Ronstar
Well-known member
Managed to score an unanticipated permission yesterday. Wifey was FaceBooking a friend and mentioned I would sure like to hunt around their place. She responded come on out!!!
Original home was turn of the last century and burned down in the 20s and a new home was rebuilt. Place burned yet again in the 70s (I believe) as did a barn a couple years earlier. Actually there have been a couple wild land fires, one which I responded to in the ‘00s. The husband gave me a quick tour of the area and I set off swinging.
Down where the barn used to be I started getting into a lot of iron and square nails, one piece of iron looked like a strap and was identified as an original door hinge (most likely blacksmithed as it was heavy). Got a good penny hit at 6-7” and pulled a 1929S out, love that bluish green patina. Kept on working a wandering pattern just getting a feel for the area.
On an upward pushing hillside towards the newer house (this one built in the 80s) I got a nice quarter hit at 6-8”, hoping for silver but pulled up a black disc about the size of a quarter. It was rough textured and zero definition on either side. Once I was back home it would not clean up, even tried soaking in vinegar and salt and scrubbing with the toothbrush. I finally got a small flake of the black stuff to chip off and could see a reeded edge, score! Now what is it?
I tried every thing I could think of or find suggestions to do. Since not sure what the black stuff is hard to determine what to do. Finally decided to use a dental pick on a corner and got a spec of shiny, well thats a good sign! Decided to take the brass brush and work the area where the date would be and after quite a bit of light brushing I started to see Washington’s outline. Slowly the date began to appear and finally I could make out 1967.
Sat and thought for a minute and called the folks and asked when did the barn burn? 1967!!!! Making this coin most likely dropped when brand new and got caught up in the edge of the fire!
This is an old family owned land and third generation son is now living there. We can go back whenever and keep swinging so score! So what happens here this morning? 5” snow……..
Anybody have suggestions on how to clean up charred coins? I also found a ‘44 quarter on the lawn where the University ROTC burned down in the 70s…….oh, and yes, I will be taking the 5” coil next time.
Original home was turn of the last century and burned down in the 20s and a new home was rebuilt. Place burned yet again in the 70s (I believe) as did a barn a couple years earlier. Actually there have been a couple wild land fires, one which I responded to in the ‘00s. The husband gave me a quick tour of the area and I set off swinging.
Down where the barn used to be I started getting into a lot of iron and square nails, one piece of iron looked like a strap and was identified as an original door hinge (most likely blacksmithed as it was heavy). Got a good penny hit at 6-7” and pulled a 1929S out, love that bluish green patina. Kept on working a wandering pattern just getting a feel for the area.
On an upward pushing hillside towards the newer house (this one built in the 80s) I got a nice quarter hit at 6-8”, hoping for silver but pulled up a black disc about the size of a quarter. It was rough textured and zero definition on either side. Once I was back home it would not clean up, even tried soaking in vinegar and salt and scrubbing with the toothbrush. I finally got a small flake of the black stuff to chip off and could see a reeded edge, score! Now what is it?
I tried every thing I could think of or find suggestions to do. Since not sure what the black stuff is hard to determine what to do. Finally decided to use a dental pick on a corner and got a spec of shiny, well thats a good sign! Decided to take the brass brush and work the area where the date would be and after quite a bit of light brushing I started to see Washington’s outline. Slowly the date began to appear and finally I could make out 1967.
Sat and thought for a minute and called the folks and asked when did the barn burn? 1967!!!! Making this coin most likely dropped when brand new and got caught up in the edge of the fire!
This is an old family owned land and third generation son is now living there. We can go back whenever and keep swinging so score! So what happens here this morning? 5” snow……..
Anybody have suggestions on how to clean up charred coins? I also found a ‘44 quarter on the lawn where the University ROTC burned down in the 70s…….oh, and yes, I will be taking the 5” coil next time.
