doninbrewster
New member
I've been dying to do more detecting since I found those 2 large cents and the 1782 2 real last weekend. I was trying to think of a new spot since they paved over the parking lot where I did so well last week. I have maps of all the towns in the area going back to 1867 and was trying to think of a good spot when I remember where a church was on the old maps that hasn't been there for decades or a century. I knew it was going to be a little touch in the woods as I lost my pin pointer and the woods tend to be dark.
Glad I went out as the photos show. I found a 1878 seated quarter and an 1872-S in the same hole! This was as I was on my way out and they couldn't have been more than a few inches down. I pulled the quarter out first and it was so shallow I assumed it was a clad, hence my rubbing to see what it was (always a mistake). I double checked the whole and got another great signal an low and behold, my first seated half dollar. Both coins are much nicer than the scans and the quarter still has some mint luster around the stars. I haven't figured out wahat the large copper is yet, but it's either a large cent or a New Jersey. Very much doubt it would be a Connecticut or Vermont as it's fairly thick. Back in the 1780's CT's traded at 16 to the shilling and Jersey's traded at 12 to the shilling because they contained more copper by weight. It's also for this reason that Thomas Machin was buying CT coppers and striking his own NJ dies over them. He got 4 more for a shilling. This is also why a number of New Jersey varieties show the remains of a Connecticut copper. Many NJ coppers were made by Machin and although a lot of people are aware of Machin Mills coinage, they don't usually think of NJ's being a Machin product. FWIW, I was a contributor to the Redbook for about 10 years in the late 90's up until 2003 or so. I do know colonials.
One last thing, I also found a nickel sized button 10-12' down with the reverse stamped Double Gilt with a crown at the top with a star on each side.
Glad I went out as the photos show. I found a 1878 seated quarter and an 1872-S in the same hole! This was as I was on my way out and they couldn't have been more than a few inches down. I pulled the quarter out first and it was so shallow I assumed it was a clad, hence my rubbing to see what it was (always a mistake). I double checked the whole and got another great signal an low and behold, my first seated half dollar. Both coins are much nicer than the scans and the quarter still has some mint luster around the stars. I haven't figured out wahat the large copper is yet, but it's either a large cent or a New Jersey. Very much doubt it would be a Connecticut or Vermont as it's fairly thick. Back in the 1780's CT's traded at 16 to the shilling and Jersey's traded at 12 to the shilling because they contained more copper by weight. It's also for this reason that Thomas Machin was buying CT coppers and striking his own NJ dies over them. He got 4 more for a shilling. This is also why a number of New Jersey varieties show the remains of a Connecticut copper. Many NJ coppers were made by Machin and although a lot of people are aware of Machin Mills coinage, they don't usually think of NJ's being a Machin product. FWIW, I was a contributor to the Redbook for about 10 years in the late 90's up until 2003 or so. I do know colonials.
One last thing, I also found a nickel sized button 10-12' down with the reverse stamped Double Gilt with a crown at the top with a star on each side.
