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Headed for Home After Finding This One!

J

johnnywilliamson

New member
Hello, All. This is my first attempt at posting with pics, so hopefully this works. Yesterday I made my first attempt at hunting for CW relics in the area where Custer and Lee were to have had encampments. On a ridge where a hospital was built in the past, I hunted between the parking lot and the creek/river nearby. Had the Iron Mask opened to -27 on the SE, so got plenty of feedback from trash and what all. I was flying blind since I really hadn't heard a Minie, etc. before, and only dug a lot of holes. I decided to go down to the creek bank, and see if there might be anything there, since the area had also been an old community in the 1860's to 1920's or so. I noticed a very old tree that was just to the side of an old bridge that had been replaced by a new one. Since it gets hotter than Hades (Texas) here most of the year, I have found old trees to be gold mines, thanks to their shade. Anyway, I began hunting around the base of the tree, on the creek embankment. First solid hit, I knew I had something good - 10 to 12 inches of hole dug later, an aluminum can top! :rant: Moving on around the tree, I found four or five clad coins, but nothing notable. I was getting tired after three hours or so, and thought I would finish the area around the tree, and head home. As I headed up the embankment toward the car, I got a very strong hit, fully pegged in the upper right corner. Thought to myself, clad quarter for sure, due to all the other clad I had dug. Dug down about 6 inches or so, and noticed a big, ugly green disk in the dirt. I carefully picked it up, and thought Large Cent! Knew better than to rub on the coin to ID it, so carried it in my hand back to the car, loaded up, and raced home. Looked up the diameter (~ 27 mm) of large cents in my coin book - this coin was 30 mm+, so it couldn't be that. Gently washed the coin under hot water, and with the coin wet, could make out an eagle on one side, and the unmistakable liberty/sun of a 1942 walking liberty half! :bouncy: What a surprise. Previously, I had never found a silver coin in this state in 40+ years of hunting that had a speck of corrosion on it. That's why I was sure this was a copper coin of some kind. Oh well, it was a neat find. I did slightly nick the rim with my Lesche - Murphy's Law at work again, thinking that it was another clad. A lesson I will remember next weekend I'm there. Sorry for the long-winded recap, but I enjoy reading everyone else's description of the hunt, especially Bryce and James N.D. If anyone has a homemade remedy for removing the crustiness from my coin, please let me know. Thanks for looking and reading, and hopefully the pics follow. HHing to you all. Johnny
 
JW, for what it's worth, I have generally found that Murphy of the famous Law, was an incurable optimist; just my take...
Rev. Chuck Smith
St. Francisville, LA
 
Use electrolysis and watch the coin come clean without any rubbing whatsoever except to dry it off ... great for silver coins ... and most others too.

Mike
 
needed to use the restroom before heading home:detecting: After 35+ years hunting....seeing BIG silver in the hole still gets me fired up. Heck....ANY silver still puts a big dumb grin on my face.:laugh: Nice find Johnny.
 
Yes, Reverend, I thought it was ironic that I was able to exhume the aluminum can in pristine condition, and then gouge the one good target. If only I had been digging with the Lesche-knockoff (made in China) that was thrown in with my detector purchase .... the coin probably would have nicked the digger! Take care, and blessings to you this week. Johnny
 
Thanks for the input, Mike. I am going to get on the Web and see if I can find instructions on how to assemble a small do-it-yourself electrolysis circuit. No need in buying one if I rarely find corroded silver. Have a good week. Johnny
 
Thanks Bryce, nice to hear from you. We haven't "talked" in awhile. I think I am going to spend a lot of time along the creek I mentioned. It has a lot of history, and had quite a few swimming holes along it during the early 1900's. By the way, congratulations on your "12 Cent" haul last week. Boy, that's a real high-quality average you had there. I am contemplating a road trip sometime this coming summer/fall, and will try to pass through your way if you might have some time to dig some holes. Good luck on your next outing - seems to me, a three-cent piece would be the next logical coin for you to find! Take care. Johnny
 
Awesome find John!!! Im still looking for my first "Big Silver" Thanks for sharing!! And don't worry about the long message,, If people don't like it,, They don't have to read it:thumbup: Good job!!
Derrell
 
I have often hunted in an old dump from the 20's and 30's with a sifting screen, and have found very corroded coins made of silver. I throw than in the rock tumbler with a couple of hand fulls of epoxy coated aquarium gravel for about 30 min to an hour and it usually does the trick.
 
Thanks, Darrell. You've been kicking major posterior yourself, with the half dime, large cent, lots of silver, etc. Great job! Did you find a good process to clean copper? I have a Mason Penny that I want to clean GENTLY, because it's in great shape, and I don't want to pit / degrade it any. I've got to get up at 5:00 AM, so I'm heading for bed. Oh, thanks for showing us the detector assist invention you crafted - great idea. Take care, and keep killing the silver. Johnny
 
Deffinately tons of fun to get that Big Silver. I have dug a few walkers that look like that and used the Electrolosis only on the ones in the worst shape. Thanksfor posting your finds makes it fun for me too.
 
I appreciate the information, Montanagold. Great idea. I assume the coins you tumbled had little to no numismatic value, other than their silver content? Any thoughts on why silver corrodes in some places, and not in others? Maybe my half dollar was exposed to a lot of moisture over time since it was in the creek bank, though fairly high up, and the water affected the silver.

I researched homemade electrolysis circuits on the Web, and think I may give that a shot. If I don't do it correctly, natural selection may prevail, and you'll be hearing about my demise on the news. Take care, and HHing to you. Johnny
 
Thanks a lot John!!! :thumbup: Yeah that large cent turned out great.. The only think i dig to it,, was run some hot water over it,,, Then i soaked it for 2 and a half days in extra virgin olive oil.... It look BEAUTIFUL!!!!! The oil took the dirt right off,,,, plus preserves it!!!! Good luck on cleaning that liberty half,,, Like some others have said,, I heard electrolysis the way to go,,,, I wouldn't rub,,, put it in sand, gravel, silver cleaner or anything,,, They the electrolysis will just eat the black stuff away and wont hurt the coin a bit!!!!!!!!!
Good luck!!!
Derrell
 
I'm with you, utahshovelhead (cool "handle" you got there), reading the stories and viewing the pics here get me all fired up to get out and dig some holes. It's a shame I gouged the Walker, because even through all the crud on the coin, you can see tons of detail, and the date is very distinct. Live and learn (hopefully). But that does allow me the freedom to clean it however I want, and not have to worry much about doing any further damage to the coin. Electrolysis looks like fun, provided I don't fry myself in the process. I look forward to seeing more of your postings as well. Take care, and I hope Utah warms up for you soon. Johnny
 
Thanks, Derrell. So olive oil was the better route to take with the large cent than hydrogen peroxide? The oil would probably be gentler, I would think. Maybe if the oil didn't do the trick, then you get progressively more aggressive - hydrogen peroxide, then hydrochloric acid, then the belt sander, finally nitro?:biggrin: Yes, electrolysis for the half. My wife gave me an old adapter from her cellphone that I am going to use, couple of alligator clips, some salt, water, and a piece of scrap metal (not copper or brass). Here's the web address of the directions I am using: http://www.dirtyoldcoins.com/restore/electrolysis.html
Take care, Derrell. I don't know which state you are living in, but I know it's up north somewhere from the snow/ice mentioned in your posts. Hopefully you are thawing out, and getting lots of hunting in. "Talk" to you later. Johnny
 
I have never seen a silver coin that young turn like a copper penny.....I have seen black but not green....I hope you rechecked the hole it came out of....there could be a copper hoard there surrounding this silver coin....scarry.....I have seen it all now.....Congrats!
 
Thanks, Mattockman. As soon as I can find time to purchase some alligator clips, the green crust will be taking a hike. Now that I think about it, I am not so sure that I did recheck the hole - I was distracted by finding the half. Definitely hitting that area this weekend, especially since a coming cold front is bringing rain the next few days :thumbup: . We have been in a terrible drought for about the last 18 months or so, so some ground moisture would be quite welcome. Take care, and good luck in your upcoming hunts! Johnny
 
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