Question for the west coast gang??

If I had the ability to travel freely, I would want to look for treasure that is available only in that particular area. If I were in the desert sections, I would hunt meteorites. Hills of California and I would nugget hunt. Lower California would be Spanish silver. My question is this: Has anybody seen or heard of anyone finding territorial gold coins, private mint issues, ingots and stamped bars, fractional gold, etc..?? How about northwest territory beaver pelt tokens and rare trade tokens?? How about Mormon gold?? Rare I'm sure, but that is what I would love to focus on.

My question is this: Has anybody seen or heard of anyone finding territorial gold coins, private mint issues, ingots and stamped bars, fractional gold, etc..?? How about northwest territory beaver pelt tokens and rare trade tokens?? How about Mormon gold?? Rare I'm sure, but that is what I would love to focus on.
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Out of all those exotics you have listed I saw one private mint gold coin posted and I can't even remember where .Large Cents are a big deal around here . I have only talked to two people who have found them locally . Maybe some of the other West Coasters have seen or heard of what you have listed . but I certainly haven't .With what you have found where your at I don't think the West Coast would be your cup of tea unless you were looking for gold nuggets and flakes ( oh yes lot's of flakes out here :twirlingeyes: lol .

The west coast had their share of gold rush and also San Francisco minted some gold coins from the nuggets and flakes that had been found in the area.
I imagine some gold coins and nuggets might still be lost in the areas where they panned for gold.

Here in the Midwest... about the only thing I can account for are the Beaver pelt tokens you mentioned.

I was talking to a construction worker regarding where the dirt was going that they were excavating from our downtown. After a little chit chat he asked why I was curious. After explaining why, he mentioned to me that while turkey hunting along the Mississippi he found 8 beaver pelt tokens from the early 1800's at the base of a tree he sat at to hunt.

....... Just in case you are wondering. I wasn't able to obtain permission to detect the state ground he turkey hunted and I found nothing other than a few wheat pennies in the dirt that they removed from the downtown site. :mad:

You win some, you loose some. :yes:

Great post... it will be interesting to see what everyone has to share.

I would think gold coins would be easier to find in California

We have a member here, goes by MT for Montera Tom, who found a bunch of gold coins in SF. Maybe he'll re-post it here!! :twirlingeyes: :drool: Some of you may have seen his post on other forums, it was several years ago.

Thanks everyone. I'm sure gold coins as well as silver dollars are easier (but not easy lol) to find on the west coast as opposed to the east coast. I was hoping someone found some of the rarer types of history there. In my area, Higley coppers and early American silver are the types of targets that are the cream of the crop. I have seen (and held) one dug Higley copper and a couple of early silvers, mostly Pine tree shillings and early oak pence coinage. Mass silver is more abundant (although extremely rare) than say a Higley copper. Would love to know if someone was lucky enough to find some Mormon gold or other territorial issue coinage. That would be one great discovery :shocked04:

still looking for confederate gold ----- personally .. but a good st patrick farthing or 1722 half pence would scratch that itch .... i like seeeing all the tokens that show up from out west .. i think each corner of this great nation hold treasures that would astound just about every single one of us

I worked with a man who, many years ago, with one of the early White's Coinmasters, found a California-issued gold coin. He found it in northern Nevada, near the remains of an old stone building foundation. He showed it to me years after he found it. It was quite small, roughly the size of a dime as I recall. It was listed in the Red Book of coin values. That is the only private issued gold coin I have personal knowledge of, although I am sure that many have been found.

Only what I've read about in magazines Coinnut.. I'm sure most gold coins found are never talked about. Someday when I find one I will whisper it to you. ;) :grin: :grin: