New York's Hooverville, the site of many coin finds

oreville

This is a picture of New York Hooverville, during the Great Depression.

This is in Central Park.

I searched for coins right there back in 1968 when I was 15 years old and found a 1929 mercury dime, a 1919 cent and a 1927 buffalo nickel. I never found anything newer than 1930 in that area.

keyman64

Cool. Is Metal Detecting allowed in the park though?

BillJones

WOW!

I as looking at the movie Cinderella Man last night, and the New York City Hooverville in Central Park was part of the plot. (The movie is about the comeback of boxer James Baddock staromg Russel Crowe.) I was wondering if there really was a Central Park "Hooverville" and now I have my answer. Thanks!

RichR

<<Cool. Is Metal Detecting allowed in the park though?>>

I don't think the NYC Parks Department has a problem with metal detecting in any park..as long as you don't dig up a torpedo at Coney Island that is!

BillJones

I don’t think that the police would take kindly to you if you left holes in the dirt or dug up the grass in Central Park. Somehow, parks and metal detectors don’t see to mix for me.

messydesk

If someone asks you about why you're digging a hole, just say you're Occupying that part of the park and feel entitled to destroy it.

JamesMurray

You'll need a permit in NYC and you have to report significant finds.

NYC metal detecting

coindeuce

oreville, you would be far better off MD'ing along the Hudson River banks, or along the Mohawk River banks in areas where early foot traffic is known. The Mohawk Valley Hoard was found in the immediate vicinity of the Mohawk River and the Air National Guard base outside of Schenectady.

ambro51

I'm pretty sure Oreville lives within spittin' distance of the site of Machins Mills... Potentially an interesting site (though now overbuilt I presume)

oreville

I live quite nearby the site of Machins Mills sie now known as Orange Lake in Newburgh, NY.
Fortunately, it is not overdeveloped and is now the site owned by a single homowner. A few years back, a group of collectors were given permission to visit the site but I missed it and do not know much of the details of it.

There is a lovely restaurant called the Lakeview Restaurant right near the site and I can show pics of it is requested.

oreville

In the opening post i stated that I searched for coins right at the site of Hooverville in Central Park, New York City.

First of all, I want to make clear that I did not use a metal detector back in 1968. Were they even around back then? We just used sticks and just poked around.
Second, I did not use shovels or picks or anything like that. At the time, the ground area was strewn with old scrap metal and garbage and was pretty disgusting and had not been overhauled by the Parks Dept in many many years. It was essentially an abandoned small part of the park and we decided a few times in the summer of 1968 to sneak in and have a look around. Sure, we went under the fence but what 15 year old didn't back in the day?

A 15 year old did not get permits back then. Sure, we could have gotten into trouble. The police were not focusing on us back then with all of the trouble going on in Harlem and the South Bronx.

lcoopie

the history of NYC is very interesting

reminds me of Gangs of NY

coinkat

I saw Cinderella Man last night for the first time- what a terrific film- and to keep this topical, I noticed coins that looked appropriate- I did see one quick scene that looked as if one of the $2 bills was a federal reserve note-I could be wrong because that sequence happened so quick

JRocco

I remember finding some corroded Indian cents with my friends near Umpire Rock when we were kids.
Had to be back in the late 60's early 70's.