And that 5 Franc is a monster! Just seeing that one in the hole had to be a heart-stopper! Congrats on some outstanding finds!

 

[The Aluminum Monster]

Wow! That is amazing and gives me hope. I've been hunting nothing but woods when I am finding the time. Mostly hunches with some educated guesses. While I have found signs of life, I haven't found any coins. You are keeping my dreams alive with this absolutely amazing hunt! Congrats to you, good sir!