HELP!!! Date ID needed on a draped bust large cent.

["Dr.Tones"]

I was detecting at a demo site here in the Boise area and I found not only my oldest coin (by far) but possibly the oldest US coin in Idaho (that I've heard of) I know for sure that it's a draped bust large cent made in between 1797 and 1807 but I just cant make out the date! I've tried a light electrolysis on it and it actually shined it up quite a bit but didn't enhance any details that I was hoping for. Maybe you know of some specific land marks on this coin that can help me put a date on it? Maybe you see numbers that I dont? Im a bit confused by the profound squiggly kinda "s" shaped line under the bust. I think I see and "8" to the left of it but you know how it is when you stare at something long enough you can find anything. Thanks for the help and happy hunting!

 

[jabbo]

1796 to 1807 variety. Need to see more detail on the leaves. I don't think it can be nailed down to the exact year because too much detail is gone.

 

["Dr.Tones"]

Bummer :/

 

[Deno]

That is sweet, congratulations on your oldest coin. You may be able to
make out the date with some steel wool. It has worked for me.
Good luck.

 

[coinnut]

The digit one from the end looks like a 9. I'm guessing that it is a 1798. The last digit is not a 6 or 7 and it isn't a 9 since it would look like the previous 9. Plus a 1799 is very rare. There are a lot of varieties of the 1798. So that is my guess without having it hand to tilt and change light settings on it.

 

["Dr.Tones"]

1798 seems to be the consensus so far. Thanks!

 

[MikeO]

Looks like you have gotten plenty of awnsers about your coin but, I had to just say CONGRATS.

 

["Dr.Tones"]

Thanks mikeO!

 

[Johnny Cache]

That's cool to find such an old coin in Idaho! Congrats...

 

["Dr.Tones"]

Thanks! Yeah, what a surprise it was. I was like... "Nah... Couldn't be... No way... Wtf are you doing here?"

 

[born2hunt]

I feel your pain man but don't let the lack of a date eat at you. Any draped bust is a great coin, date or no date.

 

[bula]

I have found that using a pencil will often help you see the date.

 

[broadestpower]

I also found a nice seated liberty dime that I can't quite put a date on.
Nice find congrats

 

[mcb613]

Dude, you may be able to see more with water on the coin and looking at different angles. Alot of times its easier to see dates before scubbing them, as that removes soem corrosion but also metal material. Naked eye is the best as magnification is impossible.
Good luck and I know the feeling. Good coin reguardless!

 

[osgood]

neicebdog, i had same issue. The draped bust with a date I cant read found last december- been soaking it in oil for the last year now. Still no change, but the oil is turning green. I tried the pencil thing mentioned above on a different old coin- it was interesting that more detail came up. I wonder if an mri would do it? Did you try sepia izing the photo? I did have largies where the date would fall off the second i took them out of the ground. good luck CO

 

[E-Trac-Ohio]

Great find !
Trying to get an exact date on some of the old copper coins can drive you nuts - been there !
I've found a few coins where you could only read one or two digits of the date - as you already found out ... sometimes you can get the exact date of the coin by process of elimination.

Happy Holidays !