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1797 Cent find - what would you do with it?
MaineJim
Posts: 740 ✭✭✭✭✭
I was searching in my backyard the other day when this one popped out of the ground. I am fairly new at this and this is my first old copper. It is pretty beat up so I thought it might be worth trying to clean it a bit. Any recommendations on what to do with it?
Thanks,
Jim
6
Comments
DO NOT CLEAN IT!!!!!!! That is imperative.... You can rinse it under hot water to remove the dirt, but do not rub it with anything - not even your fingers. That is a great coin and you should get it appraised. Cheers, RickO
Great find! I echo what @ricko says, do not clean it except for a gentle water rinsing. Air dry or a VERY gentle pat dry with a soft cloth or paper towel. Might be worth sending it in for certification.
The above.......
bob
DO NOT CLEAN
@basetsb_coins on Instagram
Woe, nice find
Successful transactions with : MICHAELDIXON, Manorcourtman, Bochiman, bolivarshagnasty, AUandAG, onlyroosies, chumley, Weiss, jdimmick, BAJJERFAN, gene1978, TJM965, Smittys, GRANDAM, JTHawaii, mainejoe, softparade, derryb
Bad transactions with : nobody to date
PS
Mind if I dig in your backyard?
Successful transactions with : MICHAELDIXON, Manorcourtman, Bochiman, bolivarshagnasty, AUandAG, onlyroosies, chumley, Weiss, jdimmick, BAJJERFAN, gene1978, TJM965, Smittys, GRANDAM, JTHawaii, mainejoe, softparade, derryb
Bad transactions with : nobody to date
wow, i like the looks of that.
I agree with others. Don't do a thing to it. It has great color for a dug coin and if messed with it will probably get worse. Beautiful coin! Any other finds there?
I think I'll keep it as is and skip the cleaning. Thanks for all the input. My house is where an old farm was but there isn't much left of it. The land sold off and houses everywhere. The oldest coin before this one was a 30's cent, other finds were a bunch of old matchbox cars, a WW1 German Iron Cross and lots of bullets.I found this coin next to an old flower bed.
Jim
Is this in Maine? I ask because two of my daughters live in Maine...maybe I need to MD their yards...Cheers, RickO
Great find! Outstanding detail on that one for sure.
Yes - in Maine. There are a lot of old farms here. I would search every one if I had the chance!
Jim
@MaineJim
May I ask which county?
Successful transactions with : MICHAELDIXON, Manorcourtman, Bochiman, bolivarshagnasty, AUandAG, onlyroosies, chumley, Weiss, jdimmick, BAJJERFAN, gene1978, TJM965, Smittys, GRANDAM, JTHawaii, mainejoe, softparade, derryb
Bad transactions with : nobody to date
I'm in southern Maine.
Jim
That is a beauty! What a find! Looks like it was dropped shortly after being circulated, too. I agree with the consensus~keep it as is.
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
Beat up? It looks fantastic. Go on to eBay and do a search for other 1797 cents to get a feel for what's out there. Yours looks so nice!!
Southern Maine.... same area as my daughters.... must get up there with my MD..... Cheers, RickO
Awesome find!
I would do NOTHING with it but keep and appreciate it!
For a dug relic, that one's in IDEAL condition! The patina looks great. Nice contrast.
Fantastic find!
Again, I restate: THAT PATINA IS PERFECT. LEAVE THE COIN EXACTLY THE WAY IT IS!!!
Any tinkering with it will only make it look worse. Since the "environmental damage" on it is irreversible, just be thankful that it's actually pretty attractive, as dug patinas go.