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 Replies: 33 / Views: 4,934 |
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New Member
United States
14 Posts |
Hi guys, I'm new. Thanks for having me. I'll be brief as possible. Please forgive my ignorance as I'm new to collecting coins. And forgive me if I've broken any forum ettiquite by posting this here. I live in West Texas in a small town that the old Comanche war trail ran through. The trail was used by the Comanche until the late 1880s or so. There is a 200 ft hill located along the trail thata was important as a strategic location. So there was relatively heavy activity in this area. While searching with a metal detector at the base of this hill I found this old coin along with several very old bullets. I've added this picture of the coin along with the old bullets as a possible clue regarding time period. Also pictured are a US nickel and quarter for size comparison. Thanks again. P.S. I don't reasonably expect anyone to identify this coin based on my limited information and bad cell phone picture, but any input is appreciated. And who knows, maybe some sharp eyed member will know something. Will post more pics ASAP. Regards-   |
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New Member
 United States
14 Posts |
I forgot to mention in my original post that I'd obviously appreciate any help identifying this coin. Being a novice I haven't had much luck. I have researched and had no luck. Again any input is appreciated And any questions are welcomed.
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Moderator
 United States
14463 Posts |
Sorry, but I can't make anything out from that image. Can you get any clearer picture of the coin in question?  |
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New Member
United States
14 Posts |
Thank you for the welcome Fuzzy. Yes, I agree that's a horrible picture. I was half asleep when I posted this. I will post a much better picture once I'm back home.
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Moderator
United States
34441 Posts |
New pics would be great, and while those old bullets are fascinating, the pics of the coin should focus just on that one object so that the details are as clear as possible. I'm betting that it will be a Half Cent.  "If you climb a good tree, you get a push."
-----Ghanaian proverb
"The danger we all now face is distinguishing between what is authentic and what is performed."
-----King Adz
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4963 Posts |
It would be nice if it was a Half Cent. Perhaps a button of some sort? |
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
5684 Posts |
Using the other coins as a reference, the coin in question looks like it's 23 mm in diameter, so agree it could be a Half Cent, or maybe a two-cent. Looking forward to a focused pic.... |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
6130 Posts |
Could also maybe be a store token? The 2 cent was only introduced because copper tokens were rapidly becoming a de facto currency.
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New Member
United States
14 Posts |
Hey guys, thanks so much for the input. I tried to take a better picture unfortunately my cell phone camera is limited in capability and in limited in money soon don't have a fancy camera for better pictures. This was the best I could do. Am I wrong to think that condition of the coin, regardless of what it is, destroys any monetary or even collectible value it might have?   |
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New Member
United States
14 Posts |
Well, I tried my best but as you can see, there's absolutely no detail captured in these pics. Sorry if I've wasted any one's time. Thanks again for your help. Perhaps I'll take it to the local museum and ask someone to look at it for me.
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Rest in Peace
United States
17900 Posts |
We don't mind your attempt. If you have any local coin shops in your area they could probably help you.
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New Member
United Kingdom
6 Posts |
I'm a newbie as well but have found, sometimes, that if you can position a magnifying glass over the coin, and take a picture through that, you can get quite good detail on a photograph.
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New Member
United States
14 Posts |
Good idea John. I have considered that. I think this poor old coin is shot. Try as I might, it's so badly work I can't make out any sort of detail. It could be the most rare coin in the world and there would be no way to tell, visually. Should I dip it in metal cleaning fluid, lol?
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
94367 Posts |
You local coin store is probably the best bet. Anyway - to the CCF! |
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Pillar of the Community
Russian Federation
5178 Posts |
In my experience, it often helps to take a photo from much farther away (say 10 inches instead of 2-3 inches). You get much better focus that way, and the detail loss from having a smaller image is not significant when it's still going to be blurry. Here's a photo of a coin (which I really should post a thread about, incidentally) I did with an awful camera using the "10 inches away" trick, and a better photo of the same coin (a year and a half later, when I got a better camera) for comparison...   |
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New Member
United States
14 Posts |
Awesome idea, January. Thanks! I will try that. Upon inspection it looks as if at one point the coin was burned. I also found it odd that such an "old coin" was maybe an inch deep in the soil. Is that uncommon?
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Replies: 33 / Views: 4,934 |
Posted 04/06/2016 02:41 am
