Small mystery silver coin!

[rsilva02667]

I'm pretty damn sure I found a small silver coin on the beach this afternoon but it's pretty trashed and I have no idea what kind of coin it could be. It's slightly smaller than a dime

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[coachbedford]

Found on an east coast USA beaCH or west coast? And I assume your pictures are showing both sides? And I'm wondering, considering how green it is, if it might be copper or billon (low-grade silver). There seems to be enough on there to made a stab at identification .. but I would need to see different angles, maybe different lighting. What can be seen so far doesn't jump out as being U.S, Spanish or British.

 

[MuckyBottles]

One on the left is a Roosevelt, the one on the right looks like cooked copper. In all my time hunting I have never seen silver get degraded like that, worn yes, degraded no.

 

[rsilva02667]

I live on cape cod, MA I've pulled a lot of silver off of the beach and I've seen some confirmed silver coins that even have rust on them. It all depends on what else is around them in the sand. The color of the metal is black like a silver coin would turn and it's heavy and sound like silver when dropped on the counter top.


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[rsilva02667]

magnified front and back


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[rsilva02667]

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[rsilva02667]

Should I clean it? I could stick it in my electrolysis set up that I use to clean my other silver off the beach


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[MuckyBottles]

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Interesting, however the green patina is throwing me off. Not saying it isn't silver, just in my 25 years of hunting I have never seen silver like that. IMHO. This is an example of an old silver 1857 seated liberty I found on a saltwater beach..wear but no rot..any find is an awesome slice of history. .

 

[johnnyi]

No, don't clean it.

 

[Iron Patch]

If my find I would be trying to match it to 1/2 Real cobs.

 

[coachbedford]

I could almost buy a 1/2 reale cob but.... seems too milled to be a crudely sliced cob. Plus I don't see the tell-talel cross on either side, though I do seem jumbled swirls which could match up with a Spanish copper of the 1600s. Another possibility that comes to mind (and it's just "feel" not anything concrete) is a early to mid 1600s Swedish billon coin (like a 1/6 ore or something like that). Yet another possibility, given the "swirls" and "dots" and small diameter....is an Ottoman coin of the 1500s to 1700s. These were often holed. It does appear to be an old coin of some sort so very interesting for a US beach find.

It also seemed telling that you said it felt "heavy" because last two aforementioned coins I discussed are light coins.

 

[FreeBirdTim]

I've found two half reals from the 1700's and both of those coins are very lightweight. Looks like a toasted copper coin to me.

 

[FreeBirdTim]

Yet another possibility, given the "swirls" and "dots" and small diameter....is an Ottoman coin of the 1500s to 1700s. These were often holed.

Very possible that's what it is. I live in RI and found an early 1800's Ottoman Turks coin in the woods last year, but it's very lightweight as well. Going to be tough to ID that one.

Here's what my coin looks like:

 

[Silver Searcher]

If my find I would be trying to match it to 1/2 Real cobs.

Perhaps a debased one. What ever it is it looks like it was a copper core, with a Silver dip over the top, the corrosion from the core has taken over.

SS

 

[rsilva02667]

some more angles of the side with the best detail. The core where it seems to be broke. Is black like silver. It is very thin but heavy for its size, dense I guess


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[rsilva02667]

Still not able to match it up with anything.. Thanks for the input. Anymore guesses anyone?


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[MuckyBottles]

Maybe I'm stretching it a bit, since I am stumped on what it could be. If it is silver, maybe a colonial french 30 denier. .it's a shot in the dark.

 

[JamieD]

Definitely silver for me - purplish black patina under the green.

Have you looked at 19th century indian silver coins? Silver mohurs and East India company half rupees look pretty close and have the curved dividing lines between rows. Struggling to post a link but google image search for silver mohur and silver Bombay half rupee should work.

Jamie

 

[Davers]

IMO

It def, look's like an old 'holed' Cobb or Denier Coin [ or piece of ] to my untrained eye,

Davers

 

[rsilva02667]

Thanks for your help guys! I'll let you know of I make the match!


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