Back to Where I Started ?! With Good Results

[mlw67]

This year has been a decent one for me, what with a wee bit of gold, and plenty of 20th century silver and wheats.

But I like the old stuff. Which is annoying, considering that I am on the wrong side of anywhere to find those really old coins.

So, after only finding a couple of barber dimes this year and only a few indian heads in the first few months of hunting, I decided to spend some time knocking on doors and hunting those old yards.

Which sucked. In 5 yards, all at least 100 years old, the best I had to show for my efforts was a few lousy wheats.

So I went back to the pounded public spots that I had been hunting before, and I'll be a blue-nosed gopher--I found stuff!

Saturday night, in one small area I pulled out 3 wheats (40s and 50s), then this--my first barber quarter this year:

So Monday night I went back to this same area and my very first signal was this amazing condition 1872 indian head penny, the very rare "90 over 87" variety.

 

[cerF]

Whoooaaaa, great quarter...and the indian isnt to shabby either! Were they found in a park?

 

[jimbob450]

Hi, What is 90 over 87 on a IH? Jimbob

 

[Az Old Noob]

Hi, What is 90 over 87 on a IH? Jimbob

1872 1902 Very rare indeed. My only find that would be similar was a 1943-D Walking liberty half with the "43 over 16" and "D over S" variety.

 

[Roger Mn.]

The 1898 barber quat. looks great so is the 1902 indian cent. I take it you were wishing for 1872 or something rare?

 

[John Deere Digger]

Great looking coins, that barber is fantastic. I am still itching to find one of those. HH
JDD

 

[Mirage]

Hey you. I haven't seen you in a while.

You are doing well so far. I haven't even found a barber yet this year. :P I'm with you also. The mercs, rosies and such pacify me but really don't get me too excited anymore.

I am surprised that you struck out at those homes but it happens. I got permission on a 1900's home and have only got about 4 wheats from it.

Bob

BTW - you posted the wrong picture for that rare '72 IH you found.

Bob

 

[DougF]

Excellent - It took me a while, but I got the joke (90 over 87 IH)

 

[Goes4ever]

nice IH penny, looks like a 1902 to me

 

[Captn SE]

Congrats on your Barber Quarter and your "90" over "87" variety IH.

If you believe no park is ever hunted out, you will find the "deepies" there!!

HH,
CAPTN SE
Dan

 

[JerV3]

Nice finds ml.

A barber quarter is a nice day. I love to find them. I have a huge barber collection.

HH Jer

 

[kimsdad]

Excellent finds! Congrats!!!

 

[mlw67]

Thanks for all the great comments and replies everyone!

Sorry about the bad joke regarding the indian head.
I just noticed that my indian looked suspiciously similar to that one on the banner, except for those two pesky little digits...

These coins weren't in a park, and actually, they weren't very deep--just overlooked. They were on public property though, not private.

In most Portland parks, you won't find much in the way of old coinage. The reason (besides the fact that none of our parks are more than about 120 years old at the most) is our soil: You dig down about 4-6 inches (in most places) and then you hit a rocky-topped clay layer. The coins usually won't go below that layer without the soil being disturbed somehow. In areas where for one reason or another there is a deeper layer of topsoil, the coins will of course go deeper. I only know of a few parks around here where the coins are deep--most of the parks here are basically hunted out of 'oldies' because the coins never went very deep over the years and they were easy to find. At least, that's my theory and I'm sticking to it.

 

[Nana40]

So great to see you posting, Miss Mable! 8) Missed ya!

Beautiful finds! Congrats! Nan

 

[Mona Lisa]

Matty!! You still detect? I thought you were on the World Poker Tour or sumptin.

Those are some beautiful coins, Matt. It's so good to hear from ya!

 

[mlw67]

So great to see you posting, Miss Mable! 8) Missed ya!

Beautiful finds! Congrats! Nan

Thanks Nana! I've actually been posting a bit here and there, just not posting any of my finds.

Matty!! You still detect? I thought you were on the World Poker Tour or sumptin.

Those are some beautiful coins, Matt. It's so good to hear from ya!

Why thank you, Lisa! (lol @ your French flag--I had to think for a sec)

...actually, I'm playing poker right now... :P

 

[cwdigger]

Very Very Nice IH penny

 

[mlw67]

Very Very Nice IH penny

Why thanks!

I should have posted a "before and after" picture as testament to the hydrogen peroxide cleaning method.

I've been hunting for about a zillion years and I've never tried that method before--but I wish I had!

When I found that penny it had a gorgeous emerald green patina on it, but also a seemingly impenetrable layer of crusty...uh...crust. Soap and water didn't budge the stuff. I could see the full LIBERTY on the headband and all four diamonds on the ribbon, so I knew underneath the crud there waited a beautiful coin. A few boiling peroxide fizz treatments later and ~viola~ a nice clean penny. Minus the lovely patina, but I guess that's the trade off.