I have made some good finds over the last 3 or so weeks. Found an interesting spot which has yielded so far 4 silver coins, the oldest dating to 1792, 1 roman coin, and assorted other bits. The 1792 (unfortunately now at the bank) is a 1/3 Thaler of Prussia mintmark E. This coin is at least Extremely Fine. While not rare, it is in exceptional condition. Other finds: - 3 Kreuzer Sachsen Meiningen 1831 L - 1 Gulden Wuerttemberg 1843 - 1/2 mark 1905 J - 2 US Dimes! - 2 Pfennig 1873 J The 2 pfennig 1873 J is a VERY rare coin, and whilst not that old, it is exceptional to find one. Only 20,000 minted, rarer than a 1877 cent. Unfortunately through corrosion the edges have crumbled away some, but it is still a wholesome coin. I also found a roman coin, whch i have had in olive oil for the last 3 weeks and slowly some detail is starting to emerge. Seem late roman. If anybody can identify what type it is, much appreciated. It does not appear to be bronze or copper so not an minor AE. At a depth of 15 cm i found the curved bronze object which can be seen in the picture. No idea what it is, but possibly very old. The iron/bronze ball at the bottom could be a small caliber cannon ball??? no idea. Also a silver cuff link with intricate design, a silver thimble (i think), and 2 gold plated lockets (nothing inside). Besides the above i have also about 12 buttons, of all types, and about 2 dozen other coins, some old (around 1800), but unfortunately badly corroded. Hope you enjoy looking at these finds. Eduard
your coins look amazing...im trying to learn about coins and Metal Detecting but dont know where to start? Can you tell me what the best metal detecter is for a beginner looking for coins? Thanks Terry
Terry, i can strongly recommend a Garrett. I had one for 14 years and they are very easy to use, with good detecting depth. It paid for itself many times over. The newer Garretts like the 1350 or the 1500 even have visual identification of the target. If you can afford it i would skip the very basic models (also the Garretts), as you will be missing a lot of deeper targets. I have found that you need tw things to be successful in metal detecting: research, and luck. Do some research about the past, where did people use to go. This will help a lot. The other element is just plain luck. I myself like to just wander into the woods, or search the old trails. Fields are good too, close to the big cities. Be prepared ánd armed with a lot of patience. More often than not you won't find much if at all, but WHEN you, that is an unbeatable feeling!
Cool Roman coin! Its from Lyons, and one of the coolest mintmarks on any issue of the time: instead of just letters, there are two captives in the exergue! Compare to my example: The options are either Constantine I, Constantine I, Licinius I, or Crispus, depending on the legend. Good find!
Thank you very much for the I.D Ardatirion. Lyon Mint? seems like it travelled some distance to Germania. This is the first roman i find in quite a while (at least with anything legible/recognizable on it). Close by was a small bronze ring which also appears roman. Is this coin bronze or orichalcum? Can you tell me what denomination is it? I hope that i can remove the rest of the encrustation, but it is looking difficult. Once again, thank you. Ed
Terry, don't fall into the same trap I did... I bought a middle of the line detector (about $600) and really should have saved up for a decent one ($1500). I thought I was being smart by avoiding the cheap ones ($200) altogether, but now that I've been at it for awhile I know that if I really want to find the good stuff I'll need to upgrade. Presently I'm using a Minelab, and it's a good machine and brandname, but I agree with Eduard when he recommends a Garrett. The newer machines can identify a target by shape and size and that knowledge is INVALUABLE in the field since traditionally you tend to dig a lot of junk. Plus, you have to respect a man like Charles Garrett who uses and tests his own products and has written many, many books on the subject of metal detecting. My NEW machine will be a Garrett!
Saw your post in a Google Alert and figured I HAD to registar on this site!:bow: Love to see the REALLY old coins all you folks find over your way! Thought is was interesting you found a couple of US dimes. Are they pre '65 silvers? Thanks for sharing a super bunch of finds!!:hail:
Hello SeabeeRon, the 2 US dimes are 1957 and 1958. Years ago i found some silver quarters as well. They were probably lost, i guess, by G.I's stationed here. Regards, Eduard
5 Mark 1876 Karl König von Wüerttemberg I have recently begun interested in looking at the coins I've collected through the years. Among then is a 5 Mark 1876 Karl König von Wüerttemberg in very good condition but with a small amount of tarnishing. I have been scouring the Internet trying to find out what it's worth. I've tried to attach a picture of it to this message. Can anyone help me understand what it might be worth in US Dollars? I'd like to sell it. Thanks! Diana
Nice finds Eduard... I guess you do a lot of research before you start your hunts. You use old maps??? Do you look for irregularities in the lay of the land, like old out houses?? You use probes ??? Sounds like you have a real nose for the hunt. Have fun. Traci :bigeyes:
Hi, Eduard. It looks like the curved bronze object might be a fragment of a Roman fibula. Nice finds!
Thanks Ripley, I just try to hit fields and places located close to cities and towns. Everything around here is so old and so thickly populated that even this simple technique yields good results. Thanks TheBigH, I did not think of that, but it is well possible.
If you look closely you can read TINVS AVG at the obverse right so it is Constantine I. AVG elimates the other choices besides Licinius I (their legends ended in CAES) and the T at 1 o,clock is clear enough to eliminate Licinius. The catalog RIC lists all of the options of this coin as Rare except the very common one for Constantine I so even with no legend it is a pretty good bet it is his. Those of us in the USA have trouble imagining the thrill of finding a coin from 320 AD. Mine: RIC Vol. VI page 128 #79 The nummus (just means 'coin') was mostly copper with a very small amount of silver (1%?) and was issued with a silver wash on the surface which shows on a small fraction of surviving coins. Lyon mint is no surprize when you consider the number of Roman troops that marched through there on the way to fight the Germans.
Doug: I appreciate what you wrote about the longevity of circulation of Ancient coins: The specific coin discussed in this example is the famous Marc Antony denarius from 31 BCE, which according to your well-written article, was used in circulation long after the battle: "Our final Imperatorial (and Republican) coin was issued in the period just before the Battle of Actium by the loser of this final fight for control of Rome. This final battle was to be at sea and Antony's sailors were paid in these coins showing a warship and military standards. Antony was short on resources to pay such huge sums so he added copper to the silver used for these coins. The alloy was, therefore, debased. After the battle (and Antony) had been lost, these coins remained in circulation. The fact that they were not good silver caused them to remain in circulation until the debasement of the regular Roman coinage reached the same level and made them desirable to be buried in hoards. Legionary denarii of Antony are common in hoards deposited over 200 years after their issue. Many of these coins are worn slick." This is taken from Doug Smith's informative article on the web: :thumb: http://dougsmith.ancients.info/voc2.html Thank you, Doug, for your sharing your vast knowledge on this subject. guy
