Return to Indian River...Old Silver, Fake Silver, Old Copper...and a Mystery!

[Bell-Two]

We returned to the Indian River site this week and had another stellar day! We had been there only about 5 minutes when Diane came over to me holding a large coin in here hand, she said “I am not sure what this is, I know it’s not a Large Cent” I looked at it and brush some dirt off and said “My gosh it is a Capped Bust Half Dollar!” She then said “It doesn’t look right though” and she was correct after a bit more looking at it I told her it was a Counterfeit Capped Bust! She was excited because she knows Counterfeits are scarce finds but a bit disappointed since it was not a real silver coin! She then made the next find but this one was real a very nice 1818 Large Cent. I was scuffling, with a button my best find and again numerous shotgun head stamps when I got a nice signal and the Deus was giving the double beep showing something quite shallow. I took my pinpointer and slightly scrapped the spot and out popped a very small silver disc! It turned out to be an 1836 Capped Bust Half Dime! It has a bite out of it where, I believe it had been holed, and a scrape from the disking the farmer had just done. A bit later I got another nice signal and got an 1880 toasty Indian Head. After more shotgun head stamps we decided to go since we had an early appointment that afternoon. When we got back to the car Diane told me she had dug just before we left what she thought might be a token or play coin. I looked at it and could not tell. When we got home I washed it off and to my surprise….it was a holed Silver Coin! It still is a bit of a mystery as it is just the right size for a one Real and after photographing it and looking closely you can see a 7 on it. The poor thing looked like it had been hammered so we may never really know but it is Silver and it is old and Diane is very happy!


https://youtu.be/vBI1URdHTng

[Tony Two-Cent]

You guys have really outdone yourselves! What an incredible group of finds! Diane got a really old 1818 Large Cent, and you got an 1836 Half Dime! :wow: Even with the nibble missing from the edge that is a terrific coin. It gives it character. :thumbsup01:

I agree with you about the other silver coin, I believe it may be a One Real. I can definitely see the 7 you were talking about, plus another character on that same side of the coin. I have circled it in red.

59208

The counterfeit Bust Half is very interesting too!

:congrats:

[Full Metal Digger]

Great finds Tony and Diane! Looking at your zoom in of the smashed coin I can see 777. Granted it's harder to see them as you look to the left but my guess is 1777 reale. And what's up with you and counterfeit 1/2 dollars? LOL. Congrats to both of you and HH, Dave.

[Digger_O'Dell]

Wow, you guys are killing it! Awesome finds, congrats!

[Bucknut]

Great hunt guys! Always impressed with your finds!

[chief5709]

Congrats Tony & Diane great finds. Hopefully this weekend I'll time to catch up on your videos.

[Donnie B]

Great finds!

[Noah]

Gonna have to check out your videos buddy. Amazing finds for these parts. I must be doing something wrong! :notworthy:

[del]

You and Diane did extremely well Tony , the frequency of you two finding counterfeit halves is baffling me as I've never seen somebody dig more than one type of counterfeit :crazy:

[Lodge Scent]

That counterfeit 50 center is the coolest thing I have seen in a while :congrats:

[MangoAve]

Grats on the finds, Tony (and Diane). Wow is the frame of that buckle thick. Interesting info on the counterfeit. I wonder why you keep finding so many counterfeit coins out your way. There were only a couple out here I have seen including an 8R. The only counterfeit I have was one of those alloy-ed counterfeits. I can't find the link right now. Yeah, the silver and gold were clipped, shaved, or just completely a fake coin. Counterfeit coppers in the 1700s were either just a completely different metal, or an alloy mix that was recast so the copper content was much lower. The latter was the only one I have found. I think your area out in Ohio had a lot of delinquents/deviants. :lol: Ohio was one of the first stops for people moving out west during the expansion in the 1870s.

[aloldstuff]

As usual some great finds. Reading your posts, there is always a pleasant surprise(s) in them. Love that counterfeit 1/2.

[Hiluxyota]

Incredible finds you guys made.