ALMOST A COIN, ALMOST A RING

[KENTUCKYWONDER]

Found this interesting item today at a late 1800's homestead site. It rang up in the penny range on the AT Pro, so I was thinking IHP. No such luck. With no detail showing and covered in a green patina, I was thinking some sort of hand made game piece. After getting home and cleaning my digs, I noticed a face staring to emerge, a dude with a gotee. I realized then, someone, many years ago, was in the process of making a coin ring when it was lost. My wife, KyDigNQueen, was able to identify him as Napoleon III. Further research found the coin to be a bronze French 10 Centimes, minted between 1852 and 1857. Making this the oldest coin? or oldest ring? that I have found. Not sure what category it falls in!
Thanks for looking and HH!



This is what this coin began life as

 

[SusanMN]

Not sure either but what a fun find. Definitely more unique than either a ring or a coin.

 

[Relicific]

Very interesting find

 

[Kurios1]

Now that's just cool as heck. I guess a dude was making it for his honey but, she ran off with a traveling "tonic" salesman so the guy heaved the coin-ring into the grass. Nice find for sure and you'll have to make up your own storyline for how & why it ended up under your coil. I love this treasure hunting thing. Congrats.

 

[vpnavy]

Nice finds KENTUCKYWONDER!

 

[KENTUCKYWONDER]

I like your imagination Kurios1! We could come up with many scenarios for that coin. But the greater mystery to me is how did a coin, minted in Lille France in the 1850's, end up in a farm field in Western Kentucky as a ring in progress? How many hands have touched this coin? How many pockets have carried this Centime? Oh if this coin could talk! What tales of travel and adventure would it tell. I have so many question, and no answers! It is a mystery to me.
As it is with most everything we find.

 

[trapperart]

Congrats on the unique find

 

[Argentium]

That is a terrific find ! Could well be "trench art" might have been brought back by a WWI vet, even though it would have been a 60 year old coin then . I hope you saw the coin/ buckle post here recently - I have made a couple of rings this way ,it is very time consuming .

 

[KENTUCKYWONDER]

Thanks Argentium, it definitely is different. I did see the post about the coin buckle and that was a heck of a dig. I have seen various video on making rings from silver coins, and it is time consuming, but I would think bronze would be a harder metal than silver and not easy to make into a ring. But the idea of trench art is very plausible.