BuckleBoy
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IRON Brigade--BIG 1820's Silver Today!
Hello All,
I've been working with Rodeo Recon to find the earliest house on a quarter section of land we've gotten permission to hunt. The oldest house on the property is not on any map of the area, and there is no record of it (and might be no signs of it either!). The land was settled in 1813 "officially"--and the first cabin was built the same time by a family of German Immigrants.
Keep in mind that a quarter section is 160 Acres
So, we got out in a corn field today looking for that First House.
As we walked into an iron patch, the first thing I dug was an 1899 Barber Dime. That glint of silver sure is sweet. 
Here the little Beauty is:
We tightened up our search patterns in the quest for the old cabin. Pewter spoon handles came up (always a good sign), and a few buttons--including a nice tombac.
Here are a few "action shots" of us out on that field--as promised.
I walked over to where Rodeo was digging and he had just said "This sounds GOOD!"
He broke open the clod of dirt to reveal a BIG coin! I couldn't even see what it was. He was running across the field away from me with it clutched to his chest!
When he finally slowed down, I could see that it was a BIG silver--but one I didn't recognize:
I couldn't read much of the legends on the coin, but it was turned into a necklace or keepsake at one time. I noticed that it was roughly the same size as a Two Reales--and the same thickness... I could see the word "Herzog" on the coin--and I knew it was German--but how old? My guess in the field was that it was Early 1800's--certainly pre-1840, but perhaps as old as the turn of that century. (I could barely make out the first two digits of the date.)
When we got the coin home and cleaned it gently with a camel's hair brush and running water, we could see this legend: ERNST HERZOG Z.S. COBURG UND GOTHA and on the reverse "NACH DEM CONVENTIONS FUS" And the denomination (faint, but there)--20 Kreutzer. Bavarian coin.
So the legend "ERNST HERZOG" says that the ruler was Ernst , and "Z(u) S(achsen-)COBURG UND GOTHA was duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. The reverse "Nach dem conventions fus(se)" means "After the conventional standard." This refers to the coin's purity, etc...
But the date?
I could only read "1 8 ? 7"
Well...Ernst I ruled from 1826-1844, which rules out everything but 1827 and '37. I'm 90% certain this is an 1827 coin, due to the design change in the 1830s.
Here's a close-up of the engraving/initials someone engraved on the coin:
I can't help but think how Immigrants carried this coin from their homeland across the ocean on a boat, made it into a necklace to keep as a reminder of home, and lost it near their cabin. It is a heartbreaking story--especially when one considers the value of a nice piece of silver like this.
At least this keepsake will be treasured, preserved, admired once again.
Here are a few photos of all our finds today. The balled-up piece of twisted brass in the first photo was actually a suspender clip, which I straightened with boiling water and a little gentle bending. (Tip of the week: Save EVERY piece you find in an area that was plowed until you get home and investigate it! I found what I think is a heart-shaped martingale yesterday and it looked like junk brass until I got it cleaned back home.)
Best Wishes to All of You from the IRON Brigade.
Hello All,
I've been working with Rodeo Recon to find the earliest house on a quarter section of land we've gotten permission to hunt. The oldest house on the property is not on any map of the area, and there is no record of it (and might be no signs of it either!). The land was settled in 1813 "officially"--and the first cabin was built the same time by a family of German Immigrants.
Keep in mind that a quarter section is 160 Acres
So, we got out in a corn field today looking for that First House.
As we walked into an iron patch, the first thing I dug was an 1899 Barber Dime. That glint of silver sure is sweet. Here the little Beauty is:We tightened up our search patterns in the quest for the old cabin. Pewter spoon handles came up (always a good sign), and a few buttons--including a nice tombac.
Here are a few "action shots" of us out on that field--as promised.
I walked over to where Rodeo was digging and he had just said "This sounds GOOD!"
He broke open the clod of dirt to reveal a BIG coin! I couldn't even see what it was. He was running across the field away from me with it clutched to his chest!
When he finally slowed down, I could see that it was a BIG silver--but one I didn't recognize:
I couldn't read much of the legends on the coin, but it was turned into a necklace or keepsake at one time. I noticed that it was roughly the same size as a Two Reales--and the same thickness... I could see the word "Herzog" on the coin--and I knew it was German--but how old? My guess in the field was that it was Early 1800's--certainly pre-1840, but perhaps as old as the turn of that century. (I could barely make out the first two digits of the date.)
When we got the coin home and cleaned it gently with a camel's hair brush and running water, we could see this legend: ERNST HERZOG Z.S. COBURG UND GOTHA and on the reverse "NACH DEM CONVENTIONS FUS" And the denomination (faint, but there)--20 Kreutzer. Bavarian coin.
So the legend "ERNST HERZOG" says that the ruler was Ernst , and "Z(u) S(achsen-)COBURG UND GOTHA was duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. The reverse "Nach dem conventions fus(se)" means "After the conventional standard." This refers to the coin's purity, etc...
But the date?
I could only read "1 8 ? 7"Well...Ernst I ruled from 1826-1844, which rules out everything but 1827 and '37. I'm 90% certain this is an 1827 coin, due to the design change in the 1830s.
Here's a close-up of the engraving/initials someone engraved on the coin:
I can't help but think how Immigrants carried this coin from their homeland across the ocean on a boat, made it into a necklace to keep as a reminder of home, and lost it near their cabin. It is a heartbreaking story--especially when one considers the value of a nice piece of silver like this.
At least this keepsake will be treasured, preserved, admired once again.
Here are a few photos of all our finds today. The balled-up piece of twisted brass in the first photo was actually a suspender clip, which I straightened with boiling water and a little gentle bending. (Tip of the week: Save EVERY piece you find in an area that was plowed until you get home and investigate it! I found what I think is a heart-shaped martingale yesterday and it looked like junk brass until I got it cleaned back home.
)Best Wishes to All of You from the IRON Brigade.
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