update on my Oldie but Crusty coin.

[gordygroover]

Still no pictures but I now realise I owe this group a look-see at what I found so stay with me on this one.
I posted that I had found a 1848 one-centime French coin a few days ago but now after doing more looking on line I see that this coin is actually a 5-centime which was minted between 1799 and 1803.
If you do a search of these two coins you can see the profile picture on each coin is almost identical but mine is spot-on in the minor difference of the die used when the coin was struck.
Since this coin was found in the area of the Lewis and Clark travels (Lower Columbia river area) it is easy to let my imagination run a bit wild. After all, Sacajawea was married to a Frenchman (Charbaneou..Sp?) so I would like to think it fell out of her Gucci handbag as she showed this group of city guys how to find the worlds biggest ocean.
This is not a part of the country to find old stuff so I am just a little bit jazzed up. Bear with me and I will do what I can to post a pic.

 

[codydog50]

Can't wait for the photos! With Astoria being the oldest settelment on the coast, there could have been a lot of trading up the Columbia, Cowlitz and other rivers, I don't recall much of the history I learned in school out there, but some of those towns along the river are quite old. must have been some tough people to go into mountains and trap Beaver!..HH...C-Dog

 

[fongu]

Congratulations on this find. WTG. This hobby fuels the imagination. Looking forward to some photos of this coin. I've learned more about local history since I started this hobby than I did in school.
The people back in those days were so tough, they wore their clothes inside out, C-dog. It needed great courage to go trap in the mountains, while watching out for Indians, outlaws, and knowing any accident could kill you. Break a leg and you freeze to death or starve. Snakes, bears, poison water or no water. Getting snowed in the mountains without enough grub. No medical service or rescue service either.
On the bright side, they had no income taxes or forced health care plan. They worked hard, they played hard, lived hard and died young.
Most of them, but not all were brought up if you don't work, you don't eat and you don't survive. Some people back then wanted to wait and let the trappers or prospectors or traders do all the work and then rob them when they headed back to town. They were dealt with eventually when the people got tired of their attacks. Things are a far cry from that today.

 

[widebody]

[size=large]finally taking fingers to keys today. Gordy brought his new found coin to a little deli-store/gas station in my hood this A.M. ,lexington area,said he'd like a differant pair of eyes to look it over. he had two pics from the computer. one for 1848 and the other of a coin minted 1799-1803. then he pointed out the differances he'd found and sure enough he'd found the 1799-1803 coin. we matched up quite a few of the visible points. enough to confirm the years. i'm sure if he can get it cleaned even more details will come out. congrats again Gordy. and thanks for the showing. that's the oldest coin i've ever seen in person and held. the idea of the history going on during that time is overwelming.

HH[/size]

 

[gordygroover]

thanks for the seal of approval Earl.
Not much likelihood of finding anything ever again that old but I sure hope all my finds are in better shape than that one.
Spent part of my time at work last night drafting up a little story for the folks at Garetts to do with as they see fit. Pictures included of course.