Oldest US silver to date

HighVDI

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Got out to an old farm field my Dad used to detect about 20 years ago. I've dug a little here before but never found much. He always told me the field had potential.

This time I was digging the usual lead and shotgun head stamps when I got over a choppy high tone. It was one you can't pass up in an old field. Flipped the plug over and it was a solid signal in the zinc penny range. I saw some silver in the outer ring of the plug and it looked thin.....and old! I figured it was a half reale but after a little dirt removal it turned out to be an 1801 draped bust half dime!

I found it interesting that right on the top of the hill I was detecting on another farm is where I dug my first large cent about 25 yrs ago and it too was an 1801. After telling my Dad about the silver coin he said he snagged a NJ copper and a few LC's out of there. I guess that's why he always felt it had potential! Thanks for looking!
 

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Upvote 86
EXTREMELY AMAZING FIND THanks for sharing with us
 

Got out to an old farm field my Dad used to detect about 20 years ago. I've dug a little here before but never found much. He always told me the field had potential.

This time I was digging the usual lead and shotgun head stamps when I got over a choppy high tone. It was one you can't pass up in an old field. Flipped the plug over and it was a solid signal in the zinc penny range. I saw some silver in the outer ring of the plug and it looked thin.....and old! I figured it was a half reale but after a little dirt removal it turned out to be an 1801 draped bust half dime!

I found it interesting that right on the top of the hill I was detecting on another farm is where I dug my first large cent about 25 yrs ago and it too was an 1801. After telling my Dad about the silver coin he said he snagged a NJ copper and a few LC's out of there. I guess that's why he always felt it had potential! Thanks for looking!
great save and love that silver!
 

Got out to an old farm field my Dad used to detect about 20 years ago. I've dug a little here before but never found much. He always told me the field had potential.

This time I was digging the usual lead and shotgun head stamps when I got over a choppy high tone. It was one you can't pass up in an old field. Flipped the plug over and it was a solid signal in the zinc penny range. I saw some silver in the outer ring of the plug and it looked thin.....and old! I figured it was a half reale but after a little dirt removal it turned out to be an 1801 draped bust half dime!

I found it interesting that right on the top of the hill I was detecting on another farm is where I dug my first large cent about 25 yrs ago and it too was an 1801. After telling my Dad about the silver coin he said he snagged a NJ copper and a few LC's out of there. I guess that's why he always felt it had potential! Thanks for looking!
Really nice find
 

Great coin recovery! Congratulations! Thanks for sharing with us. Voted "banner!"
 

I am voting banner as well. Just for it to survive is amazing let alone age and rarity. It is a beautiful coin with a good date.
 

I am voting banner as well. Just for it to survive is amazing let alone age and rarity. It is a beautiful coin with a good date.
Just to be certain,you don,t actually have to vote banner,right?When you "like" the post it,s a banner vote?
 

Just to be certain,you don,t actually have to vote banner,right?When you "like" the post it,s a banner vote?
I got that impression as well, the up votes are enough.
 

I always for understood that you had to click on the third avatar on the selection (the medal with the 1 in the middle) to vote for a "banner."
 

Appreciate it, everyone. Just being able to dig it up and share it is plenty!
 

As a half dime collector, I have to tell you that you found a good one. An 1800, 1803 or even a 1797 would not surprise me much, or even a 1795. An 1801 is really an unlikely find. Congrats!

Now you have to figure out which die marriage it is. The LM-2 die marriage is very scarce, but it's the most likely to locate. The LM-1 die marriage is really, really rare. You can start by checking out this page with a photo of an LM-1....

https://www.pcgs.com/coinfacts/coin/1801-h10c-lm-1/38605

... and this page with further information about the date.

https://www.pcgs.com/coinfacts/coin/1801-h10c/4267
Thanks!
As a half dime collector, I have to tell you that you found a good one. An 1800, 1803 or even a 1797 would not surprise me much, or even a 1795. An 1801 is really an unlikely find. Congrats!

Now you have to figure out which die marriage it is. The LM-2 die marriage is very scarce, but it's the most likely to locate. The LM-1 die marriage is really, really rare. You can start by checking out this page with a photo of an LM-1....

https://www.pcgs.com/coinfacts/coin/1801-h10c-lm-1/38605

... and this page with further information about the date.

https://www.pcgs.com/coinfacts/coin/1801-h10c/4267
Thanks for that info!
 

Got out to an old farm field my Dad used to detect about 20 years ago. I've dug a little here before but never found much. He always told me the field had potential.

This time I was digging the usual lead and shotgun head stamps when I got over a choppy high tone. It was one you can't pass up in an old field. Flipped the plug over and it was a solid signal in the zinc penny range. I saw some silver in the outer ring of the plug and it looked thin.....and old! I figured it was a half reale but after a little dirt removal it turned out to be an 1801 draped bust half dime!

I found it interesting that right on the top of the hill I was detecting on another farm is where I dug my first large cent about 25 yrs ago and it too was an 1801. After telling my Dad about the silver coin he said he snagged a NJ copper and a few LC's out of there. I guess that's why he always felt it had potential! Thanks for looking!
How deep was this find?
 

Got out to an old farm field my Dad used to detect about 20 years ago. I've dug a little here before but never found much. He always told me the field had potential.

This time I was digging the usual lead and shotgun head stamps when I got over a choppy high tone. It was one you can't pass up in an old field. Flipped the plug over and it was a solid signal in the zinc penny range. I saw some silver in the outer ring of the plug and it looked thin.....and old! I figured it was a half reale but after a little dirt removal it turned out to be an 1801 draped bust half dime!

I found it interesting that right on the top of the hill I was detecting on another farm is where I dug my first large cent about 25 yrs ago and it too was an 1801. After telling my Dad about the silver coin he said he snagged a NJ copper and a few LC's out of there. I guess that's why he always felt it had potential! Thanks for looking!
Still enough detail to make that a gorgeous coin. Very nice recovery HighVDI
 

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