NMsilver
Elite Member
My brother and I took a side each of a sidewalk/street tear out in the oldest part of town last evening.
I ended up with the lucky side, heh heh
Starting from the east end, an old item came up here and there (iron rail stake, zinc, brass junk and an old shard of a dish) so I knew there were likely coins in the ground. I got almost all the way to the end and picked up a mediocre penny signal on my Safari. Hoping for at least an IH, I popped out a small coin from only a couple inches of soft sand (usually tear out digs here almost require a jackhammer, so this was a blessing)
I immediately saw the reverse and knew that it was either a Barber or a seated. Turning it over, it was almost impossible to see anything because of the heavy corrosion and waning daylight, but I did get a sudden feeling that it was a seated. I think I recognized the curve of Liberty's back.
I showed it to my bro, who high-fived me and we immediately got our coils on the dirt for more, but this was the only good find of the evening.
I used the foil/baking soda, foil/spit and freeze/boiling water methods to get it readable (1853 no mint mark).
I know it looks bad, and I'm jealous of the almost perfected seated dimes I've seen on Friendly today (and almost every day), but it is my first and it is an old one too, so it feels great, my best and oldest american coin so far!
I ended up with the lucky side, heh heh
Starting from the east end, an old item came up here and there (iron rail stake, zinc, brass junk and an old shard of a dish) so I knew there were likely coins in the ground. I got almost all the way to the end and picked up a mediocre penny signal on my Safari. Hoping for at least an IH, I popped out a small coin from only a couple inches of soft sand (usually tear out digs here almost require a jackhammer, so this was a blessing)
I immediately saw the reverse and knew that it was either a Barber or a seated. Turning it over, it was almost impossible to see anything because of the heavy corrosion and waning daylight, but I did get a sudden feeling that it was a seated. I think I recognized the curve of Liberty's back.
I showed it to my bro, who high-fived me and we immediately got our coils on the dirt for more, but this was the only good find of the evening.
I used the foil/baking soda, foil/spit and freeze/boiling water methods to get it readable (1853 no mint mark).
I know it looks bad, and I'm jealous of the almost perfected seated dimes I've seen on Friendly today (and almost every day), but it is my first and it is an old one too, so it feels great, my best and oldest american coin so far!