Roached 1850 Large cent

[DigginVt]

I was detecting a small park last week and was only finding newer clad. I decided to detect a lower depression in the park, found some more clad and got a solid 12/45 at 8" and out popped the most crusted round object to come out yet. I could not ID any markings as to what it was. I thought it may be a metal slug or something and threw it into my pouch. At home examining my finds I looked closer at the crusty slug. I thought the size is right for a LG cent, so I started to scrub and pick away at it. I finally saw "N" in the middle of the slug. From that point on I tried boiling peroxide and a couple trips into electrolysis. Here are some photos of the process to get it to the point of being able to ID the crusty slug. It's my oldest find and 1st LG cent, too bad it is toasted. I guess that park requires another visit or two. I'm thinking the low spot in the park may be an old cellar depression, filled and now settled.

My sighting of "N"
[attachment 263494 LCbad.jpg]

Electrolysis in process
[attachment 263495 LCel.jpg]

The date is tough to see 185? but turned just right I can see the 0
[attachment 263496 Lcdate.jpg]

Rear view, cleaned enough to know what I have but.....
[attachment 263497 LCrear.jpg]

HH Quack

 

[Digger]

Toast or not, you pulled a large cent from a park that had only been yielding clad. Congrats on the find. When you get back out there, grid off that area and slowly hunt it from multiple directions. If you found a large cent at 8-inches, there may just be a few "smaller" coins still hiding in there. HH Randy

 

[sube]

Next time you clean a copper coin don't use electrolysis it always eats the patinae away just use a tooth pick and hydrogen peroxide when you do what you did you remove the patinae and all you get is pits . the hydrogen peroxide leaves the thin patinae and the coin looks a lot better because the pits are under the patinae.And then again some coins just don't clean up.That's a great find by the way.sube

 

[DigginVt]

Thanks Digger, I'll give that a try. Would you suggest I try the 6" coil? Maybe work around some trash or is the stock coil better on deeper targets.

Quack

 

[Digger]

I am a big fan of the 6-inch coil. It's ability to work in and around trash is second to none. And the depth is amazing, for the small diameter. Naturally, the stock coil will detect deeper than the 6-inch. But around here, I'm convinced that there are more old coins hiding out there due to target masking than due to extreme depth. And the fact that you found the LC in a public park would suggest that may be true for your area as well. But with that said, before I spent money on another coil, I'd keep working the area with the coil you have. Grid off that low lying area and work it from multiple directions. Slow down your sweep speed and run with as much Sensitivity as you can, without causing undue falsing. If the targets are not too close together, run with a Smooth or Long Response to see if you an coax some of them out of their hiding. If you run into spots that are saturated with nails and other trashy items, you can always invest in the 6-inch coil and likely make more finds. JMHO HH Randy

 

[DigginVt]

Thanks Digger. I will try that, it sounds like a good strategy. I have never used the smooth or long response, it must make deeper targets more audible. I already own the 6" coil and have yet to fire it up. Maybe I will go over that area once with the stock coil, change up to the 6" go over it again and see what I can milk out of there.
Thanks!

HH Quack

 

[mcb613]

Certainly looks like 185?