neat story about 1876 seated half dollar

so a couple months ago my mom, in south alabama, was walking through a trail in the woods on some family land nearby where an old house used to be, probably late 19th century. she likes to look for old broken glass. anyway, right off the beaten path, visible in the dirt, she finds a coin and can make out the basic details, and the date is very clear, 1876. she didnt think it was real but my dad ensured her it was real so I looked it up for them and it's a half dollar, pretty worn but considering the circumstances pretty amazing find. probably sitting there for over a hundred years.

 

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Wow! Do you have any pics?
One question I would have---how does your dad know that it is real? There are many many ways to fake a coin and even some can fool experts who have been studing coins for years.

Speedy

 

heh. my mom knows nothing of coins so it wasnt like "is this a real seated liberty?" it was more like "what is this?". if it was at a flea market or on ebay, or in better shape, we may question authenticity, but in the ground in the middle of nowhere deep in the woods, where no humans other than my family have gone in at least the last 50 years, i think its safe to say its real.

 

oh and sorry i dont have pix!

 

Yeah---my point was just that. Try to get pix'....there is that chance that it is fake and now that I hear that part (the above post) I would worry more about the chance of it being fake.

Speedy

 

the facts:

1) there was a house on this site in the late 1800s

2) the house was destroyed sometime pre 1950

3) since then there's been nothing but forests surrounding the site of the house

4) my mom routinely finds old pieces of glass here

5) she found a coin in the dirt here


it's silly to think it's fake. it's obviously been in the weather for many many decades. if it's a "fake" it's an original fake from the 1870s. no one has anything to gain at this point from it being counterfeit. in its advanced state of wear, it's not worth anything, fake or real, other than the sentimental value of finding something so old. the bottom line is that this is a RURAL area, a long, long way from any kind of city. there havent been any humans living here for half a century. i can't articulate it any more clearly that it's real. it's not like it's a 500 dollar value item, it's worth nothing, so arguing over its authenticity is silly.

 

Speedy, kind of odd place to put a fake coin beings that the chances of getting found were slim. He said that she was on family land, More than likely an old home site around the turn of the century and the chances of it being a real coin are probably very high. "One question I would have---how does your dad know that it is real?" One question I would have-Why do you automatically assume that it's a fake?

John

 

thanks John. you hit the nail on the head. the particular situation in which a coin is found can often be enough to give the coin a large amount of credibility. for example, when they find frozen mammoths in siberia, does anyone immediately throw out "this could be a fake, guys"

 

When ever I hear of a coin dated 1876 I always want to take a closer look. It seems that alot of the fakes that have been made have a date as such of 1876....
Also--you must agree that it is kindof odd just to find a coin on top of the ground after maybe it being there 50+ years. Years of dirt, rain, etc......
People don't fake coins to look brand new---most of the time they look like they have been used in circulation for many many years.

I agree---the chance is slim--but I would much rather have this guy know for sure either way.

Speedy

 

Huh?

Speedy, I really don't know where you are going with your questions and I agree with johndo 1000%.

Why would someone place a FAKE half dollar out in the middle of the woods???? The whole point of doing fake money is to MAKE money - not sure how they're going to make money in a forest!!!!!

I also looked up 1876 half dollars in the red book. Nothing special - if it IS fake, it might be worth more than a real one!!!!

This is a really curious thread, IMHO

 

I can agree with that-that year had alot of fakes. I'm not sure where you live, but here N. Fl. it's been awfully dry as well most of the SE. With wind erosion it's very possible that it was not very far below the surface and the wind exposed it. Having lived on the Oregon coast years ago the dunes would change overnight due to the wind constantly blowing the sand.

John

 

Alrighty guys---I'll concede
Just a thought and I guess I worded it wrong!

Speedy

 

I don't read anything here which automatically points to the coin being fake. Then again w/o a picture the only idea of what the half looks like is in my minds eye.

A half dollar being lost around the turn of say the 20th century would have been a BIG DEAL and the coin would have surely been looked for. Additionally, I can state for fact that finding one around a old house place or trail is a rare occurrence but it does happen. One has to understand there are thousands of old roads and homestead chimneys thru-out the south and besides squarecut nails finding the odd coin is a rarity.

One unfortunate aspect of a modern coin forum are the naysayers who will always sew the seeds of doubt when a new significant find is mentioned... The only proof the OP has is his word.


To thy own-self be true...
Ben

 

Nice find!! I think it is more likely that the coin is genuine.

 

Folks used to bury their cash around the home, usually around some type of landmark like a tree or fence post. There was a time when folks did not trust banks. Maybe this coin is part of a lost forgotten hoard of coins. Metal detectors anyone?

Lou

 

Ive lost lots of change that I am sure is genuine even washed a few notes. My car interior is full of lost change.

Aside from Trade Dollars the odds of a random common coin being fake are pretty slim.

 

Shakespeare's words "To thy (thine) ownself be true" should be required reading before every new poster to a coin forum begins, these words should be completely understood. The Original Poster must also provide the proof of authenticity. When these two (story and the coin) collide many times the coin doesn't begin to look so good.

Please try to get pictures because we really want to believe it's a genuine 1876 Half. Unfortunately, it's the nature of the beast....

What??? Chuckle, I'm afraid that went completely over my head....

Take Care
Ben

 

You know a picture would so kill the discussion whether if it's a fake or not Of course I really hope that it's genuine for your sake but my other 0.01% of doubtness is ruining everything.