First Indian Head found! - 1864 + Update went back and more photos plus a second 1914

kevinstang

Spent a couple more hours hunting the shoreline at the campground just before dark, no silver, but I did find my first indian head penny. It was bent / folded over nearly in two, but I could make out the wreath on reverse but not the date until I got it home- figured it might be in the 1880's judging by the wear I could see, was I wrong- it was an 1864 copper! Straightened it out some for photo- I think being folded over is what saved the date in such good a shape.Spent most of my time , as I got there late, just flipping over rocks (some small bolders) - they look like they were just recently dumped onto the area, this is were I found the older coins ( I know the area was hit pretty good last year by another detectorist who found indian head and some barber coins even- I believe him now). Found 3 wheaties- one looks to be another 1917 , another either a 1920 or 1926 and the third a 1940. Nicest find besides the indian head was a 1920 Canadian penny- it was probably in the best shape of all the old coins found today. Rest of coins in photo are just modern found as well. Did also found what I thought was a button, but now think may be an old type sinker? It is heavy and looks to have rusted iron in center. Bigger than a dime smaller than a quarter.

dcamp78

Nice finds! Keep flippin' those boulders!

lordmarcovan

<< <i>Did also found what I thought was a button, but now think may be an old type sinker? It is heavy and looks to have rusted iron in center. Bigger than a dime smaller than a quarter. >>

Washer, maybe, with a bit of the old center bolt still in it? I think a sinker or weight would be lead. If the rusty part is just on one side, then it probably IS a button- one that had a steel shank that rusted. If it's a washer with something stuck through the middle, you'll see the rusty stuff on both sides. When I saw it in your picture, it looked like an old flat button to me. But the only flat buttons that I have found with steel or iron shanks were slightly convex, and quite early- Spanish, late 1600s/early 1700s. I doubt that's what you have.

lordmarcovan

PS- congratulations on your first IHC! You have me beat by four years- my earliest Indian is an 1868. I still have yet to dig any copper-nickels or earlier dates. I do have one that might say 1865, but it's so wretchedly corroded I'm not sure.

It's the beauty on the left.

SilverDreams

Very nice find. WTG!

goldrush00013

Congrats!!

I just recently found my first and share in your excitement!
You have me beat as my ealiest IHC is 1886.

BTW- that Canadian cent is great! Would love to find one of those.

Keep up the good work!

kevinstang

It was a rainy day here, so not much time to hunt, took a chance around 6 or so and headed over to campground, couldn't do much but sit in car and wait.Finally just before 7 the sun broke through, took a couple of quick photos of the area and rocks I have been hunting- and then grabbed the detector with what little bit of daylight there was left- first strong signal yielded a 1914 penny! Ended up finding a 1916 as well, along with a 1972 quarter, one nickel, another penny-1968 and two dimes, not much, but both the wheaties were in much better shape corrosion wise than many of the others I found at this site. They are resting in a potatoe for tonight. To bad the 1914 couldn't have had a D mintmark . Also took a couple of photos of the object I thought might have been a button, it is discus shaped, and the iron through one side appears larger than on the other.

kevinstang

I say thats one corroded penny Lordmarcovan, must have been in the ground for 100 years plus. Thats the one thing I can't figure about copper, I have been pulling coins from the same campground area for a week or so now, some are decent and others pittiful (none as bad as yours). Found a couple of 1917's that are barely identifiable and a couple of 1920's in the same shape, yet from same area have found decent 1914, 1916 and 1918.

kevinstang

Went back to the campground again tonight, no silver, but did find three wheats- 1914 (again couldn't make a mint mark appear ), 1927 & 1944 plus another Canadian King George V small cent- a 1931, makes two for the month (the other was a 1920). Found a little over $1 face - mostly pennies in all. To tired to take pictures tonight, but the 1931 Canadian is in pretty nice shape- again like the 1920, they must have used better metal.

lordmarcovan

I like the looks of that place. Looks like a pleasant place to poke around, and take in the view.

As to your button, I think it could be a button, but in seeing your more recent pics of it, I can tell it is not an early button like I thought it might be at first. More likely like something you'd find on Farmer John's overalls, or something like that. Old, to be sure, but probably no older than the coins you're finding.