pointdlr
Sr. Member
ADDED - 6-6-10 Put up pics of the other better coins from the second hunt at this yard. Thought they all belonged with this post. Thanks for the Banner T-Net. Only took 2 1/2 years of hard digging to find something worthy.
ADDED- 6-1-10- Took coin this morning to a very reputable coin shop, and the owner told me it was the BEST condition dug coin he has seen in 20 years running his shop. He said no hesitation to call it high AU, but that the grading company would still call it "corroded" from being in the ground. I asked him if he would have known it was dug w/o me telling him, and he said yes, but I sorta wonder how he would know? He said something about pitting that I honestly couldn't see under his loop. Guess I have a bunch to learn about grading coins.
ADDED- I forgot that even took a few pics with my camera phone when I found the coin. They are a bit blurry(hands were probably shaking), but you can see the same Eagle that I saw. The front was completely covered in mud.
I stopped by a somewhat old looking place near my work, b/c I saw a guy working on his motorcycle. I asked him if I could detect the yard. He said "thats weird, you are like the 3rd person to ask me that". I was a bit perplexed b/c it didn't look like that great of a spot, so I asked him how old it was. He proceeded to tell me that it was built in 1812, and was the original house for the family that the road is named after. Now I am really interested. He said the last guy a few years ago didn't find much, but I could try. This happened a week ago.
Fast forward to today. I had an hour, and thought I would try it out. I didn't expect much, and found a few memorial pennies right off. I was happy to see they were down in the ground 3-4" and from the 70's. This gave me hope. Then I popped a Merc, and started to get a little excited. The next good signal was a no doubt about it silver quarter signal about 6". I wanted a video camera at this point, b/c I rarely hit signals this clean. Sure enough, I see the edge of a silver quarter encased in mud. I couldn't tell what it was, but was pretty sure it wasn't a Washington(It turned out to be a pretty nice 1901, and would have been a very nice find for any other day). I took both silver coins to my car, and put them in water. About this time, I noticed that the back yard looked pretty good also. I went over there, and got another silver quarter signal fairly close to where a water line had recently been put in. This one was about 7", and when I saw the shine, and pulled it out, I had an Eagle with Rays staring at me. I instantly knew what it was, and was pretty sure the date was 1853. I called Lostlake and told him I finally hit a Seated Quarter as I was putting the hole back in. When I dumped the dirt back into the hole, I noticed a marble that could have been associated with the coin. After talking with Lostlake for a minute I put my earphones back on and got another silver quarter hit right next to the last one. I hate to say it, but I was disapointed to see a large cent. Either way, it is safe to assume the two coins were part of an 1853 pocket spill. I can't see any possible way the quarter was in circulation longer than the year it was made. I am absolutely floored by the condition. In fact, I have never dug any silver coin of any denomination in this condition, and I saved it for my first Seated.
What a Great Hobby!!!!!!!!!!!
I am not a coin grader, but I almost can't see any way this quarter wouldn't grade around AU or better? I am interested to hear others opinions.
Regards,
Jon Dickinson
ADDED- 6-1-10- Took coin this morning to a very reputable coin shop, and the owner told me it was the BEST condition dug coin he has seen in 20 years running his shop. He said no hesitation to call it high AU, but that the grading company would still call it "corroded" from being in the ground. I asked him if he would have known it was dug w/o me telling him, and he said yes, but I sorta wonder how he would know? He said something about pitting that I honestly couldn't see under his loop. Guess I have a bunch to learn about grading coins.
ADDED- I forgot that even took a few pics with my camera phone when I found the coin. They are a bit blurry(hands were probably shaking), but you can see the same Eagle that I saw. The front was completely covered in mud.
I stopped by a somewhat old looking place near my work, b/c I saw a guy working on his motorcycle. I asked him if I could detect the yard. He said "thats weird, you are like the 3rd person to ask me that". I was a bit perplexed b/c it didn't look like that great of a spot, so I asked him how old it was. He proceeded to tell me that it was built in 1812, and was the original house for the family that the road is named after. Now I am really interested. He said the last guy a few years ago didn't find much, but I could try. This happened a week ago.
Fast forward to today. I had an hour, and thought I would try it out. I didn't expect much, and found a few memorial pennies right off. I was happy to see they were down in the ground 3-4" and from the 70's. This gave me hope. Then I popped a Merc, and started to get a little excited. The next good signal was a no doubt about it silver quarter signal about 6". I wanted a video camera at this point, b/c I rarely hit signals this clean. Sure enough, I see the edge of a silver quarter encased in mud. I couldn't tell what it was, but was pretty sure it wasn't a Washington(It turned out to be a pretty nice 1901, and would have been a very nice find for any other day). I took both silver coins to my car, and put them in water. About this time, I noticed that the back yard looked pretty good also. I went over there, and got another silver quarter signal fairly close to where a water line had recently been put in. This one was about 7", and when I saw the shine, and pulled it out, I had an Eagle with Rays staring at me. I instantly knew what it was, and was pretty sure the date was 1853. I called Lostlake and told him I finally hit a Seated Quarter as I was putting the hole back in. When I dumped the dirt back into the hole, I noticed a marble that could have been associated with the coin. After talking with Lostlake for a minute I put my earphones back on and got another silver quarter hit right next to the last one. I hate to say it, but I was disapointed to see a large cent. Either way, it is safe to assume the two coins were part of an 1853 pocket spill. I can't see any possible way the quarter was in circulation longer than the year it was made. I am absolutely floored by the condition. In fact, I have never dug any silver coin of any denomination in this condition, and I saved it for my first Seated.
What a Great Hobby!!!!!!!!!!!
I am not a coin grader, but I almost can't see any way this quarter wouldn't grade around AU or better? I am interested to hear others opinions.
Regards,
Jon Dickinson
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But I'm slowly improving. Thanks for the well wishes.
MR TUFF
