WHEN using his metal detector at a 200-year-old property, a lucky coin collector found a rare 1907 coin.
The property was once home to a huge mansion and many of its treasures were left behind.
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YouTuber and metal detector enthusiast Sergei (@russianarchaeologist0935) visited the site, ready to discover some items from the past.
“To begin with, I had a very good feeling and immediately my intuition was rewarded with a 1918 wheat penny,” he said in a video.
Depending on condition, these coins can be worth up to $2,000 at auction.
Next, he found a 1918 buffalo nickel, named after the buffalo on the crown side of the coin.
One of these mint-condition coins sold for a record $55,200 at auction in 2020, according to the Professional coin grading services.
“I was absolutely crushing the coins because a few moments later I got another one,” he said after unearthing a rare 1907 Barber coin.
“This is one of the rarest coins here in the US.”
Barber coins, named after designer Charles E. Barber, look very different from the coins we are used to today.
They were in circulation from 1892 to 1916 and featured Lady Liberty on the obverse.
On the back there is an ornate crown surrounding the words “One Dime”.
Although the 1907 coin had the highest mintage of the Barber dime series, it is surprisingly unusual to find it in high notes.
There are hardly any better examples than the MS66 – on a scale of 70 – according to PCGS.
In 2019, a 1907 Barber dime sold for $5,760 at auction.
A FAMOUS FIND
Coin collectors started a bidding war for another popular Barber coin, and one of them ended up paying more than $1.99 million to take it home.
The San Francisco mint struck nearly 2.5 million dimes in 1893, but only 24 were minted the following year.
A recession led to a drop in demand for small change, resulting in a severe reduction in coinage.
The 1894 San Francisco Barber dime has only been auctioned four times in history, most recently in 2016 when it sold for $1,997,500.
“This was a once-in-a-generation opportunity to own one of the most famous, mysterious and elusive coins in American numismatics,” said Greg Rohan, president of Heritage Auctions.
How coins are classified
Coins are graded on a scale of one to 70, with one being the lowest grade and 70 being the purest example.
Numbers 60 to 70 are generally the most sought after by collectors and are known as Mint State coins.
Pieces worth thousands of dollars at auction are commonly found in MS67, MS68, and MS69 condition.
An MS-70 is almost impossible to find among older coins.
No more than nine, possibly just eight, examples of the Model 1894-S that cost nothing to collectors.
The one from the 2016 auction was considered the “best” example and received an MS66 rating out of 70.
“We know there are probably at least a few more of these 1894-S coins still in circulation,” Rohan added.
“Heritage Auctions is offering a reward to anyone who may have a previously unreported example of this coin. We will pay $10,000 simply to be the first to examine and verify that it is an authentic and previously unknown 1894 dime- S.”
Another metal detector enthusiast found a rare gold coin after searching for 15 years.
A coin collector has advised others to watch out for a simple error on a coin that could be worth $15,000.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
