1861 “DUG” Half – Pristine MS Coin?
Published by Larry on Tagged 1800's Coins, Recent Finds
Many coin dealers put down high quality coins that detector hobbyist dig-up saying that a dug coin cannot be in MS condition. I have sent more than a dozen such coins to grading services that have returned with MS 60 to MS 64 grades. All of these coins have been silver and include silver dimes (1861, 1883, 1892, 1923, 1925), quarters (1924, 1930, 1952 ), halves (1904 , 1935) and silver dollars (1885 , 1896, 1921). Several of these I have used in playing the “crack-out” game (see post on playing this game) but most I have sold.
Here is a recently dug Civil War era half found along the Trail of Pines at a watering hole used by wagon trains and military troops during the mid and late 1800′s. The only other old coin that I retrieved from this site is a 1812 large cent in about good condition found more than 35 years ago. I have not submitted it yet, but I like it so well that the obverse is the background on my computer screen at work. Optimistically, I believe it will grade MS 63-65. There were 2,888,000 minted and at MS 63 it books for over a $1000. Wow! This hobby really pays to participate. Check it out! Clicking on Reverse image will increase its size. This coin has not been cleaned or altered in any manner since its removal from the soil and I have placed it in my top 20 best coin finds list.
I am confident that this coin could tell a great story since it was found on a traveling route of wagon trains into southern Florida or may have been lost in the aftermath of the Third Seminole War or by activity with army movement during the Civil War. Regardless of its story, this is a prized pristine metal detector find and I am proud as punch. Here’s to “diggin it”! Larry
April 29th, 2008 at 4:11 am
That is an awesome find, and a far better condition of a coin than I could have thought to be found on a trail today. Quite an impressive find indeed, congrats!
June 1st, 2009 at 1:16 am
hey larry what is the best soil type 2 find pristine coins, here in central illinois i have not found any silver yet but lots a clad from 1959 to 2000 most in real bad shape mainly the memorial pennys?