The 1916-D has returned home! Graded VG08 !!!!!!

steveg said:

hey goes4ever --

would you mind sharing what you did to take care of that coin, from the time you dug it until the time you sent it? When I find a Merc, I gently rub off the dirt to make sure it's not a "key" date -- but if I ever did that to a 1916-D, it sounds like I've destroyed it right there! Without taking EVERY silver coin you dig home, caked with dirt and "protected" in a cotton ball or something, and wondering what to do next (only to find that in 99.9% of the cases it's a "common date" silver coin), what should one do?

Also, King Tots -- I dig many Mercs that have the back "offset" from the front -- to varying degrees (moreso, it seems like, than any other coin where the obverse and reverse tend to be more properly aligned in most cases). How much "offset" makes a "common" Merc more valuable?

Finally, goes4ever, what did having that thing slabbed and graded cost? If I somehow were to ever find a good coin, I'd be curious to know what the cost is to have it professionally done...

Last but NOT least, CONGRATS CONGRATS CONGRATS on finding something that most of us only dream about...!!

Steve

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I'll answer for him. Carry a little pill bottle with water, NEVER rub or break away dirt on a silver coin. Just take it dirt and all, place it in that pill bottle with water and water til you get home to rinse off in water extremely gently. You cannot rub it ever - even to get off tiny flakes of dirt. Just keep it in water as long as you need to.

Congratulations, very nice! With your run of 1916's there's bound to be another one, keep digging!!!!

steveg said:

hey goes4ever --

would you mind sharing what you did to take care of that coin, from the time you dug it until the time you sent it? When I find a Merc, I gently rub off the dirt to make sure it's not a "key" date -- but if I ever did that to a 1916-D, it sounds like I've destroyed it right there! Without taking EVERY silver coin you dig home, caked with dirt and "protected" in a cotton ball or something, and wondering what to do next (only to find that in 99.9% of the cases it's a "common date" silver coin), what should one do?

Also, King Tots -- I dig many Mercs that have the back "offset" from the front -- to varying degrees (moreso, it seems like, than any other coin where the obverse and reverse tend to be more properly aligned in most cases). How much "offset" makes a "common" Merc more valuable?

Finally, goes4ever, what did having that thing slabbed and graded cost? If I somehow were to ever find a good coin, I'd be curious to know what the cost is to have it professionally done...

Last but NOT least, CONGRATS CONGRATS CONGRATS on finding something that most of us only dream about...!!

Steve

Click to expand...

well when I dug it, I saw it was a merc, and there was no dirt covering the date, so I saw it was a 1916 right away, nervously I turned it over and big as ever the D stood out! I sit there on my knees just shaking. When I calmed enough to get up I walked over to my hunting partner and asked him to look at it to make sure I wasn't seeing things, and he agreed 100% it was a
1916-D

I immeadiately placed it in a pill bottle and put it in my car. When I got home I filled a bowl with warm water and gently placed the coin in it. I let it sit for 30 minutes, then I pulled it out and 95% of the dirt was gone. I laid it on a soft cloth and took wet q-tips and dabbed gently UP and DOWN to remove the remaining dirt. I was careful to only go up and down and not across so as to NOT leave any scratches at all. I was afraid if I left even a hairline scratch, the grading company would mark it cleaned.

I sent it in and luckily I did a careful enough job that is was NOT marked cleaned

With shipping insured, registered mail, the grading cost, and RETURN shipping from them to me the total for EVERYTHING was $74.

And everytime I dig a silver coin, I NEVER, EVER, rub it, I don't even want my common date silver coins with ugly scratches on them. I just place them in a pill bottle and rinse them with water when I get home. I have dug a key date barber dime and a key date Canadian dime this year as well. Now they were not worth a fraction of what this coin is worth but still I was careful and treated them with care. You cannot be TOO careful with dug silver, just remember number one, do not EVER attempt to rub to see a date, that can cost you potentially hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

Newbie question about markings

I was going to ask where the mint marks were, but i found them. But what is the 'w' looking thing between the head and the 'y' on the face of the coin?

im pretty sure its the monogram. the initials of who made the design