My First Gold Coin - and Best Find to Date

[saanich2018]

My best finds to date. I have just had this certified. Found this earlier this month buried in sand on a beach about 15” deep. Waited until I knew it was real to post. How it got there or why it was there is a mystery. I was told this is called "Pirate Gold". These type coins were stolen from the Spanish by pirates in the Caribbean. I plan to go back to the area and do a more extensive search.

The facts of this gold coin are:

Pedro II gold 4000 Reis 1702 UNC Details (Surface Hairlines) NGC, Lisbon mint. This type was minted in Lisbon 1683-1706 and was the largest gold coin prior to the introduction of the peça (6400 réis), at which time the moidore was reduced to 8.06 g. The reduced size moidore was struck only in Brazil. For 1702, medal and coin rotations are known. Specification: 10.78 g, .917 fine gold.

 

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[ironhorse]

Its stuff like that got a bunch of us scraping the dirt that got us into detecting in the first place!

I'm going to keep at til I get my first gold coin and so on.
Congratulations on your epic find!

 

[pepperj]

Congrats 👏 on the gold coin.
What do mean by certified, you sent it in for grading?

 

[saanich2018]

Congrats 👏 on the gold coin.
What do mean by certified, you sent it in for grading?

I wanted to be sure it was real, so I took it to a very well know coin shop here in Atlanta and they verified it was gold and was real. Then, I took it to a second gold dealer who specializes in old coins and they also verified it was real. Just wanted to be sure.

 

[pepperj]

I wanted to be sure it was real, so I took it to a very well know coin shop here in Atlanta and they verified it was gold and was real. Then, I took it to a second gold dealer who specializes in old coins and they also verified it was real. Just wanted to be sure.

Great, thanks for the reply.
Best of luck on the return hunts, hope there's more than a single drop.

 

[Peyton Manning]

Well, how about the story?
Where was it? Your detector picked it up 15 inches down? Dry sand or wet? busy beach or isolated area?

 

[jewelerguy]

probably a whole treasure chest full of them. you better go back as soon as possible

 

[Digger RJ]

My best finds to date. I have just had this certified. Found this earlier this month buried in sand on a beach about 15” deep, but was just certified today, so I am calling this a "Today's Find". Did Not want to post until I knew it was real. How it got there or why it was there is a mystery. I was told this is called "Pirate Gold". These type coins were stolen from the Spanish by pirates in the Caribbean. I plan to go back to the area and do a more extensive search.

The facts of this gold coin are:

Pedro II gold 4000 Reis 1702 UNC Details (Surface Hairlines) NGC, Lisbon mint. This type was minted in Lisbon 1683-1706 and was the largest gold coin prior to the introduction of the peça (6400 réis), at which time the moidore was reduced to 8.06 g. The reduced size moidore was struck only in Brazil. For 1702, medal and coin rotations are known. Specification: 10.78 g, .917 fine gold.

Outstanding!!!! Congrats!!!!! The things We dirt diggers dream of!!!

 

[Aureus]

A dream find! Calls for a banner on that one!
Go back there and get some more.

 

[saanich2018]

Okay, Peyton wants the story.
I am not going to say to where - just yet - other than it was beach in the south USA. I was using my Equinox 800, Beach 1, Noise cancel on "0". Ground Balance on automatic, but it was on"0" as well. It was not a busy beach, but still had some foot traffic walking through the area. I had been out for about two hours and it almost dark. I was walking along the waters edge going in between the dry and wet sand. I had been digging up a few coins, and had found a nice silver ring (see image), but I thought this was just another quarter. I was shocked at how deep it was and I got a strong signal. As I said, it was almost dark, so when I dug it up I just put it in pocket - but I know the location where I found it. However, I remember it being a different color than a quarter and thought it might be a dollar coin. It wasn't until I got back to my room, and started looking at my finds, that I discover it. At first, I thought it must be fake, but after lightly brushing the sand off and then doing some quick research, I was pretty sure I had found something very unique. There have been a number of storms in this area this year, so I am wondering if it just got washed in. It was a good day. Planning to go back very soon!

 

[saanich2018]

I have been asked to post more information:
I am not going to say to where - just yet - other than it was beach in the south USA. I was using my Equinox 800, Beach 1, Noise cancel on "0". Ground Balance on automatic, but it was on"0" as well. It was not a busy beach, but still had some foot traffic walking through the area. I had been out for about two hours and it almost dark. I was walking along the waters edge going in between the dry and wet sand. I had been digging up a few coins, and had found a nice silver ring (see image), but I thought this was just another quarter. I was shocked at how deep it was and I got a strong signal. As I said, it was almost dark, so when I dug it up I just put it in pocket - but I know the location where I found it. However, I remember it being a different color than a quarter and thought it might be a dollar coin. It wasn't until I got back to my room, and started looking at my finds, that I discover it. At first, I thought it must be fake, but after lightly brushing the sand off and then doing some quick research, I was pretty sure I had found something very unique. There have been a number of storms in this area this year, so I am wondering if it just got washed in. It was a good day. Planning to go back very soon!

​

 

[ToddsPoint]

Congrats! You found everyone's dream.

 

[sphillips]

Excellent find Saanich

 

[ARC]

Super stellar banner find.

Amazing... and yes... GO BACK.

Been a long while since something like that has surfaced... finds like that are 1 in a million.

 

[JeffInMass]

Find of a lifetime and most assuredly at or near the top of most detectorist's bucket list- Big time Congrats!

 

[Blak bart]

Awsome coin...I just recently got a gold reis coin from an isolated out island beach in the bahamas.....they are quite rare and have quite a good value. Congratulations on a rare and beautiful gold coin !! Im voting banner !!

 

[Blak bart]

Outstanding !! Ill vote banner on this coin !! I too found a Portuguese gold over the summer....what a feeling !! Congratulations sir !!

 

[billb]

My best finds to date. I have just had this certified. Found this earlier this month buried in sand on a beach about 15” deep, but was just certified today, so I am calling this a "Today's Find". Did Not want to post until I knew it was real. How it got there or why it was there is a mystery. I was told this is called "Pirate Gold". These type coins were stolen from the Spanish by pirates in the Caribbean. I plan to go back to the area and do a more extensive search.

The facts of this gold coin are:

Pedro II gold 4000 Reis 1702 UNC Details (Surface Hairlines) NGC, Lisbon mint. This type was minted in Lisbon 1683-1706 and was the largest gold coin prior to the introduction of the peça (6400 réis), at which time the moidore was reduced to 8.06 g. The reduced size moidore was struck only in Brazil. For 1702, medal and coin rotations are known. Specification: 10.78 g, .917 fine gold.

My best finds to date. I have just had this certified. Found this earlier this month buried in sand on a beach about 15” deep, but was just certified today, so I am calling this a "Today's Find". Did Not want to post until I knew it was real. How it got there or why it was there is a mystery. I was told this is called "Pirate Gold". These type coins were stolen from the Spanish by pirates in the Caribbean. I plan to go back to the area and do a more extensive search.

The facts of this gold coin are:

Pedro II gold 4000 Reis 1702 UNC Details (Surface Hairlines) NGC, Lisbon mint. This type was minted in Lisbon 1683-1706 and was the largest gold coin prior to the introduction of the peça (6400 réis), at which time the moidore was reduced to 8.06 g. The reduced size moidore was struck only in Brazil. For 1702, medal and coin rotations are known. Specification: 10.78 g, .917 fine gold.

Congratulations on your beautiful recovery.try to get back today

 

[Peyton Manning]

Thanks, I didn’t expect the location, I just like to know the circumstances and that possibly I might find something like it

 

[Trezurehunter]

Congrats on your first gold coin. I like the date on that one also. That is an old coin !