My Oldest Coin Ever (by 12 years) Goes Back to Ground

[Admiral de Salee]

I've volunteered to hunt Milford's oldest cemetery looking for G.A.R. star-type flagholders. Haven't found one of those yet, and I've been keeping the few modern coins I've found in a cup for the cemetery fund--I can't see profiting from this job.
A couple of weeks ago, I got a mystery coin. I could make out 'Deux Centimes', but it looked like no French 1800's coin in the World Catalog. Someone on dfxonly.com clued me in to an online pic of a Haitian coin. Sure enough, after 2 weeks of olive oil & toothpick, it was recognizable as one of the two 1846 varieties. They're worth 2 or 3 bucks; the 1849 variety is about $30, but the coin would've been re-interred whicever sort it was.
Once I could make out the date, I became convinced that someone had buried the 1846 coin on purpose. It had been 2 feet from the marker for a 10-week-old child who died in 1852, off to the left a bit and down 5". After cleaning and photography, I put the coin in a small plastic bag and put it about 7" down, right up against the headstone. Hopefully that'll ensure that it stays put another 150 years.
If I buried a coin at a relative's grave, it'd be my wish that it stay there for as close to 'in perpetuity' as it could.
Why the parent or other presumed relative chose a Republic of Haiti coin I can only wonder.

 

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[Skelly607]

Nice actions on your part and props to you. They may have buried a Republic of Haiti coin cause maybe thats where they were from? Sweet find.

 

[kuger]

Kudo's to you,that was a noble action.I have never seen one of those!Looks like the bushel that is on our Merc Dimes!!

 

[Baldingboy]

Your a good man.

 

[ivan salis]

nothing more need be said.

 

[tuatara]

You did what you think is proper to do. Hopefully, this cemetery won't be disturbed in the future. However, in my lifetime I've witnessed quite a number of cases when old cemeteries were demolished to make room for another development, warehouse or shopping centre. I know that one British war hero's grave was removed and now it's under a parking lot.

 

[JRich98150]

Back in Indianapolis they used to toss the old glass and pottery vases over the side of a hill alongside the cemetery. I'd check out any overgrown areas and ditches alongside the cemetery. I also think a few people probably took the GAR markers as I have seen them for sale at a few places. They also could have taken the GAR markers and melted them down in the scrap drives for WW I and WW II or even stolen and sold for scrap throughout the years. I'd be surprised if you found one in the cemetery itself. I don't know why people would take something like that especially from a graveyard. It sure would be interesting to find out how they all ended up disappearing. Good luck on your hunting and I hope you do end up finding some around the area.

JRich

 

[Nate in Ga]

ill vote honorable mention for this....

 

[Zofchak]

Hey Admiral, I noticed a few weeks ago in the paper that someone was nice enough to offer their services looking for the flag holders. You must be the one they were talking about . Nice job on finding the old coin and returning it as well. As a nearly life long resident of Milford I would like to thank you for donating your time, and offer you the best of luck in finding the flag holders.

 

[karajo]

I'll vote honorable mention too

 

[dwayne sueno]

interesting story and coin, de Salee.
i will mention you honorably as well.

 

[karajo]

Yay! Congrats on the honorableness

 

[Admiral de Salee]

My thanks to everybody. I'm surprised, honored, and humbled.

Trying to answer all questions raised: I think this cemetery will remain as it is / where it is for some time to come. Milford has retained a lot of its "village character", and I believe that will continue. I don't know that I'll find any G.A.R. stars; I too suspected 'removal' of missing ones. The Curator wants to have either replica or re-found gennie flagholders for all of our CW Veterans (and we have quite a few, lots of Union Cavalry and Infantry for a small farming town) by next year--the Sesquicentennial (is that the 150 word?) of the start of the War.

The Merc-like "bundle of sticks": Seems like that was a Roman symbol? The Red Book prob. has the word for it.
I'm going to see if the cemetery Curator's records and/or the Village Museum can shed any light on this family's local history and possibly explain the Haitian connection.
Zofchak, do you MD around the Milford area?

I'll add a scan of the World Coin Catalog section in a few minutes.
Thank you all again, very much.

 

[Zofchak]

Zofchak, do you MD around the Milford area?

I sure do 8). I grew up near Old Plank and Dawson Road and still drive by on a regular basis. I am very familiar with the cemetery, and a few of my old friends are buried there If I happen to see you detecting I'll stop by and introduce myself.

 

[dwayne sueno]

The Merc-like "bundle of sticks": Seems like that was a Roman symbol?

congrats on the honorable mention, de Salee.
it was very cool of you to return your oldest to it's proper place.

'fasces' is the Roman word you are looking for for the "bundle of sticks."
interestingly enough, 'Fascism' took it's name from this old symbol, but
i think, in the U.S.'s case, the use of the fasces on the mercury dime predates the
Fascists' adoption of the symbol by a coupla few years.