TWO 1860s coins spills

[el remolino]

TWO 1860's coins spills

I recently got permission from my neighbor to search his property for Chinese Railroad labor camps from 1882. I knew there should be a few on the place, but locating them might be difficult. Well I must have starred at Google Earth for hours determining ideal camp locations as well as measuring from the large camp on my property (many of the camps are about two miles apart). Well it paid off!! It was a weird camp somewhat down in a flood plain but the artifacts laying scattered on the ground Typical artifacts include broken rice bowls, bottles, cans, opium cans, cut nails, pieces of wood, and usual railroad junk.

I found two coins spills each with five coins. Oddly enough nine of the ten coins were Hong Kong One Mils, with the tenth coin being a more common cash coin with the square hole. I have found HK One Mil coins before, but never have they been the most predominate coin at a site. Usually the square holed cash coins far out number the One Mils. The HK One Mils date 1863, 1865, and 1866. The cash coin is too far gone to identify.

Other item collected include small opium trays, Chinese blouse button, hinge, bullet, part of an opium lamp, fan tan game piece cut to look like a cash coin, brass handle, the brass part that connects the opium bowl into the saddle of the opium pipe. To my surprise I also found a weight to a dotchin (opium scale).

Thanks for looking
Kinley

First coin spill


second coin spill


Dotchin weight. Two small lines are the number 2 in Chinese.


miscellaneous mentioned above.


opium trays

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Diving for Pleasure and Treasure - Grab it through Amazon!

[cambria09]

Hello Whirlwind. Nice finds and some interesting history. Those are some great coins. HH. C9

 

[mr helton]

Wow that's such an awesome piece of history you have there!

 

[jewelerguy]

very nice!

 

[el remolino]

Thanks for the comments. It is pretty interesting to have these little Chinese time capsules out here in the middle of nowhere. They have definitely kept me entertained!!

 

[Diggin-N-Dumps]

Thats awesome man!! My hunting buddie just found an old Cash coin that's a 150+ years old...Great finds!

How far West are you if you don't mind me asking

 

[Blueblood]

Very nice!

 

[el remolino]

Thats awesome man!! My hunting buddie just found an old Cash coin that's a 150+ years old...Great finds!

How far West are you if you don't mind me asking

Thanks D-n-D. I am about two hours west of Del Rio Texas. Yea Cash Coins are fun to find.

 

[bootybandit]

Good research and good finds! Way to go!

 

[Texas Yankee]

Now thats what I'm talking about... I've only been lucky to find one cash coin 1736 in Chance NM. keep it up Kinley

 

[treblehunter]

Very cool, interesting thread and history, there should be camps like that all over the US, where they put in the railroads. How do you find the value of those coins, could be some collectors for them? They look to be in good shape for dug coins, very old no doubt.

 

[el remolino]

Now thats what I'm talking about... I've only been lucky to find one cash coin 1736 in Chance NM. keep it up Kinley

Thanks T.Y. Keep the coil to the ground and you'll find more cash coins. There are still tons out there.

 

[el remolino]

Very cool, interesting thread and history, there should be camps like that all over the US, where they put in the railroads. How do you find the value of those coins, could be some collectors for them? They look to be in good shape for dug coins, very old no doubt.

Thanks Treblehunter. I agree that there are these types of camps all over the country where the early railroads were established. Most of the coins I find are in good shape simply because I live in the desert where there is little moisture. Usually if I find "cruddy" coins there were already in bad shape before being lost. These were all lost in the Summer of 1882 according to our history.

 

[DiggityDiggity]

Those opium trays are AWESOME! Congrats on the great finds!!

 

[g-olden years]

Wow! Others on this thread have said it all -- fascinating history & finds! Andi