Old Sawmill site finally gives up a old coin! Added: Photo of its twin brother

[Don in SJ]

I believe this was my 3rd serious hunt at an 1700-1800 era sawmill site and my previous 2 trips yielded no coins from that era, although the buttons and other artifacts were found and it has been obvious to me that this site was hit many years ago and all the easy stuff was gone. All the artifacts I found and the coin today were all very difficult targets in heavy iron or very deep, 8-10 inches.

I am showing my finds from my hunt last week and the ones today in this post. I was very satisfied to finally get an old copper and the good part was, in the one photo, you can see how close to my truck I was when I found it. The coin is a fairly nice 1796 Large Cent , variety Sheldon 84, my second one and in fact it is not quite as good as my first one of that variety but it sure is one of my better large cents regardless, the ground was kind to my copper.

I still believe if I go back again and continue my methodical slow sweep hunting style that another one or two is possible. This coin was probably missed years ago due to its depth, est 8-10 inches and it was next to a rotting log, which years ago might not have been so rotted...............

Anyway, finding a Post Civil War General Service Eagle Button was a nice bonus.........

HH

Don

 

[markgPA]

Re: Old Sawmill site finally gives up a old coin! #103

What an awesome large cent, Don. They don't get much better than that!
Mark G

 

[Mirage]

Re: Old Sawmill site finally gives up a old coin! #103

Sweet 1700's LC. Guess you got rewarded for a third trip. There is a 1820's sawmill site that I have hunted about 3 times(about an hour each time). Only thing I have found were shotgun shells and a few iorn pieces.

Bob

 

[Michiganne]

Re: Old Sawmill site finally gives up a old coin! #103

What a pretty Lady Liberty, Don!! Wow! Keep searching and posting your great finds.

HH

 

[jopher]

Re: Old Sawmill site finally gives up a old coin! #103

Don....that LC is just beautiful!The detail is striking....valuable coin...WOW....Joe

 

[nealb]

Re: Old Sawmill site finally gives up a old coin! #103

Nice finds ther Don.

HH

 

[Montana Jim]

Re: Old Sawmill site finally gives up a old coin! #103

Awesome 8)

 

[outdoorgirl]

Re: Old Sawmill site finally gives up a old coin! #103

Don't like the snake much but the coins and such are beautiful!!

 

[bookfisher]

Re: Old Sawmill site finally gives up a old coin! #103

Don,

I am totally floored at how well your coins clean up! That LC is absolutely beautiful! Did you use the heated peroxide on it? If you did how long do you leave it in the solution? I tried the peroxide on my 1812 LC the other day, and though it did work well, it looks nothing like your coins. I guess soil conditions play a major factor.

Bill

 

[River Rat]

Re: Old Sawmill site finally gives up a old coin! #103

Awesome finds, Don. Everything except for the snake.

RR

 

[SilverFox167]

Re: Old Sawmill site finally gives up a old coin! #103

Man...
Don that cent is in really great condition for being 211 years old.
She cleaned up nice.
Looks like your son found a good one too.
Congratulations to both of you, your diligence paid off.

 

[texan connection]

Re: Old Sawmill site finally gives up a old coin! #103

Very nice

 

[silverfinder]

Re: Old Sawmill site finally gives up a old coin! #103

Please, please - tell us how you cleaned that 1796 beauty. I would never have believed it was possible.

 

[Ridley]

Re: Old Sawmill site finally gives up a old coin! #103

Your technique is working great! Thanks for sharing how you approach a previously hunted site.

Wonderful coins! Congratulations to both you and your son!


Ridley

 

[Yarrum]

Re: Old Sawmill site finally gives up a old coin! #103

There ya go, it was bound to happen. Awesome finds, a big CONGRATS.

HH

 

[Green1]

Re: Old Sawmill site finally gives up a old coin! #103

holy crapppppppp sweet upon sweet.....

 

[wildrider]

Re: Old Sawmill site finally gives up a old coin! #103

Nice LC...I like it...I like it...I like it.

Got diggins. Hang with that site.

Burt

 

[COUNTRY GIRL]

Re: Old Sawmill site finally gives up a old coin! #103

Don you never cease to amaze me. I love the coin. I have tried the peroxide advice you gave and it works wonders. Thanks for all your help and advice. Keep up the great finds. Might not want to consider a snake a great find, what kind is it? Nice post.

 

[Potter Poker]

Re: Old Sawmill site finally gives up a old coin! #103

Don, It's encouraging to know you found some old coins at an old sawmill site. There are a number of such sites near me, but I keep thinking that all I might find is a bunch of "indescribable metal junk". You have given me hope that time spent at such a place might just pay off with some real identifiable artifacts. Have you found, at that site, any "metal junk" of the "un-identifiable" type? Met a guy once that got a new metal detector and went out to an old sawmill site, found nothing but a bunch of nails and globs of twisted metal and "called it quits right then and there"!! Sad, but true. I have yet to be disappointed in all my hunts, found a LOT of clad, nothing really old, however I am still fired up about detecting. Now I feel that time spent at the old sawmill sites will be worth it, in spite of all the "nails" and other stuff. Keep up the good work...pp

 

[Don in SJ]

Re: Old Sawmill site finally gives up a old coin! #103

Cleaning of coppers: I have had a post on Cleaning and Preservation for awhile now, here is the link, the instructions are the third post down I believe.

http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,39135.0.html

Again, I must stress, each coin is different, a coin that has rough surfaces from fertilizer and acidic soil damage will not magically repair itself. The peroxide is removing years of built up crud and if the corrosion is severe, the details might get worst since they are only superficially being seen as an impression of what once was a good coin when lost. Sort of like a leaf fossil impression.

If a coin is good under the crud, then it will clean up good like this 1796 did. If you will look at some of my other posts in the past year you will see some Large Cents the I cleaned but they surely do not look beautiful, again, the coin will only be as good as it is and no miracle can restore it............

Don

 

[Boobydoo]

Re: Old Sawmill site finally gives up a old coin! #103

Wow Don, what a great coin!! COngrats. The other stuff is really nice too. Well done and thanks for sharing!

Smiles!
BDoo