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I think my 1802 Draped Bust has seen better days...
mrtrek1701
Posts: 100
Looks like a good solid "Poor" grade for the oldest coin in my collection! Bought it a few years ago for next to nothing, and IIRC, the intent was merely to settle some "sibling rivalry" (with my then 7 year-old coin collecting brother) about who had the oldest coin 
Very difficult to even make out the "2" in the date, but under a glass it's there. Enjoy!
Very difficult to even make out the "2" in the date, but under a glass it's there. Enjoy!
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Which means it can only be 1808 or 1809.
She's seen better days, fer sure, but I bet she could sure tell some tales if she could talk.
<< <i>That's a clearly a Classic Head, not a Draped Bust.
Which means it can only be 1808 or 1809.
She's seen better days, fer sure, but I bet she could sure tell some tales if she could talk. >>
That's beyond funny... you know, I never even looked at Lady long enough to notice! It was marked "1802" on the 2x2, and it sure looks like a 2 under a glass, but could probably be an 8. You're absolutely right, and I got a good laugh at myself right away when I looked at it again!
Edit to add: we metal detecting folks learn how to ID stuff in all kinds of truly spooky states of preservation.
You oughta see the first large cent I ever dug. I could tell it was a Draped Bust when it came out of the ground- you could see Liberty's hair bow at the back of her head. I tried to clean it with electrolysis, which has worked well on dug silver in the past, but this cent was unstable and corroded from 200 years in the ground below the water table on a river bank, and when I zapped it with the electrolysis, I 'burnt it up' and now it is just a featureless slug. I never got to see what the date was.
1796-1807 is all I know. Which sucks, because it is the oldest US coin I've found while diggin'. The oldest one I have with a readable date is an 1829 half dime.