Welcome to the site of Neil H Schwartz

Every outing seems to have produced great finds this spring.  The season began with a 17th century Irish Halfpenny found on a hillside.  The site has produced more than 50 civilian buttons and many large copper coins, the oldest being a William III Halfpenny dated 1699.  Although I had detected the site thoroughly on previous outings, I had neglected a steep hillside.  As I swept the coil over the thick layer of leaves, I got a faint whisper of a high pitched tone indicating a deeply buried coin.   After digging a large plug, I had what I was hoping for; a large copper coin.  Although it is in rough shape, I still consider this one of my favorite finds to date.  Due to its corrosion and light weight it is most likely a counterfeit, as were most of the coins circulating in the young United States at that time.

I was also lucky enough to find my second and third Civil War officer's buttons.  These buttons are found fairly regularly in the Southern States, but are unusual finds in the New Jersey area.  Pictured is an Infantry Officer's button bearing the scarce back mark "& STEELE & JOHNSON". Also found at the site was my oldest silver coin to date, an 1877 "S" Seated Liberty Quarter.   

April had some nice surprises, including my oldest U.S. coin, a Draped Bust Large Cent dated 1798.  The coin was found on another hillside, not far from the Irish Halfpenny.  It was a deep coin.  So deep in fact, that it only gave an intermittent  tone.  I nearly walked away, thinking that a broken signal like that could only be  ground minerals or a small piece of iron.  It pinpointed deep, at 9.5 inches, so I decided to check it out.  After digging a large plug of sandy soil swept the coin over the dirt pile.  There was nothing there.  It was still in the hole.  I activated my pinpointing device and found my target on the side of the hole, fourteen inches deep.  Expecting to pull an old iron bolt, I was surprised to see a large copper coin. 

There were more than 40 different varieties of the 1798 cent minted.  It was not until later that I was able to identify the coin as a very scarce Sheldon 181. The coin is in amazing shape considering it spent the last 200 years in the ground.  

Many more terrific coins and artifacts were found this spring, but the detecting became more difficult due to the growing tick population and the underbrush.  I decided to end the season with the return to one of my favorite sites.  I was determined to find one more large copper.  I worked slower and more methodically, listening to each beep and whisper.  All I was finding was small cents; a few very early Wheat Cents, and an Indian Head Cent.  Then I got a strong iron signal, but there appeared to be a nice tone coming as well.  I dug an old iron knife blade, and when I swept the coil over the hole again, I got that nice sweet tone of a large 

copper.  I pulled out the coin, and I Knew immediately I had a Large Cent.  After cleaning later that evening I was able to identify the coin as an 1817 Matron Head Cent.  The coin had some corrosion, but overall it has some nice detail.  The Indian Head turned out to be an 1899.  It is by far the nicest condition Indian Head I have found.  The coin looks like it was dropped the day it was minted.

So now it is time to clean up the equipment, and hang it up until the leaves begin to turn and the ticks start to die off.

In the mean time, visit my business website, SuddenValues.com and sign up for your chance to win gas cards and more!

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