SOMETIMES hobbies like digging and treasure-hunting can lead to finding real riches.
This happened to two friends who discovered a rare coin with valuable history.
The friends found the coin buried in the dirt.
After wiping the silver coin off, they realized it was a nickel from 1853, or a “half dime” as the user said.
The coin has been valued at $80,500 according to the Professional Coin Grading Service.
The TikTok user (@detectingohio) said they got a call from their neighbor who eagerly told him to meet him.
“His exact words were ‘You better bring your camera,'” he said as he walked to a small hole buried in the middle of a leafy grass field.
His friend told him he was searching with his metal detector when it started making a ring noise.
Then he started digging and noticed a thin, ridged coin glistening in the dirt.
HALF DIME
The user said he and his friend had been detecting together for over a decade and hadn’t found the coin until now.
“I don’t even want to rub that,” his friend said. “No don’t rub it, it’s beautiful,” the user replied.
They noted the coin’s date and couldn’t believe they found such an old coin hidden at the park.
They wanted to rescan the hole to look for more riches after that.
“Half dime? You mean a nickel?” one person commented.
“No this coin is before nickels,” the user replied. “It was called half dime, even says it on the back.”
The user also shared his tip to a beginner coin-hunter on finding hotspots for old coins.
“Here’s a secret,” he wrote. “Historical aerials on Google, you can look up 1940 overlay maps for free.”
A LITTLE HISTORY
The Seated Liberty Half Dime was minted from 1837 through 1873.
What is a die break or error on a coin?
What causes such defects on coins and why are they so rare to find?
A die break, also known as a “cud” is an error on a coin that is formed when a die, (used to strike a coin) is missing a piece near the rim.
When dies strike coins they have a heavy impact and pressure and the metal from the blank part of the coin, known as the planchet, flows into the area that was left by the missing piece of the die.
Coins with such deformities are rare thanks to the strict quality control measures at the U.S. Mint.
When such errors do occur they are often caught and destroyed.
However, those that slip through the net become huge collector’s items worth much more than their given value
Source: Littleton Coin Company
There were two versions of the coin. The first type was struck in 1837 at the Philadelphia Mint with obverse stars.
The following year, the coins were struck at the New Orleans Mint.
The obverse or front side of the coin displays a figure of Lady Liberty seated on a rock, holding a shield inscribed with the word “liberty.”
The coin is selling for even more on eBay though — a whopping $288,800.
MORE COINS
Another treasure hunter and his buddy found a valuable penny using their metal detectors.
He shared his journey on YouTube as the two men visited a park where old houses used to sit.
They found an Indian Head Cent from 1893, another coin featuring Lady Liberty, this time in a headdress.
A version of the penny auctioned for $34,500 as per Heritage Auctions.
The U.S. Sun covers thrifting stories and rare toys that might be collecting dust in your attic.
One couple found an instrument in the trash worth $50,000.
Meanwhile, a woman brought her family heirloom into Antique Roadshow and discovered it was worth $30,000.