NJ Copper cent, 1787

[Briz06]

I've had my inlaws in for the past 2 weeks, that and the rain has seriously cut into my swinging time. Since my last find, I treated myself to a new Whites VX3. Yesterday, managed to get away for a quick Hour and 15 minute hunt at my colonial site. Pulled my normal shotgun primers, and .45-70 Gov't brass, managed to dig 1 old wrought nail and some good old NJ copper. I've been trying to get myself a nice 19th century coin for awhile now, well I skipped that whole century and have what I believe to be a 1787 NJ cent. It's in rough shape... very corroded.

I talked to Don in SJ about it, and learned he's been tracking these for about 6 years now whereever they are found.. This one is #440 for him and it came out of Charlestown, PA Chester County. I've also sought out some advice on how to clean it up... When I first dug it all I could make out was that it had a shield on the reverse. I gave it a Distilled water bath and after that started to see parts of the head, plow and Caeser written on the Obverse..

Since speaking with Don, I've had it in 2 Hot Peroxide baths tonite.. its cleaned up some... I may have my jeweler friend put it through an electrolysis treatment this weekend.

Obverse Before Peroxide,

Reverse Before Peroxide

Obverse After Peroxide

Reverse After Peroxide

 

[treasurepirate1]

nice coin when i first read it i thought you said Don in SJ found 440 of those but i read it over more and he had tracked 440 of them

 

[Briz06]

He hasn't found 440, he's tracked 440 of them being found and their location...whenever someone finds one, he finds out the variety and county and state in which they were foung... i do think he's found a half dozen of them personally.. not sure...

 

[treasurepirate1]

He hasn't found 440, he's tracked 440 of them being found and their location...whenever someone finds one, he finds out the variety and county and state in which they were foung... i do think he's found a half dozen of them personally.. not sure...

ya i just figured that out a couple seconds ago and posted it. But you replied before i got to it to say i figured it out haha also it is funny how you completely skipped the 19th century and got an 18th century, I would take that any day. nice coin

 

[Briz06]

Thanks! I've been trying to find a nice 19th century area to swing at... just by chance i found another area, one of these days I will get my seated coin

 

[ANTIQUARIAN]

Very nice find Briz06!

Hope you don't mind . . .
I re-sized the pics for you!

Dave

 

[Briz06]

Very nice find Briz06!

Hope you don't mind . . .
I re-sized the pics for you!

Dave

Thanks man!

 

[Woodland Detectors]

Great recovery!

 

[jerseyben]

Still waiting for mine to come... Nice find!

 

[Don in SJ]

Big congrats on your first State Copper, may many more follow for you. I am fairly certain you ID'd it correctly to me as a 1787 Maris 39-a variety. Thanks for the input into my NJ survey (it is #440) and for the record, I have 19 20 NJ coppers, but yet my son who hunts the same sites has found only 3 over the past 25 years or so, but he found more Conn coppers than I have, so tic for tac.

I think that copper is about as good as you could hope for, any further cleaning/preservation procedures might degrade what you have left, I would keep it as is.

Don

 

[Briz06]

Big congrats on your first State Copper, may many more follow for you. I am fairly certain you ID'd it correctly to me as a 1787 Maris 39-a variety. Thanks for the input into my NJ survey (it is #440) and for the record, I have 19 NJ coppers, but yet my son who hunts the same sites has found only 3 over the past 25 years or so, but he found more Conn coppers than I have, so tic for tac.

I think that copper is about as good as you could hope for, any further cleaning/preservation procedures might degrade what you have left, I would keep it as is.

Don

Thanks Don, especially for the cleaning tips!! Its funny, as I was messaging you the other day, it didn't even dawn on me as to what your Profile picture is .. i have a small research project going on now, im hoping to add some British Rev. War Relic finds!

 

[hogge]

Congratulations! Found my first Jersey a couple weeks ago. Maris -14j.

 

[Briz06]

Congratulations! Found my first Jersey a couple weeks ago. Maris -14j.

Thats Great Hogge, Did you find it up in Mass? Any other big coppers up there?

 

[TommNJ]

Nice NJ Copper, Congrats!

TommNJ

 

[Countrybob71]

Very nice!! I hunt my sister-in-laws property that is pre-colonial and would love to find one of these!! How did it come up on your detector? I hunt with an ACE 250.

 

[JW15]

Big congrats on your 1st NJ Copper!! Keep em coming!

 

[Briz06]

Very nice!! I hunt my sister-in-laws property that is pre-colonial and would love to find one of these!! How did it come up on your detector? I hunt with an ACE 250.

Hey CountryBob, I use both an Ace 350 and a White Vx3, I got this using my vx3 on its first relic hunt, I just got it last week. It rang a low 60's VDI which on your Ace250 would ring up like a small cent, was about 5" deep..

 

[West Jersey Detecting]

I was happy to hear about your find earlier in the week. I am glad you posted it. It is a beauty in any condition!

Congrats!

 

[hogge]

Congratulations! Found my first Jersey a couple weeks ago. Maris -14j.

Thats Great Hogge, Did you find it up in Mass? Any other big coppers up there?

Yep...in Ma. Also found a Conn. at the same cellar hole. Just sold them both on EBAY.