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 Replies: 12 / Views: 2,451 |
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
3098 Posts |
I dug up a 1942 Mercury dime this morning, my first silver coin of the year and only the twentieth silver I've found since I started metal detecting in early 2012. I found it in a small woods at the back of a little park in the town next to where I live here in SE Wisconsin. It was about three inches down along a pathway through the woods. It's good to have a silver find early in the year. Now if I can just find a few more in the months ahead.   Paul Bulgerin
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1512 Posts |
Congrats! It looks to be in decent shape. Clean that dirt off and check to see if it's an overdate!
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1346 Posts |
My best find was in an older neighborhood, between the sidewalk and grass where an old bus stop used to be. 7 dimes stuck together, bright and shiny where they were facing each other.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
898 Posts |
Looks to be in decent shape but heavy hairlines on the fields on Obv and Rev.
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
3098 Posts |
Almost all the silver coins I have found have hairlines. I figure it's the result of decades in ground that freezes and thaws, freezes and thaws. There's bound to be soil rubbing across the surfaces of coins in this climate.
Paul Bulgerin
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5828 Posts |
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Valued Member
United States
108 Posts |
Nice find with your detector
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Valued Member
United States
309 Posts |
This coin has nearly FSB and is in super high grade. Hairlines like these usually come from excitement in reading the date in the field on the part of the digger. It is difficult to wait but on silver and gold coins (someday I hope to dig) if you can resist the impulse to rub away the dirt right off, but soak the coin in water and gently work off the encrustation slowly with a green rose thorn, you can avoid adding hairlines to an otherwise breathtaking recovery. I have a nice dime that the digger couldn't wait to see. He added hairlines to see the date seconds after digging it and subtracted about the price of a new car in so doing. The coin is now impaired and can only be "details" graded. If your dime had been a lovey 1942/1 overdate a little quick dirt cleaning could leave a world of hurt. I carry an old plastic film canister filled with cotton for good finds to save them from getting crushed in the digging pouch and as a ready reminder to take some time cleaning coins with potential. Nice find!
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3098 Posts |
Thanks for the suggestions. If, and when, I find another silver I'll leave it untouched until I get home. On this one I just flecked off a bit of dirt, but probably should have left it alone.
Paul Bulgerin
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4333 Posts |
Nice dime Paul. I never tire of digging those little "renaissance" silvers.
Great advice Pistareen.
When I listen to LED ZEPPELIN...so do my neighbors...
Roll hunting since '77
Dirt fishing since '72
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Valued Member
United States
59 Posts |
Did you try to conserve it?
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3098 Posts |
All the dirt came off when I ran some water over the coin.
Paul Bulgerin
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Valued Member
United States
312 Posts |
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Replies: 12 / Views: 2,451 |
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Posted 03/30/2015 12:58 pm
