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When Going "bust" During A Relic Hunt Is A Good Thing


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3 minutes ago, Raphis said:

Fantastic finds, Chase!!  👍🏼  Beautiful silver you found...The bust coin is still on my bucket list, but I really haven’t hunted sites in my neck of the woods that give me a chance at finding one. Congrats on the relics also!

What ??  You mean the southern CA turfed parks and beaches aren't brimming with bust coins ?   On the east coast, they're in every sand box.  But here in CA: Ya gotta start doing the Indiana Jones relicky sites of CA to get them .  🤣 

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Amazing find Chase.  Gorgeous!

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Early USA silver coins ought to be a finds-category all to itself.  It took a long time for the system (minting, circulating) to work its way out and it was that 1857 law prohibiting foreign coins from usage (my words, but basically that's what it did) to really get them being used on a regular basis.  Part of the problem was the attitudes and procedures at the mint.

Not intending to take anything away from those who have found a silver Real, or piece of one or 2 Reale (I certainly haven't done that, yet) but I wonder if it's more difficult to find a pre-1850 USA silver coin than a pre-1800 Spanish Empire silver coin in the ConUS.  I wouldn't be surprised.

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5 hours ago, GB_Amateur said:

Early USA silver coins ought to be a finds-category all to itself.  It took a long time for the system (minting, circulating) to work its way out and it was that 1857 law prohibiting foreign coins from usage (my words, but basically that's what it did) to really get them being used on a regular basis.  Part of the problem was the attitudes and procedures at the mint.

Not intending to take anything away from those who have found a silver Real, or piece of one or 2 Reale (I certainly haven't done that, yet) but I wonder if it's more difficult to find a pre-1850 USA silver coin than a pre-1800 Spanish Empire silver coin in the ConUS.  I wouldn't be surprised.

Thanks.  You're probably right, Chuck.  I've seen a lot more 1700's reales dug than early 1800's US, but have only managed a Mexican First Republic 1/2 Reale from 1830.   Still looking to dig my first 18th century coin of any denomination.  Very happy with my dime - I knew that if I had a chance to dig it anywhere, it was at this site.  A few have popped out here previously.

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46 minutes ago, Chase Goldman said:

Thanks.  You're probably right, Chuck.  I've seen a lot more 1700's reales dug than early 1800's US, but have only managed a Mexican First Republic 1/2 Reale from 1830.   Still looking to dig my first 18th century coin of any denomination.  Very happy with my dime - I knew that if I had a chance to dig it anywhere, it was at this site.  A few have popped out here previously.

 

 

Yes.  We dig more pre-Mexican independence reales (ie.: pre 1822) than Mexican reales (post 1822), here in CA.

 

I've always figured that was because Spain had heavily bankrolled the push north into Alta CA.  But by the time of the Mexican independence, there was already the beginnings of little towns here, other nationalities settling, missions and presidios were in decline, etc...   Quite frankly, Mexico simply didn't take very good care of Alta CA.   Alta CA was seen as self-sufficient by that time.   Like when CA gained her independence from Mexico, hardly a shot was fired, for example.

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I have only found 2 pre 1850  American silver.A   very worn bust dime  on top because they dug up a  old   tree and a 1838-o seated half dime in the water. My buddy got a 1807 worn American dime in the water and a     Mexican          reale from after 1822.My other buddy  got a  Mexican reale too.I have 5   Spanish reales and the oldest is 1736. I think a lot of the pre 1850 silver got melted.My goal is to get a American pre bust silver coin    which is probably tougher  then getting a  gold coin.

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On the east coast I am running about the same  50/50 for pre 1850 silver (Capped Bust / Seated) vs Reales. What is really hard is Draped Bust silver in my area. On the lower coast they find them occasionally, but interior wise I haven't found one yet. The most common Spanish I have found is in the 1770's - 1790's Carlous varieties. Occasionally the 1800's stuff comes up. What we drool over from the western part of the country is the "S" mintage coins, the gold coins, gold nuggets and the meteorites.

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3 hours ago, schoolofhardNox said:

What we drool over from the western part of the country is the "S" mintage coins, the gold coins, gold nuggets and the meteorites.

Westerners probably drool over those, too.  :biggrin:

I've wondered about the distribution zones of 19th Century coins but have yet to find any documentation or reporting of it.  For example, where did Carson City coins go compared to San Francisco minted ones?  There is certainly diffusion with time but the initial distribution has to have a large, lasting effect, especially in the 19th Century when travel was difficult, expensive, and even life threatening.  The initial distribution also must have had an effect in the 20th Century but likely not as pronounced.

The acceptance (and distrust) of paper money which apparently was also geographically influenced is another biggie when it comes to gold coins and silver dollar potential finds, I think.

 

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Would love to know what others have found as well. In lower NE, I occasionally get  CC, O, and D mint marks. I rank them in order of most to least being: P, D, O, CC, S.

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