# Find a penny, pick it up....



## Robby Raccoon (Aug 6, 2015)

All day long you'll have good luck.Well, that isn't true.... but you do get some interesting things from your day: A lady didn't stop on red before turning right. According to a cab driver who offered me a ride, she said that the lady didn't even look. 
My brakes are weak and I had the right-of-way, so I tried angling into the road around the car but ended up flying up over its hood and seeing my bike fly over me. I get up and loudly say, "Wow!" (not a happy one) to the lady in the car. 
I go to pick up my pack which had flown away and grab my bike as she gets out and grabs my shovel, repeatedly asking me if I was alright or wanted to go to the Emergency room. I tell her that passengers-- correcting myself to pedestrians-- have the right of way and get asked about my bike after insisting that I'm fine. I tell her that I'd test it out-- so I did-- as more people arrived on the scene. 
Unbeknownst to me, I was actually too dazed to realize that, as I stared at my front tire, it was wobbling severely and warped-- I realized that after I bid everyone at the scene a good day and left. 
I then wondered on the rest of my journey to go dig whether my tire was gonna fall off or not. 
I was mostly concerned, though, on the camera-- so I stopped and checked on it. xD 
I later realized that-- when I was inside the building and unable to get my eyes to focus in the dimness-- I was actually rather dazed.  The building I mention is the one mentioned on here.  I discovered that the water-table starts 1 foot down... I hit wet clay and muddy dirt. Not fun when there are shards even in that. And this bottle had been in it. Sadly, the base is missing! [] Today I forgot to take in-situ pics, [:'(], but I did nail what is an 1880s or 1860s Indian Head cent-- my oldest coin that I've so far dug, and I found it while using a flashlight in the darkness of the windowless room. I sat and ate lunch about a foot away from 2 dead animals. Had the flashlight mostly in my mouth for 3 hours of digging out the floor and wall. Wall is wood, cement, and dirt. I love how light termite-eaten wood is... It was like foam in some places.  Also I dug some shards and a paver that I brought back. There was a jar-lid insert down about a foot, so this must be an older one(?)Not sure what this was.  
	

	
	
		
		

		
			








Maybe my luck was down because the penny was so corroded? What can I do to clean it up safely? It's either 188_ or 186_.What say you?
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




My first pipes.... Same hole. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




Early battery? Any ideas on age and exactly what it is?It says UL / MADE IN USA. I dug this up a bit above the water-level. Not sure what the exterior exactly is. It's somewhat flexible still, but it's brittle and acid-covered (acid now neutral, thankfully.)  So.... How do I clean the penny to where it's readable, what is my battery-thing (there's a glass tube in it,) and how old do you think my pipes are? The building is circa-1890s in that portion, and everything is hand-tooled (except one shard) that I've been digging.Most bottles I've dug the shards to were S. B. & G. Co.-made bottles, so pre-1906 for most glass (lots of Baltimore Loop Seals.) I dug 1 intact bottle-- a blob, or to be specific, an oil-finish tooled by hand-- and an insulator made between October (likely November) of 1906 and July of 1907. Help?


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## RIBottleguy (Aug 6, 2015)

Yikes!  Glad to hear you're ok for the most part.  Did you get the lady's contact information? On another note, use a wood toothpick to scrape away the encrustation on the penny.  They are good esp. for cleaning off the date area, as they won't scratch anything.  Blow the crud off, and then use a little oil (rub your finger on your forehead, it works well!) to help bring out the details in the coin.


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## Robby Raccoon (Aug 6, 2015)

Thanks for the idea.  Actually, no: I had thought that everything was alright with me and my bike, and too many people were showing up (I have a social phobia,) so I got out quickly.I just left to go dig and hold a flashlight dripping saliva at times in my mouth for hours. Apparently it soaked in and caused damage as now it won't turn off fully. :/ I've been doing some research on methods to use.Apparently, we can even use Easy Off Oven Cleaner to clean the coins.Scrubbing will causes scratches-- hence why I didn't wipe it down at the dig except to see that it was an Indian Head.Doing deeper research, all methods have drawback.The method in the later-following link works on some coins better than others-- depends on soil and corrosion.I'm not sure what I can do with the corrosion, though.I once (years and years ago) found an Indian Head in bank change. After years of failing to decorrode it, I finally ended up taking a tool and scrapping away till I could get the date as the thing was corroded and had a hole through it: 1890.I need to burry it in some dirt for awhile so that I can get the shiny copper to go dull (scraping.)  
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




From http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/cleaning-preservation/22115-cleaning-large-cents.html^ A method on using 3% heated hydrogen peroxide. ^ I've compared mine to a very nice 1864 Indian Head that just so conveniently happens to have a home on my coin-shelf.It appears, based on how things line up, that mine is 1860s.My mom was arguing that the '1' looked like an '8' even though I was pointing out the amount of raised corrosion and how numbers line up on parts of the Native.So I checked out my deceased-grandpa's Indian Heads: On all his Indian heads, the date is directly beneath the neck/hair.For mine to be 1880s, the date would have to be moved to the left and thus outside the neck.So I'm pretty sure that mine is 186_. And so, on what was turning out to be a very bad day, I find my oldest find: Civil War-era penny.


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## andy volkerts (Aug 6, 2015)

Looks like 888 to me, maybe it is a mistrike with an 8 over where the 1 should be??


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## Robby Raccoon (Aug 7, 2015)

We'll find out as soon as I find an appropriate cleaning-method. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	







I think that these are clearer images. You can still read LIBERTY in the headband, and you can still see details in the feathers.See why I want to clean it right?  Look at how the numbers line up with the hair and neck on Indian-Head pennies, then look at mine. It's why I believe that mine is 1860s: The numbers line up.


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## cannibalfromhannibal (Aug 7, 2015)

Not to add insult to injury, but if you knew your brakes were bad, you should have not been riding something you couldn't stop in time. Also, if you have wheels under you, then you are no longer a pedestrian, but a vehicle of some sort, and with that the accompanying responsibilities and regulations apply. This includes good operating condition such as decent brakes. ( I was once a traffic school instructor so forgive me for my indiscretions.) I am glad you are only dazed, as a bicycle usually fares poorly against any motor vehicle. Jack


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## Robby Raccoon (Aug 7, 2015)

It's hard to add insult to my minor-as-heck injuries, so no worries. Here are more details as my mom made me go fill out a police report anyway after she went ballistic and began shouting at me outside for all the neighbors to hear: There was only one sidewalk (which I was on) and no shoulder on either side of the road. The lady was turning right on red without looking or stopping. I was going onto the crosswalk but had to veer off. The pedestrian-can-cross light was White meaning Go. Essentially, in this case, I had done nothing wrong as pedestrians have the right-of-way and drivers are supposed to be defensive. Even if my brakes were good, I'd have likely hit the car instead of getting hit-- unless I wanted to throw myself from the bike. LOL.As I had to explain to my mom: It was an accident.Accidents aren't intended and are not really foreseen. Multiple factors from all parties involved lead up to them-- my brakes, her failure to obey traffic-laws, timing, and probably the color of my shirt which was gray-- all of these factors and more lead up to an unintended amount of damage to 4 things: My bike, her car, her mental health, and my physical health. I'm a cyclist-- I ride 30 miles when I get bored and/or am scouting out locations to dig. My last accident was months ago in which a car tore out of a parking lot and hit me on my bike-- I swore at them and kept going as I didn't fall off (my blue bike bounced off their silver-colored bumper.) Before then, I haven't had an accident involving any form of vehicle except my own (bike was falling apart) since the year before last.  I recall my only other damaging accident involving a vehicle: I had looked both ways twice and was already crossing a wide road (far away from the intersection and having my turn to cross it at an unbusy time) when an ambulance came out of what was a care facility (empty now) and was on the WRONG side of the road.The vehicle turned its lights and sirens on, but I was in it's path as I was already crossing. I attempted to high-tail it out of there when I saw it coming at me, but it clipped my bike and sent me sprawling. It then stopped, and as soon as I got up a second later it continued on and turned its lights/siren off. My fire-engine-red bike was permanently ruined. I'm not sure why they were on the wrong side of the road, why they began speeding toward a red light, or why they turned the lights and siren off after not stopping to help the kid they just hit. I RARELY share that story, for I'm not sure anyone would ever believe it. It's one of the more laughable accidents that I've heard-- getting hit by an ambulance. Go figure.  I am still wondering what people here have to say about my battery? 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




When is it from, what exactly is it, and what is the function of the glass tube in it?


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## andy volkerts (Aug 8, 2015)

definitely 186o something, your last pic is clear enough to make that out.......let us know when you have decided how you are going to clean it further, the wooden scraper sounds good, I am not a coin person but I do know a coin has to be in VEEEEERRRy good condition before it is worth much, unless it is very rare, and I don't know if this one qualifies...........Andy


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## Robby Raccoon (Aug 8, 2015)

Double-posted. Sorry. I'm no coin-expert at all, but mine should be a $150 penny at least (on today's market.)The chart is updated at least yearly.  So... it would more than pay for the damage to my bike.


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## Robby Raccoon (Aug 8, 2015)

I'll show pics later when I've finished with it, Andy, but here is some up-to-date information on my much cleaner coin and its fine details:http://www.coinstudy.com/1869-indian-head-penny-value.html It is now clear that mine is an 1869 IHP (Indian Head Penny.)LIBERTY is all there in the headband, and the details on each feather are all still visible. I'm afraid that mine has a little damage and retains some corrosion, but it might be worth having finished professionally if what I'm doing doesn't give me superior results. I'll give details on the method later when I get pics.


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## andy volkerts (Aug 8, 2015)

I looked at your grading info, and based on the rarity and the fact that they are so rare, you may be looking at 200.00 if it cleans up well!! congrats!! great find...........Andy


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## Robby Raccoon (Aug 8, 2015)

*My oldest and most valuable find to date:*

Andy, thanks [], and I'm going down to a place that I trust to consult a man and get guidance on:1. Should I have it further cleaned by professionals. 2. What should I do about it for now. 3. Should I have it graded. Here is what I did:10 times I boiled 3% USP Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2) for this coin.3 times I took a Q-tip of cotton lightly to it to get gunk off.I neutralized the acidic H2O2 using baking soda and a very light rubbing of it with the wet Q-tip and finally soaked it for a while in distilled water before the last Q-tip lightly touched it.Patting it dry, I got this result:
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





Notice the details of the feathers still clearly visible on all of them, although some show wear. LIBERTY is still distinct on the headband. The necklace shows a little wear, and so does her hair, but some individual strands are present. What I thought was pitting appears to be extant corrosion, so a professional cleaning might be able to remove that. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




I learned how to grade Indian-Head Pennies. The horizontal bars on the shield are all clearly separated still. The ribbon does not at all merge with the arrows. It appears that the horizontal bars are pinstriped, but that was not mentioned in my learning on how to grade-- not sure why, as those would likely wear away soon. Some details in the leaves are gone, but most seem to remain.  Some luster of the copper is showing through, but much is darkened and covered in patina. There is still some corrosion. I did only a little thumbnail-scraping before the first Q-tip to remove stuck-on sand. There is some corrosion that I likely could scrape off, but I'm not going to touch it until I get professional help.  An interesting thought is that the likelihood of finding one of the rarer IH pennies-- from the 1860s-- covered in dirt inside of an 1890s building-- with only a flashlight and far doorway for light and myself still being off from the accident-- and the coin still having such details is very, very low.... I don't believe in luck, but this is one lucky penny that has not seen much use in 146 years.


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## elmoleaf (Aug 8, 2015)

*Re: My oldest and most valuable find to date:*

Nice. I wouldn't do anything more to it.  Keep in mind when the green stuff comes off, it leaves behind ugly pits.Dug coins are corroded (aka "environmental damage") and do not have the same value you see in online guides. Likewise, those are retail prices...what you'd pay to get one, not what a dealer or someone might necessarily offer.Look at completed ebay listings to get an idea...you might be in the $30-$50 range....really crappy corroded ones have sold for $20 or less.Get a magnifying glass and check the date...if you have the 1869 overdate, you have a winner...that'd still be probably $200 in that condition.


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## Robby Raccoon (Aug 8, 2015)

*Re: My oldest and most valuable find to date:*

Thanks. [] It was dug indoors near the surface. Most coins end up outside. It got luckier.  I'm not interested in selling it. I'm interested in seeing it look as good as possible.  What do you mean by 'over-date'? Do you mean like-- I think it was-- the 1888 over 1887?


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## andy volkerts (Aug 8, 2015)

*Re: My oldest and most valuable find to date:*

Whether you can trust the place or not, take their advice re value with a grain of salt, as value is always in the beholders eye. I wouldn't put any money into cleaning, as you are going to keep it, I do  not think the extra expense would be worth it, do the professional cleaning just before you decide to sell it. but, their valuation will be somewhat helpful, just be aware that a lowball valuation may be possible. I am always shocked when I hear of a pro evaluator giving a very low offer on something they know is quite valuable, you hear it all the time on Antiques Roadshow. be careful it is too good a find to let someone get it from you for less than its worth........Andy


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## Robby Raccoon (Aug 8, 2015)

*Re: My oldest and most valuable find to date:*

Sounds solid.I'm a restorer of antique books, and that wants to carry over to all my hobbies regarding antiques-- I'm learning on how to replace tops on bottles and fill in chips/cracks. Now I've learned how to clean a coin.Essentially, I want things to look as original as possible. I can never get it to look like it was just minted, but I can likely have it brought to very-fine condition. If I were to sell it, the story would be lost-- no one who saw the coin would know that it sat in a building since-- likely-- before 1907 (judging by all the items I've pulled out of that room,) that its finder had just been struck by a car an hour before whilst cycling out to go dig, or that it was the finder's first pre-1890s find and first find worth more than $20. They'd not know all that went into the coin, nor would they even know what city it had spent most of its life in. I've not seen Antiques Roadshow in years-- I stopped watching TV two-three years ago. It's my favorite find to date. Other than fossils, I used to solely collect coins.


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## RCO (Aug 9, 2015)

*Re: My oldest and most valuable find to date:*

that's definity a hard penny to find according to book is a hard to find date . I don't know a lot about old pennies but I'd say its a keeper


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## Robby Raccoon (Aug 9, 2015)

*Re: My oldest and most valuable find to date:*

Definitely a keeper for me. 





Back of IHP, before and after my cleaning-attempt. This first pic was taken whilst I was still quite dirty. LOL.


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## RED Matthews (Aug 9, 2015)

*Re: My oldest and most valuable find to date:*

Hu Robert, I just spent a good 20 or 30 minutes writting to you and pushed something wrong - and loswt it all.  This has happened before.  I need to know what booksw of instruction you use for doing computer things like your underlined here, and text referencing.  I liked your penny story, and I know I have some found as a kid. Twice I wrote to you about blob tops.  I have at least 50 of them.  They were early applied glass rings of lifted glass that were applied and tooled with a tool shaping them to a round cork finish.   I have two quart salesmans sample bottles with blob tops.  One is from the "/ Flying Star"  "/ Star Bottling Works ", "/ Elmira, N.Y. ". all of that in script lettering.  The star form even has a bird with wings in the center of it.   Making Company and one is from the "/ C.HOUSE "glass company in "/ONEIDA, N.Y.".   I don't have it here right now but I have a third one for the Elmira Glass Company".I have some sodas and other black glass blob tops -I think most of them precede the tapered applied bottle tops.  RED Matthews


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## Robby Raccoon (Aug 9, 2015)

*Re: My oldest and most valuable find to date:*

Yeah, I typed up one long post for an hour and a half-- inserting my blue linked-words to pictures that I take or other informative things (these blue are all from today-- just can't help but to show-off cute wildlife at my house) and filling it with research and select photos-- once when suddenly I lost it all. []I got so ****ed-off. LOL.It wasn't the first time-- once, though, I got it back somehow?   Are you asking me to research your bottles? I'm not sure of what you mean? I got a few bottles lately. One (rare.) Two (likely scarce-rare.) Three. Four, five, and six (final is rare.) Seven through twenty-four.... LOL. Twenty-five and nearly one more.... The last and this one make twenty-seven in a way but not really.... All these make twenty-eight and three/fourths.... Okay, I'm being ridiculous now. []


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## bottlerocket (Aug 14, 2015)

*Re: My oldest and most valuable find to date:*

What an amazing story or "adventure" you had. Glad you were able to relatively walk/ride away from this one.GREAT looking Indian also.


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## Robby Raccoon (Aug 14, 2015)

*Re: My oldest and most valuable find to date:*

Thank you. I had thought that you guys would like the story.


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## sunrunner (Aug 14, 2015)

*Re: My oldest and most valuable find to date:*

new world toys .com.


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## Robby Raccoon (Aug 14, 2015)

*Re: My oldest and most valuable find to date:*



			
				sunrunner said:
			
		

> new world toys .com.


I typed in the URL but pulled up nothing?


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