I found a gold coin on the ground today! Pictures added, a real 1856 California $1/4 gold coin.

TexasToken

At work, I went out for a smoke break and was kicking some dirt by a waste water filter trap that leads outside as the company processes flame retardant and HACCP type garments along with some military stuff. Anyways I thought to myself that looks like a California gold piece, LOL, thinking it was a brass tack I decided to pick it up so it wouldn't get into a tire. Sure enough it was 1/4 dollar 1855 octagonal gold piece in AU-53-58. I was blown away and thought it was surely a brass fake, nope, gold and looked original! I have actually seen many fakes and real coins over the years in my friends coin shop and am 90% sure this is the real deal. I left it at the office in my desk as I was in a hurry but will take a picture tomorrow at work or when I get home to get the boards consensus. Regardless I am sure it is gold, so at the least I have a 1/2 gram or so of gold at $1430/oz. I will also be removing the lid from the trap to see if there is more of a stolen collection that washed out!


Edit: It is real, I grade it AU-50-53, see page 2-3 for series of pictures.

STONE

Sweet

NewEnglandRarities

That's pretty cool!

GoldenEyeNumismatics

Awesome! Awaiting pics.

BaseballAbs

Score! Right place at the right time.

ClosedLoop

nice...

RW

That beats the penny I didn't pick up today in the Home Depot parking lot.

jessewvu

I just found a few suckers.

pruebas

After a show once, I was helping clean and pack up cases, cords, and lights. All the dealers and customers were gone. On the floor I found a US quarter eagle, common date (1929), in a small ziploc bag. No indication where it came from. I thought for sure it was a bb'ed coin and the dealer missed the trash when throwing it away. But it looked good to me. I kept it a while, even showed it to ANACS at a show (who thought it questionable).

One day, I decided to do something with it. I sent it in to PCGS and lo and behold, it came back AU58!

TexasToken

I just found a few suckers.

I know I am new here, long time lurker. I assure you I found it as stated. If it is a fake then the board can decide, but it is still gold!

pontiacinf

I found a dollar on the floor at walmart yesterday, then I went to a small store to buy the new york
post on the way home. I paid with a 20 and got back $18 bucks in change (i noticed this once at home)

the universe reclaimed its buck so quick my head spun

abadasp

My pool cleaner brought me a $2.50 gold indian said he found it around the pool. Nobody said they lost one I ask,Been tipping that guy ever since, good to see the honesty in people isn`t dead. That was my first gold coin now I need a 12 step program.

JupitarCoins

I'll remind you tomorrow to show us all a pic.
Dont get me wrong I think its a great find but I'm sure all of us will want to see it here on the board.
Congrats!!

TexasToken

I will post it tomorrow, if it is a fake, and a blatant one at........ that remember I am not an expert on these so we will enjoy its realness or it's gold content, I hope! I have seen a ton of fakes and they are garbage, this isn't one of those.

lunytune2

Alot of jewelry was made with those .. who's to say it didn't come out of a bezel or something .. it's all possible .

joebb21

The chances of finding a fractional gold coin....

Hotfootspin

whoa

lordmarcovan

keyman64

Lookin forward to the pics...

PerryHall

I'm skeptical.

atarian

I think April has come early this year. but I will wait for pictures .

TWQG

Were any vacuums harmed in the process?

JustPlainAl

Pictures, or it didn't happen......

blueifalcon

What's the odds?

ricko

Congratulations Tex... what an awesome find.. hope it is authentic. Cheers, RickO

lkeigwin

Thank you for a chance at the giveaway.
Lance.

TexasToken

I have 2 minutes before I leave the office, shot 2 quick pictures with my blackberry. The coin is more of a golden yellow in hand. There are 2 small rust spots on the obverse as it actually has 2 small metal shavings laying on top rusting as it came from the waste water overflow. Will get intel qx3 pics when I get home tonight. To satisfy the dogs





Again, if it is fake, don't beat on me too bad, but it seems to high quality to be one of the fakes. Again more of a yellow in person as the BB didn't use its flash.

CaptHenway

My gut feeling is......genuine.
However, I would like to see better pictures.
TD

AUandAG

Hey Texas, gold has a peculiar odor and taste, how's yours smell and taste?


bob

johnny9434

congrats tex. i hope that works out really well for ya best wishes

JupitarCoins

Its tough to tell from the pics but I'll say its genuine.
But what do I know

Pistareen

Wow, it does actually look genuine, pending better images. I was expecting one of the 7.6 billion souvenir "gold" charms that plague the market.

You've piqued my interest!

clackamas

I would go back with a metal detector and do the entire area. Do you know what was in the area many years ago?

TexasToken

Here are better pictures from the QX3, the finger prints and hairlines were cause by me, remember I thought it was a tack and rubber the dirt and gravel off with my thumb, it also has 2 small surface rust stains as there were some metal savings laying on top of it. Remember it is an industrial wash facility dealing in industrial uniforms and such, so very dirty water and metal is common.

Clackmas, it was in the parking lot, laying right next to a waste water over flow plate. I did go back out today and move the dirt around nothng, tomorrow we are going to open the lid and see what is inside. So it probably was in a pocket, came out in the wash, was small enough to go through the holes in the washer and pushed through the pipes by high pressure water!

Oh the scratch on the reverse isn't really a scratch, the light comes off it weird under the microscope.

TexasToken

Oh and it is an 1856, not sure why I though it was a 55 last night. The story is as true as they come!

Edit: I would like to return it, but I don't know how long it has been out there and we process 500,000 shirts and pants per week. No way to know. I do find pistols, switchblades, military comm. unit, money and drugs in the washout trap and we pull every uniform and try to track down the rightful owners of the stuff or for drugs we call the police or MP's. So I guess finders keepers on this one, but I may sell it and donate the proceeds to the VA or another Vet fund of choosing.

Pistareen

Unreal. While there is a chance to could be a fake of some sort, the dies appear to match B-G 111. Rarity-3, so it's s common one, but I'd guess finding one in a storm drain is probably a R-7 occurrence!

It should weigh about .25 grams and measure 9.6 to 9.8 mm.

Well done!

WoodenJefferson

Ahhhhh...wasn't the "DOLLAR" only written as "DOL." on these fractionals?

I don't do these as a collector, I have a couple of genuine fractionals, but there were many makers of these.

TexasToken

Here is the Mic measurements- 9.68 mm

I don't know Wooden Jefferson, this is my first find or buy, seen many but never owned one.

WinPitcher

Just think of all the Garbage Pail Kid cards you can buy now.

PerryHall

<< <i>Ahhhhh...wasn't the "DOLLAR" only written as "DOL." on these fractionals? >>



No. Some have DOLLAR spelled out. This coin looks real from the pics.

EagleEye

Congratulations!

Where did this happen? In Texas?

TexasToken

Yep, the plant I found it at is in San Antonio

TexasToken

Just think of all the Garbage Pail Kid cards you can buy now.

I know right! I can get a PSA 10 puking patty or adam bomb!

WoodenJefferson

<< <i>Yep, the plant I found it at is in San Antonio >>



Wow...there was lots of activity in and around San Antonio following the fall of the Alamo, sounds reasonable. Well, at least we know it was not Davy Crockett's pocket piece, he was laid to rest in 1836.

Cool find!

QuarterCollector

Great story and even better find.

TexasToken

Okay, best pics I could get? Any idea as to value, about to 2x2 it and be done for now. Excitement is over, a very cool story to tell my kids someday. I know I put some scratches in it when I rubbed off the dirt and put it in my pocket as it was PL when I picked it up and probably someones MS or high AU coin that was most likely stolen I wonder how long it was out there? Anyone know the gold content purity of these? If is was indeed MS and laid on top of dirt for the most part in warm, dry S. Texas would it have progressed quickly or not so much as pure gold does not tarnish correct?

Staircoins

Hey Texas,

Take this from a fellow Texan ...



WTG!!!

rhedden

You also suck from West Texas.

I liked Lord Marcovan's picture of the tornado. Looks like the scenery in the part of Texas I live in.

EagleEye

My guess would be that it fell off someone's bracelet, or was lost from a collection somehow. It would have been lost fairly recently. It would be a real leap to think that this was an actual circulation loss from the period.

I think it's a $200 coin.

AuNuggets

Real Deal, BG (Breen Gillio) #111, same obv. die as the 110, I'm showing Rarity-4 from Mike Locke's notes, he is usually a little more accurate on the rarity scale by experience. That basically means there are fewer than 200 of these known in all grades. There should be a small die break at the top point of Liberty's crown. There are also 8 die states to this particular coin. If it shows clashed dies, it is a very rare die variety.

Very cool find !!

Artist

I can see the die clash in the photos - check out the wreath tie sticking out of Ms. Liberty's head on the right side.

Cool coin by the way.