Chris(SoCenWI)
Well-known member
Happy New Year Everyone.
Yesterday was the last hunt of the year. I had cleaned and cataloged all my coins earlier in the month but the foot of snow we got melted and the weather continues to leave the ground unfrozen.
A couple-three weeks ago my father came through town and we went to the 100th birthday party of one of my uncles. Unfortunately he passed away the following week. He and his sons have farmed land that has been owned by my relatives since before the civil war. When I was 10 or 12 or so my brother found an 1830s Large Cent with our little Compass Coin Hustler II at the site. Since getting back into detecting a few years ago I've meant to get back there.
Well, yesterday I did. Tried to find the original farm site but the fields were way too muddy and as someone said recently on one of these forums it quickly led to 30 pound feet. I moved instead to the more modern homestead- still pre-civil war, and found these Indians and button. 1865 was the oldest, the 1888 and 1897 were in the same hole with 1917 and 1919 wheats. Button backmark if "RICH GOLD COLOR"- surprisingly little dating info on this mark on the web. Any one of these could have been lost by one of my relatives.
[attachment 44573 2006-12-31.jpg]
Went inside with one of my uncles to clean up the coins and he showed me a display my dad had done with some pictures of relatives and a 1865 property tax payment receipt from the original relative who settled the farm. Seeing the penny is also 1865 it will join that display. And it is in real nice shape, another EF or better. I didn't find alot this year but did manage many high grade IHs.
[attachment 44574 2006Wheat.jpg]
Last couple of years I've been tumbling my Wheats and IHs in hydrogen peroxide and uncooked rice. I think the rice helps absorb dirt. It cleans the coins but leaves the patina intact. Keeps the coins from looking cleaned.
I will be off to an early start this year; doesn't look like a freeze is going to happen any time soon.
Chris
Yesterday was the last hunt of the year. I had cleaned and cataloged all my coins earlier in the month but the foot of snow we got melted and the weather continues to leave the ground unfrozen.
A couple-three weeks ago my father came through town and we went to the 100th birthday party of one of my uncles. Unfortunately he passed away the following week. He and his sons have farmed land that has been owned by my relatives since before the civil war. When I was 10 or 12 or so my brother found an 1830s Large Cent with our little Compass Coin Hustler II at the site. Since getting back into detecting a few years ago I've meant to get back there.
Well, yesterday I did. Tried to find the original farm site but the fields were way too muddy and as someone said recently on one of these forums it quickly led to 30 pound feet. I moved instead to the more modern homestead- still pre-civil war, and found these Indians and button. 1865 was the oldest, the 1888 and 1897 were in the same hole with 1917 and 1919 wheats. Button backmark if "RICH GOLD COLOR"- surprisingly little dating info on this mark on the web. Any one of these could have been lost by one of my relatives.
[attachment 44573 2006-12-31.jpg]
Went inside with one of my uncles to clean up the coins and he showed me a display my dad had done with some pictures of relatives and a 1865 property tax payment receipt from the original relative who settled the farm. Seeing the penny is also 1865 it will join that display. And it is in real nice shape, another EF or better. I didn't find alot this year but did manage many high grade IHs.
[attachment 44574 2006Wheat.jpg]
Last couple of years I've been tumbling my Wheats and IHs in hydrogen peroxide and uncooked rice. I think the rice helps absorb dirt. It cleans the coins but leaves the patina intact. Keeps the coins from looking cleaned.
I will be off to an early start this year; doesn't look like a freeze is going to happen any time soon.
Chris
