2.5 Indian gold found in mud

I get a call from a friend yesterday who recently found out I am a coin collector. He tells me a great story. Apparently, his brother was doing some digging (he's in the construction business) and sees something shiny sticking out of the mud. He pulls it out and it is a gold necklace with a gold medallion that has a picture of an indian head on it. So my friend gives his brother $75 for it and takes it home.

My friend calls me yesterday to ask about the gold. He tells me it is a 1914 Indian head 2.5 dollar. I was shocked! I told him how awesome that is. I then ask him how the condition looks. He says it looks brand new. He doesn't know anything about coins, so that probably means its shiny. I asked him how he got all the mud off of it. His tells me that he rinsed all of the mud off of it under a faucet. And then.....he tells me how he put it in one of those jewelry cleaner things you buy at a local store...

I thought, ok, maybe it's not that bad, if it was a quick dip. He continues to tell me how he left it in there for 3 weeks because he forgot about it! Ugh.......

Anyway, I don't know how bad that is for the gold coin. Should I just assume the value is most likely melt value because of the 3 week dip? I haven't seen the coin in question yet. I know it is still attached to the necklace. I will try and visit him to shoot some pics.
Either way, he gave it to his daughter. So I thought it was a great story.

It is nice to hear about a beautiful coin being saved from the ground. I told him that it was an amazing find and he has a nice piece of history.

Just thought I would share.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

That is a great story gbroke. Any chance of getting a pic from him that you can post?

Bruce

 

Absolutely. I will visit him shortly and snap some photos.

 

Looking forward to seeing them.

Bruce

 

No, you should assume it is most likely melt because it has been used for jewelery.

 

Good point.

 

...and buried in mud, and dug out with a shovel (if not a backhoe). But it's still a really cool find.

 

If you mean chemical jewelery cleaner, it probably wouldn't hurt the gold. There are no over-the-counter chemical cleaners that will react with gold. If the cleaner is acidic, then there could be some reaction with the copper in the coin, leaving pits and/or spots.

On the other hand, if you mean an ultrasonic cleaner, it (the cleaner) would likely have burned itself out long before three weeks of continuous use. The possibility of damage to the coin relates to the method it uses to clean. The ultrasonic sound pulses cause microscopic gas bubbles to form on the surface of what is being cleaned. These bubbles instantly break down and in the process produce a shock wave which blasts loose any dirt. They also can damage the metal in the same process (look up Cavitation) resulting in a pitted surface.

 

My thought exactly...it has been put in a bezel and thus is damaged and only worth melt. Plus, since it has been used as jewelery it has probably had jewelery cleaner and polish on it before too.

 

Great find . can't wait for the pics .

 

If I had been drinking water or coke or scotch, I would have spit it all over my computer.

I got a little sick reading this story.

 

Wow, what a cool find. Whenever I hear something like this I always wonder what the story is for how it came to be buried like that.

 

Here is the coin that was found in the mud. I finally got it from my friend.


Because it was cleaned, and you can see where it was attached to a pendant...Is it worth more then melt at all?

 

I'd pay more than melt. I don't care if it was pendant and cleaned! Those don't just come by everyday.

 

Thats weird it was buried. I bet if he kept digging he might find the body it belonged to!
Guy

 

Great find and great story. My first concern would be whether or not it's authentic. These and the $5 Indians are among the most counterfeited gold coins out there. I think because the incuse design is easier to replicate. I couldn't say either way right now. I can't see anything obvious. How does the reeded edge look if you can see it? Are all the reeds equal in size and can you see fine scratch marks in between them under a loupe, from it being pushed out of the collar? Any funny looking tool marks on the back of the neck?
There's a good chance it's real. Makes you wonder how it got there.

 

Why do you think it was in a pendant ?

 

I like it, jewelery piece or not, a great find~~

 

Read my original post. It was found on a chain in pendant.

 

Cleaned or not, it's still an awesome find and a great story. Thanks for sharing Gbroke!