Help identifying early copper
cor3y7
Posts: 28 ✭✭
My dad found this large copper coin yesterday while we were metal detecting an early 19th century home. Unfortunately, it's so worn that I am unable to identify it. However, when it's wet, you can see a faint outline of one side of the bust. The subject is facing right, with the tails of two hair ribbons visible, along with a shoulder (small gap between ribbons and shoulder) and the top of the head. I believe it to be a man, for whatever reason. It's doesn't compare to any US large cents, but is of the same size. We've found a few large cents in the past, but this likely pre-dates US coinage and is out of my area of familiarity. Below is an original photo and a photo with the outline added in red. Any help would be appreciated! For what it's worth, one of our other finds was an 1817 US large cent in beautiful condition.
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able to do better.... Cheers, RickO
Keeper of the VAM Catalog • Professional Coin Imaging • Prime Number Set • World Coins in Early America • British Trade Dollars • Variety Attribution
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This would have been coined from about 1695-1700. If my memory serves, the last date in the series is 1701.
Cool find!
Betts medals, colonial coins, US Mint medals, foreign coins found in early America, and other numismatic Americana
Then again, it doesn't look like the 1770-75 George III halfpenny hair bow to me, either.
I think it looks more like the hair bow on the Draped Bust.
In fact, it looks quite a bit like the one-and-only Draped Bust cent I've dug so far, which was only identifiable by the hair bow and part of LIBERTY when I found it.
What's the diameter and weight? What's on the reverse- is there ANY detail at all?
Congratulations! I know from experience that popping any big old copper coin out of the dirt is a real adrenaline rush, no matter how crusty, worn, or corroded it may be!
I dug one out of an old colonial sand roadbed which was similarly baffling, but I was able to sort of match the faint outline of the bust to that of Louis XV of France.
PS- I just read John Kraljevich/Pistareen's reply. I do think a slick British William III halfpenny might be a contender here. The hair bow looks a bit small and high compared with the 1699-1701 type I found on the NGC priceguide, but there is an earlier William III issue that is not imaged? Back to Google...
It's an English William III halfpenny. These are pretty common in 18th century American ground contexts, almost always worn slick.
This would have been coined from about 1695-1700. If my memory serves, the last date in the series is 1701.
Cool find!
Looks about right to me.
Lance.
This is our oldest coin, by far. In fact, the 1817 is our second oldest, so it was an exciting day! Also found a 1929 Merc.
And now, looking at that one for comparison, you can see the ghostly outline of King Billy's shoulder on your dug example, which I took for a stray mark when I first saw it.
Bravo!
So comparing the 1699-1701 pictured on the NGC link I posted with the one Lance posted, it appears your William III halfpenny may predate 1699?
I still haven't dug a Brit halfpenny in the US before 1738. Got a 1730 farthing and a 1641-43 Charles I silver penny once, but I had to go to England to dig those.
You should join us on the Metal Detecting forum and repost y'all's cool find there.
(Not that it matters that much- digging this kind of stuff is cool no matter how well preserved it is!)