Page 1 of 4 123 ... LastLast
Results 1 to 20 of 67

Thread: The find of a lifetime!

  1. #1

    The find of a lifetime!

    Got out yesterday with Danny LaMontagne to do some Colonial cellar hole diggin. I'm still in shock and it hasn't sunk in yet but I pulled out a bucket list coin yesterday. I would like to thank Danny LaMontagne for letting me tag along with him. Danny is the best friend a guy could have and I am so grateful to him for letting me tag along and dig colonial! I thought I knew what it was in the hole but I called Danny over and let him pull the coin out. It's a 1652 Massachusetts Pine Tree Shilling. After 300 plus years in the ground, Danny was the first person to touch it since it was lost by a colonist.Name:  18814336_10209321218691077_6990423850541621481_n.jpg
Views: 620
Size:  47.3 KBName:  19105701_10209321219051086_7146193852843806294_n.jpg
Views: 613
Size:  54.5 KB
    XP Deus

  2. #2
    Senior Member lee's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
    Location
    wethersfield ct
    Posts
    689
    wow Donnie, that is an incredible find mate and in fantastic shape to.
    did it ring up just like a copper ? how deep was it ?

  3. #3
    Senior Member lee's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
    Location
    wethersfield ct
    Posts
    689
    just a bit of history that brings into context just how old that coin is

    OLIVER CROMWELL, Lord Protector 1653 - 1658
    Cromwell was born at Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire in 1599, the son of a small landowner. He entered Parliament in 1629 and became active in events leading to the Civil War. A leading Puritan figure, he raised cavalry forces and organised the New Model Army, which he led to victory over the Royalists at the Battle of Naseby in 1645. Failing to gain agreement on constitutional change in government with Charles I, Cromwell was a member of a 'Special Commission' that tried and condemned the king to death in 1649. Cromwell declared Britain a republic 'The Commonwealth' and he went on to become its Lord Protector.
    Cromwell went on to crush the Irish clans and the Scots loyal to Charles II between 1649 and 1651. In 1653 he finally expelled the corrupt English parliament and with the agreement of army leaders became Lord Protector (King in all but name)

  4. #4
    Oldest find: 5,000 year old copper spearhead
    Oldest coin: 1699 William III halfpenny
    Purdiest coin: 1832 Capped Bust quarter
    Coolest find: USA button with blue threads still on shank

    "He who would search for pearls must dive below."

  5. #5


    This is probably the most amazing find I've seen on this forum! Words cannot express!

    It is in INCREDIBLE condition too, and worth a pretty penny! This is a find where you should take great care in it's handling. Personally, I would not attempt to clean it.

    Huge congrats on the fantastic piece of colonial history! This is a mind blowing find!

    Lifetime totals:
    9 Large Cents, 415 Indian Heads, 2 Two Cent Pieces, 1 Capped Bust Half Dime, 1 Seated Half Dime, 10 Shield Nickels, 68 V Nickels, 124 Buffalo Nickels, 31 War Nickels, 16 Seated Dimes, 131 Barber Dimes, 405 Mercury Dimes, 249 Rosies, 4 Seated Quarters, 18 Barber Quarters, 19 Standing Liberty Quarters, 89 Silver Washingtons, 1 Seated Half, 3 Barber Halves, 16 Walking Liberty Halves

    YouTube Channel: Tony Two-Cent https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmz...RlHTBIU42bUORg

  6. #6
    Elite Member Digger Don's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2013
    Location
    Northern Illinois
    Posts
    3,785
    That settles it, I'm moving to Connecticut!!

    Congrats Donnie, that coin is a RARE and FANTASTIC find.
    And it's condition is unbelievable
    Oldest Coin: 1699 William III Halfpenny


    20
    24
    Silver 4
    Indian 3, Buff 1, V Nik 1, Rosie 2, Barber Dime, SLQ 1,

    YT Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoU...FVGumMQ/videos

  7. #7
    Global Moderator aloldstuff's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    western mass
    Posts
    10,310
    Find of a lifetime to say the least.....huge congrats on such a beautiful and rare coin.
    V3i- Prism IV- Pro Pointer
    2020 GOAL: Any Flowing Hair coin

    TOTAL 100 YEAR OLD COINS - -280
    2020:
    Silver: 11


    Oldest U.S. Copper - 1795 Liberty Cap
    Oldest U.S. Silver - 1829 Capped Bust Dime extra large 10C
    Click here to view my album

  8. #8
    It was probably less than four inches deep. I thought it was a copper when I got the signal. I told Danny it rang up in the 80's underground on my MXT Pro. Out of the hole, it was a solid 77.

    Quote Originally Posted by lee View Post
    wow Donnie, that is an incredible find mate and in fantastic shape to.
    did it ring up just like a copper ? how deep was it ?
    XP Deus

  9. #9
    Thanks Tony! I'm not even going to attempt to clean it any further. Danny and I sprayed a little water on it from a spray bottle when I dug it and that was it. I'm afraid to touch it!

    Quote Originally Posted by Tony Two-Cent View Post


    This is probably the most amazing find I've seen on this forum! Words cannot express!

    It is in INCREDIBLE condition too, and worth a pretty penny! This is a find where you should take great care in it's handling. Personally, I would not attempt to clean it.

    Huge congrats on the fantastic piece of colonial history! This is a mind blowing find!

    XP Deus

  10. #10
    HUGE CONGRATS DONNIE! Word of your find spread fast and I been looking forward to seeing this post! It's a real beauty. I'll bet it was hard to do any detecting after you realized what you had. Did you sleep with it last night? I would have! LOL. You got my vote for find of the year. Congrats again and thanks for sharing with us. Best wishes and HH, Dave.
    Oldest Coin: 100-60 BC Gallic bronze coin (Sequani Tribe)
    Oldest Silver Coin: 1156 hammered Pfennig from (now) Bavaria
    Oldest U.S. coin: 1805 Draped Bust Large Cent
    Best Coins EVER: 1625 4 Sols from Kingdom of Chateau Renaud, France
    1662 15 Kreuzers, Leopold I, Austria
    Best Relics: Bronze Age Arrowheads & Spearhead, 2c Roman silver ring, complete medieval knight's spur (x6)
    YouTube Channel: Full Metal Digger

  11. #11
    Elite Member Digger_O'Dell's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2015
    Location
    near Milwaukee Wi.
    Posts
    3,932
    WOW, you certainly hit the lottery! That certainly is the find of a lifetime! I briefly looked at values and depending on your variety and being in such awesome condition, that could easily be valued between $10,000 to $30,000 if it's a common variety. Maybe add another zero for the really rare ones.
    Definitely, do not clean it. But if I were you I would seriously consider getting it to PCGS for grading, verifying authenticity, determinjng variety, and preservation.
    Equipment:
    Minelab: CTX 3030, GPX 4800, X-Terra 705. Whites TDI SL.

    2023 Silver: 1 Gold: 0

    Best finds: 28 silver dime spill, 1800s Dutch customs seal.
    Oldest/best coins: 1837 Upper Canada large cent, 1877 Seated Dime
    Oldest find: 1800 Sailors Luck token
    You Tube: Rediscovering America

  12. #12
    Elite Member The Rebel's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2013
    Location
    Southwest, CT
    Posts
    2,060
    WOW! Find of a lifetime for sure! That's in amazing shape and if it could only talk!
    Guess you'll be retiring from the hobby & selling all of your gear, LOL!
    Minelab Manticore / SPECTRA V3i, Pro-Pointer II. Lesche Digger.
    Oldest Copper: 1694 William & Mary Halfpenny. Oldest Silver: 1663 1-Reale
    Cob.

    My Album

  13. #13
    Full Member Robbie's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    Central Maryland
    Posts
    438
    That thing is nice, amazing how it`s lasted.

  14. #14
    HOLY COW!!!! That is UNREAL!! I don't have words.....I've been sitting here for 5 min trying to find words. I'm happy for you Donnie and best of luck with its preservation and displaying!
    On Instagram- oxshoedrew

  15. #15
    Veteran Member BTV Digger's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    Northern Vermont
    Posts
    1,874
    Incredible and rare find sir. Among the top on the forum along with the Higley Copper posted here years ago. Much congrats! Do you plan on having it PCGS'd?

    John
    Vermont relic hunting, one swing at a time.
    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCG2...OLib30A/videos

  16. #16
    Administrator del's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    Connecticut
    Posts
    13,014
    Donnie called out to me and said "I got a good one " I said "you got a copper " he said "better" , I said "you got a shoe buckle" he said "i think its better" I walk over to where he was at and I see a nice shallow plug and a "quarter sized "greyish disk right in the middle . He was still squatting near the ground and looked like he didn't want to touch it so I picked it up and loosened some of the dirt from it and instantly saw 1652 XII and I couldn't believe what he just dug up I am truly honored that he let me be the first to touch it in about 332 years It is in amazing shape and wasn't in circulation very long as there is practically no "clipping" visible on the coin a bucket list coin for many in the hobby Donnie including myself , "Huge-Mega-Congrats

    A few of the coin guru's gave the coin an EF (Extra fine) grading which could bring the coin's value to about $7,500 dollars
    Last edited by del; 06-12-2017 at 07:11 PM.
    "Honesty is an expensive gift ,
    so don't expect it from cheap people"

    XP Deus II , DFX ,TDI sl -

    Click here to view my finds album


  17. #17
    For now, it will be going in the lock box at the bank. I am not going to touch it or clean it. I had a wisdom tooth pulled today so I'm drifting in and out between pain and extreme pain. I know it probably doesn't work this way but if I could drive the coin to PCGS and have it graded and slabbed in my presence, then I would do it.

    Quote Originally Posted by BTV Digger View Post
    Incredible and rare find sir. Among the top on the forum along with the Higley Copper posted here years ago. Much congrats! Do you plan on having it PCGS'd?

    John
    XP Deus

  18. #18
    You know that every time we speak for the rest of our lives that I am going to thank you! Thank you for letting me tag along with you! Thank you for your knowledge. Thank you for your friendship.

    I thought I knew what it was in the hole before you picked it up. It looked like a very busy and detailed coin with the details in all the right places. I had my glasses on but didn't pick it up so I couldn't tell for sure. I waited for you. I thought it could be a shilling and then my mind started racing. Is it British? Is it French? You pick it up Danny!


    Quote Originally Posted by del View Post
    Donnie called out to me and said "I got a good one " I said "you got a copper " he said "better" , I said "you got a shoe buckle" he said "i think its better" I walk over to where he was at and I see a nice shallow plug and a "quarter sized "greyish disk right in the middle . He was still squatting near the ground and looked like he didn't want to touch it so I picked it up and loosened some of the dirt from it and instantly saw 1652 XII and I couldn't believe what he just dug up I am truly honored that he let me be the first to touch it in about 332 years It is in amazing shape and wasn't in circulation very long as there is practically no "clipping" visible on the coin a bucket list coin for many in the hobby Donnie including myself , "Huge-Mega-Congrats

    A few of the coin guru's gave the coin an EF (Extra fine) grading which could bring the coin's value to about $7,500 dollars
    XP Deus

  19. #19
    Donnie, tell us about the site. All of us are praying that this wasn't a virgin site because it will give us hope that there could be a tree shilling lurking at any old cellar hole, virgin or not.
    Oldest find: 5,000 year old copper spearhead
    Oldest coin: 1699 William III halfpenny
    Purdiest coin: 1832 Capped Bust quarter
    Coolest find: USA button with blue threads still on shank

    "He who would search for pearls must dive below."

  20. #20
    Elite Member Digger_O'Dell's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2015
    Location
    near Milwaukee Wi.
    Posts
    3,932
    Wondering what Donnie will find next, I'm guessing a Birch cent!
    Equipment:
    Minelab: CTX 3030, GPX 4800, X-Terra 705. Whites TDI SL.

    2023 Silver: 1 Gold: 0

    Best finds: 28 silver dime spill, 1800s Dutch customs seal.
    Oldest/best coins: 1837 Upper Canada large cent, 1877 Seated Dime
    Oldest find: 1800 Sailors Luck token
    You Tube: Rediscovering America

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •