Livin LARGE... in my favorite dirt pile

[Mayo South Elgin]

Had to drive the step daughter to school this morning so I didn't get out detecting until about 9:30ish.
All by my lonesome self. Went to one of the local Elgin parks known to still give up the oldies occasionally. I tried a hillside for a couple hours but didn't get anything exciting, so I thought I'd go to where I previously had found a silver rosie. On my way there, I spotted my favorite dirt piles and noticed that they now had wood chips piled around and some sandy dirt as well. I figured to give it a try since the same dirt pile had previously given me an 1898 Barber dime. I was really hoping for another silver something or other. I found a couple pieces of a toy car in two different places, a lead wheel weight, a shotgun brass, clad dime, mem cent, and then...

One freekin huge coppery thing, really thick and really green and dirty, about 3 inches deep in the pile.
I thought to myself, this could be really good, or a huge disappointment like some ChuckECheese token on steroids - but I'll find out when I get home because I didn't want to risk damaging it by rubbing or scraping off the dirt and the green if it was real old.

I kept detecting and didn't find much else worth mentioning and went home to rinse off the huge copper. When i caught the glimpse of stars around the edge and the ONE CENT on the other side, all I could say to myself was HOLY CR*P. I had to get my 10x loupe to read the date - 1843 and I believe it's now the oldest coin I have ever found in the US.!!!

I'm really paranoid about preserving it and don't want to do anything (further) that might damage it even if it's not that valuable - I just want to keep it since it's my oldest, so far. Any tips would be appreciated.

You can't see much from the photos - I may try and get better shots of it with another camera.

 

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[kimsdad]

WTG, Mayo!!!

What an outstanding find! You are the Dirt Pile King in my book! 1843 - Son of a gun!!!! Congrats on breaking your own record!

I long for a LC with readible features!

Were you using the new machine?

 

[Mayo South Elgin]

Yes - was using the new machine with some experimental settings on it.
When I found my last mem cent, I went into edit mode and put the coil over the mem cent to have it block out that spot in hopes I wouldn't be bothered by them any more. I also had it block out a pulltab a little later on. And before these edits I went into the discrimination menu and first X'd out the nail, crown cap, pulltab, etc and put a check mark on the jewelry, the coins, etc. I then saved it as a second pattern. This altered setting didn't totally eliminate the mem cents but it did give me a reference point to see where the cross hairs were on similar sounding targets, and then I decided to dig or not depending on how close it was to the blacked out spot.

 

[Lowbatts]

Saw that pile had been shifted and grown on recent recon drive-bys Mayo. But then I remembered we had hammered it and gee, what's gonna be left... A '43 LC I guess. Man!

I'm betting that did not come from the dirt we all worked last summer and would like to know where that dirt did come from. Might be worth questioning the shop boys there. Did you hit the trench down by the bridge in SE also? Nice pile there and the wheatie I got there in the quick run might indicate more lies in that pile.

Congrats and awesome find!

 

[p2c]

Awesome job! Don't see too many of those around here! I'd check around about preservation. A sonicator may take the dirt off without hurting the coin any, and generally sonic cleaning wont lower the value of the coin b/c it normally does nothing to the metal. The wild card with that is how corroded the copper is. If it is really far gone, sonication may cause it to crumble some, in that case I wouldn't do anything to the coin. I think peroxide or things of that sort will do too much surface damage.

 

[outlaw007]

TOTALLY AWESOME FIND , WTG!!

 

[watercolor]

Awesome find

As Tim said, I'd be nice to know where they're getting that dirt.

 

[d-dub]

Way to go, Mayo!!! Gives me hope that one day I'll find one.

 

[litefire56]

That's next on my list..can't wait to see a big 'ole copper come up. Beautiful coin there Mayo!!

 

[dirtyJohn]

Awesome!! Love to see those oldies being pulled out in this state. Congrats. HH
John

 

[DPBOB]

WTG

1843!!!!

Watch out you might just block out IH by blocking Memorial pennies....

 

[twistidd]

Mayo! NICE job on the large cent! That is a coin we don't find all the time. I'm still waiting for mine...got a steaking suspicion it's gonna be awhile. I'll tell you what, you teach me the secret LC handshake (Kermit refused to show me), and I'll do an impromtu memorial mash dance.

congratulations!

Joe

 

[treasurefiend]

Sweeeeeeet old find, BIGTIME CONGRATS!!!!!!!!

 

[AmericanCoinHunting]

Way to go MAYO........Very nice 1843 find...........I have yet to find anything older than 1865...N-I-C-E

 

[Lowbatts]

Re: Livin LARGE... in my favorite dirt pile-sourcing

Dirt came from sidewalk work downtown. N. Spring St. between Kimball and Highland. Right across from the police station. Sidewalks have come up, curbs have gone in but the dirt under them has not been tamped or formed for pouring yet. Probably happening Monday.