Found my first Spanish Silver (half reale, I think)😀

Underwonder

Bronze Member
Jul 31, 2017
1,645
2,985
RI
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
2
Detector(s) used
White's XLT Spectrum, TRX Pin-pointer, Garrett AT Pro Pin-pointer, Eagle II SL with Bigfoot, Equinox 600, Equinox 800
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
I was so excited to find my first Spanish Silver! I think it is a half reale (a little less than 18mm). It is very worn and thin. Maybe someone with more experience can identify a mint mark and or country of origin.

I was using the Equinox 600 with the 6 inch coil in Park 1 Multi and it rang up as 20-21 so I thought it was a penny or scrap copper. When I started removing the dirt I thought it might be a button…But then WooHoo….it was a coin that looked Spanish.!!!!and most of the date was readable! 177?7. I was so excited.
779D0FF6-CE55-4B1A-8525-C32A155B468E.jpeg
F42F3A01-E4E2-4494-8258-0CF5A7B57EDC.jpeg

I also found part od a button that looks like it says “Canada” and has a crown at the top but can’t make out what it is. It also has an animal in the middle.
 

Attachments

  • 77B47CEE-0A7B-40DE-9197-F610D43F9021.jpeg
    77B47CEE-0A7B-40DE-9197-F610D43F9021.jpeg
    601.8 KB · Views: 327
Upvote 40
OP
OP
Underwonder

Underwonder

Bronze Member
Jul 31, 2017
1,645
2,985
RI
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
2
Detector(s) used
White's XLT Spectrum, TRX Pin-pointer, Garrett AT Pro Pin-pointer, Eagle II SL with Bigfoot, Equinox 600, Equinox 800
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
OP
OP
Underwonder

Underwonder

Bronze Member
Jul 31, 2017
1,645
2,985
RI
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
2
Detector(s) used
White's XLT Spectrum, TRX Pin-pointer, Garrett AT Pro Pin-pointer, Eagle II SL with Bigfoot, Equinox 600, Equinox 800
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
Yes, I was about to say the same thing but Ironhorse beat me to it. The button has a beaver with crown above, a garland border of maple leaves and says ‘CANADA MILITIA’. The Canadian Militia was established by the Militia Act of 1855 and served as the country’s regular army until the formation of the “Canadian Army” in 1940. Your button has the “Queen’s crown”, which would put it no later than 1901.

Good Spanish silver.
Oh, Red-Coat…Thanks so much for the additional information on that button! Very happy to learn about it!
 

OP
OP
Underwonder

Underwonder

Bronze Member
Jul 31, 2017
1,645
2,985
RI
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
2
Detector(s) used
White's XLT Spectrum, TRX Pin-pointer, Garrett AT Pro Pin-pointer, Eagle II SL with Bigfoot, Equinox 600, Equinox 800
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
Congrats on the half. :hello2:
Would that be your oldest coin to date?
Thanks, pepperj. It’s the oldest with a readable date for me. I have a couple of KGII and old coppers that I can’t read the date on so not sure.
 

OP
OP
Underwonder

Underwonder

Bronze Member
Jul 31, 2017
1,645
2,985
RI
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
2
Detector(s) used
White's XLT Spectrum, TRX Pin-pointer, Garrett AT Pro Pin-pointer, Eagle II SL with Bigfoot, Equinox 600, Equinox 800
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
Yes, it's a 1/2 real @ 18mm diameter, 0.9027 fine silver. Minted between 1772 and 1789 in Mexico City.
Don.....
Thanks, Don. May I ask, how do we determine where it was minted? This was pretty worn for me to see details and I wasn’t sure where to look for mint info.
Kim
 

park pirate

Gold Member
May 16, 2013
8,248
7,643
City of Rensselaer (upstate NY)
Detector(s) used
Minelab Equinox 800-Explorer SE -Sovereign-GT- -Whites 6000 Di pro SL-Specturm XLT.
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I was so excited to find my first Spanish Silver! I think it is a half reale (a little less than 18mm). It is very worn and thin. Maybe someone with more experience can identify a mint mark and or country of origin.

I was using the Equinox 600 with the 6 inch coil in Park 1 Multi and it rang up as 20-21 so I thought it was a penny or scrap copper. When I started removing the dirt I thought it might be a button…But then WooHoo….it was a coin that looked Spanish.!!!!and most of the date was readable! 177?7. I was so excited.
View attachment 1986162 View attachment 1986163
I also found part od a button that looks like it says “Canada” and has a crown at the top but can’t make out what it is. It also has an animal in the middle.
Killer :icon_thumleft::icon_thumright:
 

OP
OP
Underwonder

Underwonder

Bronze Member
Jul 31, 2017
1,645
2,985
RI
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
2
Detector(s) used
White's XLT Spectrum, TRX Pin-pointer, Garrett AT Pro Pin-pointer, Eagle II SL with Bigfoot, Equinox 600, Equinox 800
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
That's a great coin! Congratulations!
Thanks, Aureus…I thought you’d be out getting more of those coppers or any other banner worthy finds. Your posts of finds are always wonderful! I appreciate your congrats.
 

THing4CSA

Full Member
Aug 20, 2006
146
77
Leesburg, VA
Detector(s) used
I use an XP-Deus and have a Whites DFX as a back-up/loaner detector.
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Hi My Fellow TH'er UW
Congrats on the 1/2 Reale! My first was many years ago with a 169? date. Always nice to find silver but Spanish silver is all the better! ;-)
 

Mr. Digger

Hero Member
Nov 25, 2014
590
1,409
Massachusetts
🥇 Banner finds
1
Detector(s) used
Minelab Equinox 800, SE pro
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Congrats! Gotta love seeing that Spanish silver coming out of the ground. Based on the type I'm guessing it's a 1787. Think of the history. That's the year our Constitution was signed!
 

Hunk-a-lead

Bronze Member
Dec 20, 2020
2,093
3,257
Kansas City
Detector(s) used
Nokta Legend, Predator Phoenix Shovel
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
I was so excited to find my first Spanish Silver! I think it is a half reale (a little less than 18mm). It is very worn and thin. Maybe someone with more experience can identify a mint mark and or country of origin.

I was using the Equinox 600 with the 6 inch coil in Park 1 Multi and it rang up as 20-21 so I thought it was a penny or scrap copper. When I started removing the dirt I thought it might be a button…But then WooHoo….it was a coin that looked Spanish.!!!!and most of the date was readable! 177?7. I was so excited.
View attachment 1986162 View attachment 1986163
I also found part od a button that looks like it says “Canada” and has a crown at the top but can’t make out what it is. It also has an animal in the middle.
wow, big time gratz! Such a cool find and great save
 

OP
OP
Underwonder

Underwonder

Bronze Member
Jul 31, 2017
1,645
2,985
RI
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
2
Detector(s) used
White's XLT Spectrum, TRX Pin-pointer, Garrett AT Pro Pin-pointer, Eagle II SL with Bigfoot, Equinox 600, Equinox 800
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
Hi My Fellow TH'er UW
Congrats on the 1/2 Reale! My first was many years ago with a 169? date. Always nice to find silver but Spanish silver is all the better! ;-)
Thanks THing4CSA… Congrats on your dated silver as well. 1600s…crazy good!
 

OP
OP
Underwonder

Underwonder

Bronze Member
Jul 31, 2017
1,645
2,985
RI
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
2
Detector(s) used
White's XLT Spectrum, TRX Pin-pointer, Garrett AT Pro Pin-pointer, Eagle II SL with Bigfoot, Equinox 600, Equinox 800
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
nice half real! (there's no e on the end, otherwise you'd have to pronounce it "half real-ay")
Thank you for that correction. When I typed it I wasn’t sure about the spelling. So…half real it is!
 

OP
OP
Underwonder

Underwonder

Bronze Member
Jul 31, 2017
1,645
2,985
RI
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
2
Detector(s) used
White's XLT Spectrum, TRX Pin-pointer, Garrett AT Pro Pin-pointer, Eagle II SL with Bigfoot, Equinox 600, Equinox 800
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
Congrats on your first Spanish silver UW. That one is in pretty good shape for a Half Reale.
Thanks, Trezurehunter. I was happy to see the first 3 numbers of the date clearly but I didn’t think the coin was in very good shape overall but thanks you for the encouraging remark.
 

Top Member Reactions

Users who are viewing this thread

Top