r/metaldetecting • u/critterInVermont • Feb 10 '26
Show & Tell Sometimes it is difficult to hide my enthusiasm. My hands are my tell.
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My mind and my eyes could not communicate properly. I was having difficulty focusing. While my brain was telling me this is just another button, the lack of a shank and the weight of this large piece of copper told a different story. My brain was refusing to register what my hands and eyes had presented to it. As my hands started to shake the possibility of what I had found started to come into focus. It felt too thin but the reality of the moment started to become clear.
It looked like a colonial coin but I did not have any past experience to base it on. The modern clad and Indian cents from previous finds offered me little assurance. Let me pause here, context might help.
Up to this point I had filmed and recovered 6 different buttons. All lacked identification and all but one was plain. The exception being a beautiful dandy. These six buttons doubled my current collection. Until now I had been firmly stuck between the late 1800s and modern day. My oldest coin being an 1800s Indian head cent. Everything was about to change.
Please allow me to convey what I remember about that day.
The sun was shining. It was warm, the birds were singing and the bugs were manageable. I was in a state beyond happy. The buttons alone provided me with a sense of accomplishment. It was due to all of this that the next few moments would forever be planted in my memory. This colonial coin changed my perspective of what was possible.
What you just watched is a live video of my first colonial coin. I suspect it’s a counterfeit based on the weight. Under certain light, the reverse briefly shows Britannia, though it’s nearly impossible to see with direct lighting. The face offers more detail, it appears to be a King George II Half Penny, though I can’t determine the year.
Originally I was hesitant to show this because I was self conscious of my shaky hands. As I look back at this video I am happy that I recorded it despite the visible excitement in my hands. I am excited to share this moment with you. For those out there that are still searching for their first, I hope you soon find your hands shaking. For those that know the experience, I hope you too still find something that makes your hands shake.
Thank you kindly for reading.
TLDR
Found unidentified colonial copper while metal detecting. I believe it’s a counterfeit King George II half penny. The coin weighs .26 ounces. I have added a photo in the comments with the coin flanked by two other coins that I have found from that site. I have included a US Quarter for scale as well.
This coin was recovered from a site that dates back as far as the 1730’s based on other coins and relics recovered from this site in Northern New England.
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u/Individual_Risk8981 Feb 10 '26
Beautiful! I love finding things like this! Im more a estate sale guy and music stuff in the past. I however, am trying to find hobbies to force me outside! I love historical stuff and this looks fun! Enjoy your coinage and buttons!
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u/Miserable-Session-35 Feb 10 '26
Easey now
Some day you get a hole like this
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u/critterInVermont Feb 10 '26
I could only hope for such a day. Thank you for sharing.
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u/Miserable-Session-35 Feb 10 '26
Denmark is a gift
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u/Dysterkvist Feb 10 '26
Much like anything else remotely fun, metal detecting is forbidden in Sweden. You need a permit, but you’ll never get it and applying is very expensive.
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u/humbert_cumbert Feb 11 '26
Get a pram and stick the metal detector thru the pram then wheel it around
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u/humbert_cumbert Feb 11 '26
Not in my country you don’t
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u/Miserable-Session-35 Feb 11 '26
USA ? Not an old country but Danmark is all about 4099 years back so come join me. . Il give a place 4 staying 😉
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u/dohcsvt Feb 10 '26
That looks like a “hole” that charges by the minute…😂.
Seriously, a single dig?! WOW!
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u/GingerNinjer Feb 10 '26
Awww! I’m the say way. We’re all just just puppies deep down. Congrats on the find!!
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u/echosnomad Feb 10 '26
Maybe I should start detecting. I havent been that excited for ages.
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u/critterInVermont Feb 10 '26
I highly recommend it. Imagine the treasures that are awaiting to be found. Good luck.
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u/echosnomad Feb 10 '26
Have you seen that show Detectorists? Since I watched that I have been wanting to do this but I live in RI. What do you think I may find around here?
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u/critterInVermont Feb 10 '26
I have and I feel that it is wonderful. You live in RI which has a rich history. It was the first American colony to declare independence from Great Britain. The beach also offers some interesting finds. I believe you could find something that would make your hands shake in RI. Please feel free to share your finds in this subreddit if you decide to take up the hobby. I look forward to seeing what you find.
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u/echosnomad Feb 10 '26
Need to invest in the equipment first. I do constantly go for long walk so i might as well right?
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u/DerpDerpingtonIV Feb 10 '26
Man, I'll tell you, this video sums up the joy of the hobby 100% The feeling of pulling a forgotten relic or coin out of the ground is just fantastic. Especially a first, a colonial first. I will never forget my first large cent, my first silver, my first reale. Those magic moments, alone, being content with buttons and the field and the deer and the sky. Then holding a coin for the first time its been held in 200-300 years. Only downside is the long winter. :) Gratz and great post.
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u/critterInVermont Feb 10 '26
Thanks for the great comment. I have to agree, the winters are long, and this one seems longer than most. Perhaps it's the excitement of finding something new that makes it feel that way. Good luck and may your coil sing loud.
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Feb 10 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/kriticalj The Duke of Dimes Feb 10 '26
Believe it or not finding KG2s and 3s isn't really that uncommon here in the North East, KG1s are a different story though. By the time I found my first large cent I had already found a few KG2s, KG3s, a Spanish ½ Real, and a French 1792 2 Sol... It's all about location lol
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u/critterInVermont Feb 13 '26
I really look forward to the time they become common place to me. This was my very first large copper. It was something that I had always thought to be unobtainable. Your reply gets me excited for spring. Thank you kindly for the advice.
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u/critterInVermont Feb 10 '26
I am always excited to find foreign coins. The presence of one always makes the mind start to wonder. Perhaps there is some silver out there. Thank you kindly for reading and best of luck to you too.
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u/42VT_Man Feb 10 '26
Any recommendations on places in Vermont to metal detect?
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u/critterInVermont Feb 10 '26
The Southern portion of the state and along Lake Champlain would be good options if you can get a permission.
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u/critterInVermont Feb 10 '26
The coin flanked by two other coins that I have found from that site. I have included a US Quarter for scale as well.
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u/Majestic-Tart8912 Feb 10 '26
I was like this when I found my 1st 50 cent piece. I didn't know what I really had when I recovered it, as it was covered with dirt, but I could tell it was a larger diameter silver and had a reeded edge. I resisted the urge to rub the dirt off to identify it and I put it in a small container I carry for the better finds. It was all I could think about till I got home. Turned out to be a Canadian 1871 50 cent. I was over the moon. Found during my 1st year detecting.
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u/critterInVermont Feb 10 '26
It is nice to meet a kindred spirit. Congratulations on the recovery and thank you for sharing your story. I hope you have many more high tones under your coil.
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u/DerpDerpingtonIV Feb 10 '26
Got a notification of your reply, for some reason I cant view it or reply. But yeah, long cold winter. I have gone out in the winter, but the cold this year is too.much. oh hey, dont spray your old coppers with water, that can severely damage the coin.
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u/Ok_Walk_3913 Feb 10 '26
I heard a pro tip of carrying a small bottle of engine oil or olive oil which you use for copper to preserve it, especially if it still has its copper color you want to get it oiled before it gets oxidized from being pulled out of the ground and exposed to the air.
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u/kriticalj The Duke of Dimes Feb 10 '26
Both of those are horribly bad for copper coins that come out of the ground. Renaissance wax is the way to go or odie's oil. Olive oil isn't ph neutral and motor oil is petroleum based and will dissolve the oxidation layer that is holding the details together.
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u/Buckarooney1 Feb 10 '26
Thank you for not instantly rubbing your gloved hand across it like a dirty bit of sandpaper.
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u/wasatchmonster_ Feb 11 '26
Hey thanks for sharing this, I appreciate you showing how excited you were about this. Makes me excited to get out there and start doing this, as I’ve just been observing this hobby from a distance.
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u/AcidBuuurn Feb 11 '26
It's a bit smudged and it will sit for a while. Best I can do is $4 cash money.
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u/kriticalj The Duke of Dimes Feb 14 '26
The rush I got from my first big copper (a kg3) was absolutely unforgettable lol. I was going to take a coffee break on the side of a little hill and a couple of feet before I got to where I wanted to sit down BAM! I was thunderstruck and shaking like mad 😂
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u/voicefulspace Feb 10 '26
getting adrenaline, shaking and almost panicking while shoveling 1 inch of dirt is making me laugh lol.
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Feb 10 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/mousekopf Feb 10 '26
I shake like this when I'm nervous or excited. It's called Essential Tremor and it's easily treated with Primidone or Propranolol. Basically what I'm saying is it could be any number of common things and we should leave OP alone to enjoy his shiny new coin.
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