Finally dug my first cob today!

[screwynewy]

Sunny and 50 degrees hear in southeast NC so I headed out to an old standby colonial site that I have been hunting for the past 4 years. I've pulled close to 200 buttons, whole buckles and tons of buckle fragments and 3 colonial silvers before today. I have pounded this site over the years but it still gives up a couple keepers every time I go. I was trying out my newly upgraded T2 SE and running the sensitivity up at 90 with zero noise. I think I'm going to like this quiet running machine and especially being able to turn the iron audio down.

When I headed out today I was really not expecting much and would have been happy with a couple of buttons. I was wandering a plowed soybean field when I got a nice high tone. Dug down in the sandy soil about 10 inches and checked the plug but the signal was still in the hole. Stuck my pointer in and got a nice solid hit. Expecting a button I grabbed a handful of dirt and had it in my hand. Brushing the dirt away I see a shiny sliver of silver and I immediately think old pull tab but that would be very unusual on this site. My eyes quickly focus on the silver object and see a cross and immediately know what it is. I utter a string of words out loud that I can't repeat here but needless to say I'm very happy to have dug my first cob.

It's very worn but hopefully some of the resident cob experts can help with an ID and a range of dates for it.

 

[mangum]

Great find! I'm still waiting on my first Spanish silver, a cob would be even better!

 

[Bill D. (VA)]

Wow - I must have missed this one Ken. Congrats on your first cob - she's a beaut! That looks like an early site you're gotten into. Keep hitting it hard, and good luck.

 

[g-olden years]

Woo-hoo! Congrats! Andi

 

[beez0404]

Big congrats on the Cob...
You guys down south are killing me!! Lol.
Outside my window there is a foot of snow...
I believe im going to have to head south..
George

Now George, you just rest up and get over that flu bug! Spring will be here for you soon enough and you'll once again be making everyone jealous of your finds.

 

[beez0404]

A cob is a piece of 8 correct? I think that is a wonderful find. I know I would have strung together some words I wouldn't repeat here too had I found one. Congratulations!

 

[Vino]

Now George, you just rest up and get over that flu bug! Spring will be here for you soon enough and you'll once again be making everyone jealous of your finds.

Thanks Jay..and by the way a cob is not a piece of 8..Its a cob, its own denomination. .
George

 

[Ahab8]

A cob is a piece of 8 correct? I think that is a wonderful find. I know I would have strung together some words I wouldn't repeat here too had I found one. Congratulations!

Cob refers to the clump of silver clipped off the end of a silver bar. They can come in any of the Reales denominations: 1/2,1,2,4,8,
I'm not sure why George is chiming in? He's only seen them in books and on here lol. Kinda like me and half cents

 

[Vino]

Cob refers to the clump of silver clipped off the end of a silver bar. They can come in any of the Reales denominations: 1/2,1,2,4,8,
I'm not sure why George is chiming in? He's only seen them in books and on here lol. Kinda like me and half cents

Listen!!! Im toooo sick to fight with you right now...
But let me see ur early American silver ..

 

[Ahab8]

Listen!!! Im toooo sick to fight with you right now...
But let me see ur early American silver ..

Thought you'd never ask!


Is that early enough for you pumpkin? Go back to bed

 

[Vino]

Thought you'd never ask!
<img src="http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1113979"/>

Is that early enough for you pumpkin? Go back to bed

Yea I geuss so, if thats all u got..lol

 

[Vino]

Sorry Screwynewy. .We like kids..
We get out of hand..
George

 

[Ahab8]

Yes my apologies to you Screwy....but George started it :-)

 

[collector01]

Congrats on the cob, awesome find! That's why I keep hitting them old spots seems like the best stuff comes when you think there's not much left. HH!

 

[dirtlooter]

hey, I've learned a lot on this thread, I thought a cob was a cut piece of eight too. when you don't know what something is, but you know it is very good or awesome in nature, you still get excited for the person and their find/finds. if I found anything remotely like a cob, I would have to sit down and check it out again, about fifty times!

 

[Msbeepbeep]

Congrats awesome cob!

 

[screwynewy]

Thanks again everyone for the comments.

I've learned more than I ever knew about cobs since digging this one yesterday. I found this informative article on how cobs were made so if you are snowbound and have nothing else to do it's a pretty interesting read.

Basically silver was poured into a narrow strap weighing 216 grams then was cut into 8 equal pieces to make an 8R. For smaller denominations they just started with a strap that weighed equal to 1/8 of what the final desired size of the coin and cut it into eight pieces. This why they are all irregular shapes and only applies to Mexican cobs. Here is the link: Articles: STRAPS FOR CASH - How Mexican Cobs were made. - Daniel Frank Sedwick, LLC. Specialists in the colonial coinage of Spanish America as well as shipwreck coins

I posted the coin over in the What Is It forum and Don (Mackaydon) ID'd it as being a Carlos II minted in Mexico between 1668 and 1697 for a 1/2 real. That would make this my 4th 17th century dug coin.

 

[Ahab8]

Great info bud! It's so much fun to learn about this stuff. Post up a few of this coins on the thread I started in Best Finds. I'd love to see them all

 

[Derek752]

Sweet Cob ! Been a very loooong time since I dug one.

Congrats ...

D.

 

[Carolina Tom]

Very nice find. Congrats. GL&HH.

 

[The Patriot]

Congrats on the old Spanish...I remember a time that something like that would hit the banner quickly....still a banner find in my books!