FINALLY AN INDIAN HEAD

Natman

Bronze Member
Jan 8, 2007
2,487
461
Hazelwood, MO
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
White's Prizm II, White's Coinmaster
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Hi all,

If you can believe this, it was 74 degrees in Missouri today (a record) so I wanted to get out and try hunting an older area. My wife recently told me about a friend and co-worker who lives in a house that was built in 1869, and I was very interested in seeing what history may lie beneath the ground in the yard surrounding it. I received permission to search the property and arrived there at about 10:15 a.m.

I started my search, and within 5 minutes I found 2 Lincoln Memorial cents and a 1943 Merc dime. I had visions of silver coins everywhere after finding the Merc, but for some reason it was the only silver coin dug after hours of careful searching. I continued to pound the yard as carefully and deliberately as I could, and my efforts paid off with my first Indian Head, an 1887. It was about 5 inches deep and was unrecognizeable at first. I saw the greenish color and knew it wasn't a modern Lincoln or a wheat (although it rang up as a modern penny). So I had 2 firsts today, my first Indian and my first coin from the 1800's.

By 2:30 p.m. I found a total of 25 coins - 13 Lincoln Memorial cents, 1 Indian Head cent, 1 wheat cent (1956-D), 1 nickel, 1 Merc dime, 5 Roosevelt dimes and 3 quarters. All the clad had recent dates.

I was also approached by 2 people during my hunt..one lady from across the street said her house was built in the 1930's (another potential yard), and after that the lady next door walked over, so I told her about the coins I had found. Without even asking, she gave me permission to check her yard, and it's even bigger than the one I checked today..the house is more than century old as well. It was getting late and I was too tired to thoroughly search another yard, so I told her I'd come back.

IH3.jpg


IH2.jpg


If anyone knows a way to bring out the details on this common date IH without ruining it, please let me know..I've cleaned lots of wheats but never attempted to clean one of these.

Nat
 

Upvote 0
HEY NATMAN, YOU HAD A GOOD DAY BRO. NICE JOB ON YOUR FIRST I.H....
I.H. AND SILVER IS A GOOD DAY TO ME......1869, THERE SHOULD BE SEATED THIER. KEEP HITTING IT.............CONGRATS....PACO, BDD
 

Congratulations on your first IH Nate.
I know the feeling of finding one. I am up to 4 now and my first was an unreadable date and all corroded, but I was still excited.
That will probably not be your last.
Nice Merc to and way to break into the 1800's for 2008.
Very nice.
 

:o New sites to hunt AND super keepers today!! YOU had a GREAT day, Nat!!

Congrats! Nana :)
 

Congrats on your two firsts.

I like the peroxide method for indian heads, but maybe you want to try it with a wheat cent or memorial first to be sure you like it too.
 

Congrats on the injun' Nat. I like diggin' them just as much as silver. Sounds like you got some new areas to search too :)
 

Way to go Nat!! Gosh, don't you just love our hobby?!!! Love the Merc too. I'm gonna find one this year! I can't wait to see what the other yard brings ya! Let us know, K?

Good luck and Happy Hunting,
Moon
 

Nice coins! The first Injun is always the hardest to get. It took me almost 3 years to find my first, then I got over 50 more within the next 9 months.
They should start jumping out of the ground at you now! ;) :D ;D
Congrats.
 

Hit those private yards hard and thorough, they can pat REALLY good dividends. Be careful of those old coins tho', they can lead to collecting and addiction.......
 

Great job, Nat. You're in the 1800's now, buddy!! Welcome to the club!

HH,
CAPTN SE
Dan
 

Good deal on the stuff - IH looks decent but from my experience and how yours looks I doubt it will clean up much better. I usually clean my IH's with a q tip soaked in ammonia followed by olive oil soak. Sounds like you got some new good spots.

Bob
 

Congrats on your first IH. I bet the next door yard will be fun to hunt. I can see some seated dimes coming soon ;D
 

NICE COIN HOPE YOU FIND MORE ON YOUR NEXT HUNT.
 

Nat , congrats on your first IndianHead and I am sure more to follow. I would only use warm water and cotton swab on that IH. I really cannot say much for helping on the verdigris on the coin, if you soak it is in oil, some maybe removed but it will just basically hide the corrosion, so I just recommend warm water soak, distilled if you have it. Then gently with wet cotton swabs see how much dirt comes off without seeing the fragile patina disappearing.

Glad your first one was from the 1800's, a plus for sure.

Don
 

Thanks for the replies and cleaning ideas..I used the peroxide method and it brought out more of the copper look..the coin is pitted and I know that cleaning can't help it any because the metal has eroded. No matter what it looks like though, it's still recognizeable and I can read the date.

I'm sure my seated coins will look much better ;D I'm going to try to hunt there again before spring if the weather lets me.

Nat
 

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