Why did someone do this to my oldest indian? >>UPDATED<<

[relic lover]

My first fatty indian 1863 and it is holed why? Why at the bottom? It is sad The way I see it this guy owes me some old silver I am going back to collect on Sunday!

 

[Woodland Detectors]

Re: Why did someone do this to my oldest indian?

From what I've read coins of this age were purposely drilled so one may wear them around their necks on a string so they wouldn't be lost during bumpy and reckless carriage rides.

 

[Born2Dtect]

Re: Why did someone do this to my oldest indian?

Holes in coins. The best reason for putting a hole in a coin was security. Early clothing did not have pockets. The coins were simply sewn into a shirt or jacket lining and pulled off as needed. If the hole is top center and has a little wear it may have been used as a pendent. I have seen a coin bracelet, multiple holes at the sides. The theories on the location on the IH are interesting. This is the first IH with a hole in it that I have seen. Most holed coins are silver or older copper cents.

Good find and post.

Ed D.

 

[BuckleBoy]

Re: Why did someone do this to my oldest indian?

I don't find too many holed IH, compared to the LC's and spanish coins. Cool find!

 

[relic lover]

Re: Why did someone do this to my oldest indian?

Well I am heading up to camp to find the rest that hole driller owes me! Man if this is a civil war trophy as suggested that makes it a super find. You know what that is what I choose to believe call it solved! Thanks I.S.

 

[CRUSADER]

Re: Why did someone do this to my oldest indian?

Well I am heading up to camp to find the rest that hole driller owes me! Man if this is a civil war trophy as suggested that makes it a super find. You know what that is what I choose to believe call it solved! Thanks I.S.

What, you didn't like my theory It looks later than CW when it was drilled.

 

[kuger]

Re: Why did someone do this to my oldest indian?

I don't find too many holed IH, compared to the LC's and spanish coins. Cool find!

I agree,half of my large cents are holed and several of my Spanish silvers are holed too,I think it adds to the intrigue!!!

 

[relic lover]

Re: Why did someone do this to my oldest indian?

Well I went back to collect my silver but all I got was another indian 1864 bronze this time. It is in great shape for the soil in this spot. I guess all I was really owed was an indian without a hole! I will earn the silver with more work. I am quite pleased with this coin plus vindicated.

 

[ivan salis]

I am born southerner from a line of folks who fought for the south *** I know about many southener civil war and yankee hating traditions not all of them written down neatly in "college course " level books --- please remember since the yankees won the war they get to write the history of it , never forget that ---so theres a lot of "southern" info that wasn't "recorded" or if it was --- later on it was "destroyed" after the war by unionist. as they "cleaned up"

sadly during the war --the hatred ran very deep on both sides.

 

[BamaBill]

Actually a much more common practice was to use a coin the way we typically think of using a horseshoe. They would nail the coin to a center post in the house for good luck.

 

[Sofaman36]

The reason you may find coins with a hole in them are because back then they would nail them to the wall. I have recently found a 1894 IH with a hole in it. I'll post a pic later!
Nonetheless, still a nice find.

 

[ivan salis]

good luck money is nailed to the house beam (so that the house was solid and would hold up) just like coins placed under the fireplace (a a sort of anti fire blessing since many old homes burnt down) is another valid reason ,I agree --- on ships at sea money was often nailed to the mast of whaling ships as a "prize"-- the man who spotted the whale got it -- it helped to keep the lookouts alert ---

 

[ivan salis]

I know what I know --- you think what you like . ---its a free world . ---and thats ok by me. --- when folks scream "prove it -- prove it" --- I simply say prove where basic matter / existance came from --- you can not even "prove" that most basic , simple thing --- yet we still exist don't we ?

 

[jake123]

Maybe they favored the obverse which has the hole at the top!

 

[JP]

I am born southerner from a line of folks who fought for the south..........sadly during the war --the hatred ran very deep on both sides.

I'm a decedent of many generations from the south also. Just in Florida I can trace back 5 generations. Before my great grandmother passed away (my mother's side, 96 years old in 1997) I got from her a list of all of the family members who had fought in the Civil War, all for the south. On my father's side of the family I traced back to several who fought for the south also. One was so patriotic he even named one of his sons Stonewall. As for the hatred issues I used to hear about it all the time when I was a young child back in the 1970's. The war had been over for over a hundred years but the resentment was still high.

SWR and Ivan try not to argue my fellow treasure hunting friends. Both of you are very knowledgeable and nice persons. I've talked to both of you by pm and both were very pleasant and answered my questions fully.

As for the coin, who knows why it was holed. It could be for any reason, maybe he or she did it just for fun. The thing is only he knows why he did it, his reason is lost to time.

 

[relic lover]

I know what I know --- you think what you like . ---its a free world . ---and thats ok by me. --- when folks scream "prove it -- prove it" --- I simply say prove where basic matter / existance came from --- you can not even "prove" that most basic , simple thing --- yet we still exist don't we ?

EXACTLY

 

[scratcher]

Maybe whoever drilled the hole started from the back, not realizing(or forgetting) that the top is not the same end on both sides. It would have been easier to start the drill in the middle of the vertical lines on the obverse, also....

 

[timekiller]

Just a shot of some of my coins.Front row there are a couple so old and worn don't even know what they are but holes in middle, top,seen some like yours at bottom.Also there is a 1861 IH penny there in the pic. that someone had shot a hole in dead center. Never heared about the hate thing but I'd say this person either didn't like pennies or didn't like Indians. Also can say that it was done back then for some reason cause this penny came from a Island home site that know one has lived at since.Or can even get to other then a boat.Remote place don't believe anyone before 1900 did it.

 

[ivan salis]

or maybe they didn't "like" yankee money" or "yankee" anything for that matter.

 

[kimsdad]

Holed or not, a great find for sure!!!

I agree the hole adds character. I know my grandmother used to put pennies around the edges of rooms for good luck - heads up of course!

I'm glad you got an unholed Indian out of the deal, too.

Throw that holed baby on a chain or leather strap and wear it for luck on your hunts!

 

[MonkeyBoy]

Re: Why did someone do this to my oldest indian?

Thanks I guess it is still a find, it's not like it is in mint shape otherwise. It can be a zipper pull on my detector bag!

That is one of the best things I've ever heard for the use of a holed coin. It certainly beats wearing it hanging on your ear. Kudos.
Carl

Ha! I used a 1806 large cent with a hole as a key chain for years.. it was for my detecting jeep.. figured I had a better chance of finding it if I ever dropped my keys in the fields..

MB