Merchant countermarked Charles IIII Half Reale!

Got out yesterday with Danny LaMontagne and hit a couple of sites. The first site was very remote, small, and probably not inhabited very long. Unfortunately, whoever lived there in the 1700's was probably dirt poor and left us no coins or buttons. He left nothing at all except for iron.

The next site turned out to be much better. We visited a site that no doubt has been hit by countless detectors over the years. It's not off the beaten path and easily accessible :lol: We had already been detecting for six hours and I hadn't found anything at all. Danny had done better and had a few goodies to show for the day. He had also found a barn or perhaps a second cellar hole nearby. I had gotten tired of all the iron signals around the main hole so I ventured over to the "new" hole. Boom! I got my very first Spanish Silver! Not only that it is also countermarked!:cheesysmile::girlcry::omg: I called Danny on the phone as he had returned to the main site and told him I had something really good but I wanted him to confirm what I thought I had just dug. Danny came over and confirmed it. My very first Spanish silver coin is a Charles IIII Half Reale countermarked by a merchant (or maybe a silversmith?) After that, we both started detecting around the new hole and for the next hour the finds were popping out like crazy. It was fun and exciting! Thanks Danny!Attachment 67095Attachment 67096Attachment 67097Attachment 67098

Now that is pretty darn cool. I like those coins that have personality.

First Spanish silver !!!:cheering::cheering::cheering:

Congrats on a terrific and unique find Donnie , you've certainly paid your dues to earn that one and check it off your bucket list . :clapping:

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Originally Posted by del

First Spanish silver !!!:cheering::cheering::cheering:

Congrats on a terrific and unique find Donnie , you've certainly paid your dues to earn that one and check it off your bucket list . :clapping:

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Thanks Danny, and, thanks for the tip on how to clean it. I would have never thought of that and I am really super pleased with the result. It's perfect. I can't wait to see all of your finds cleaned up. You had an epic day too. Does this shirt make me look fat?Attachment 67102

"Phat"..... my friend with that coin you look very Phat

Awesome bucket lister! OD of course stands for "Ol' Donnie"

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Originally Posted by del

"Phat"..... my friend with that coin you look very Phat

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:lolsign:

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Originally Posted by Bucknut

Awesome bucket lister! OD of course stands for "Ol' Donnie"

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O.D - Original Donnie! :rofl:

Congrats on your first Spanish silver! :clapping:

What an awesome Half Real. I love the counterstamp, it adds history to it. (And mystery.)

I am curious about the cleaning method. It still looks very natural. Whatever you did worked perfectly.

Good job!

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Originally Posted by Tony Two-Cent

Congrats on your first Spanish silver! :clapping:

What an awesome Half Real. I love the counterstamp, it adds history to it. (And mystery.)

I am curious about the cleaning method. It still looks very natural. Whatever you did worked perfectly.

Good job!

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Thanks! I'm trying to find information on the "O.D" countermark. At this point, I know it is listed in Brunk as a merchant countermark but the book is very expensive and I'm hoping one of my coin collector buddies has a copy. I would love to know why Brunk attributed the mark as a merchant.

I have to give credit to Danny LaMontagne for the cleaning method. After the hunt, we were talking and Danny suggested that I use CLR to clean the coin. He said it would leave the coin a very nice, pleasing, gray color. That was EXACTLY what I wanted. I would have never thought to try it. I made a solution of 20 parts distilled water (overkill I know) and one part CLR. I gently cleaned the coin (to avoid scratching it) with a solution soaked Q-tip and I am extremely happy with the results. Thanks again, Danny! Here are some before pics showing how the dirt was on it like concrete.Attachment 67103Attachment 67104

Wonderful, Donnie!! Do you have any idea when the mark was put on it? Those are difficult to put a coil on but when you do they sound like magic! Huge congrats!

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Originally Posted by OxShoeDrew

Wonderful, Donnie!! Do you have any idea when the mark was put on it? Those are difficult to put a coil on but when you do they sound like magic! Huge congrats!

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I'm doing my research now with the help from my friends. It looks like my coin was probably minted in Mexico as the assayer's mark is probably "TH." That would put the coin as minted sometime between 1803 - 1810 according to a chart I now have bookmarked. I can see "18" on the coin but not the last two digits. I'm thinking that the countermark was probably placed on the coin late in it's life before being lost. The coin looks like it circulated for decades. The countermark is listed in Brunk as a merchant countermark. Copies of Brunk now are very expensive. I'm hoping to find a coin collector who has a copy. I would love to know why Brunk lists it as a merchant countermark. It's odd to me because coins circulated widely and merchant countermarks were advertisements. I don't know why you would advertise with just your initials. I'm thinking (and I got this idea from Danny) that it may have been a silversmith that counterstamped the coin after it became worn from circulation to denote good silver. That's only my opinion and it disagrees, apparently, with Brunk.

By the way, the coin was probably at least six inches down. It was just a sweet whisper.

Oh boy he is at it again...feeling hurter!

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Originally Posted by calabash digger

Oh boy he is at it again...feeling hurter!

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Feeling hurter! I've heard that in your videos before. :rofl::hystericallaugh::lolsign: