Search

Cancel
Minelab

Monster 1784 8 Reale

31 Dec 2014

Monster 1784 8 Reale I have been detecting for a number of years and it takes a lot to get me excited but today was that day. Finding a 1783 monster silver 8 reale or the proper name 1784 Pau, France, Bearn, Ecu, Louis XVI coin was a thrill. It started when I took my buddy Mike with me to hunt this fur trade site. We headed to the site and had a great time finding musket balls, copper items and silver. Mike found a major keeper, a nice trade silver cone. Folks, this in its self is the find of the day. He was thrilled and I was happy for him and congratulated him on a rare find. This is just one of the many silver items found at this site over the past year. I wanted to check out another location about ¼ mile away and we started walking. We carried the detectors not to waste any time and headed to the site. As we were walking we spotted some very old brick in the field. I made a note of the location and we continued walking to the other site. The site produced just two pewter buttons and still had some potential for another visit once the field gets turned. We headed back to the area of the brick and the fun started. Mike was finding button after button. These were large and very old ones. I set my E-TRAC to a higher discrimination level not wanting to dig trash because of the lack daylight remaining. I immediately started finding these large buttons many of them pewter. One was the silver plated and the size of a half dollar. None of the buttons had any writing on them. I then get this high pitched tone and started to remove the plug with a shovel. At the bottom of the plug about 10 inches deep was this shiny bottom of a can….no it’s a continental dollar, no it’s a Spanish 8 Reale. It is a monster of a coin stuck to the bottom of the plug. Catching the remaining light of the setting sun, I was in disbelief as I read the date of 1784. I was thrilled as I raised it in the air and Mike from a distance could see this coin. Mike seemed to be as happy as me. He said this is one of his best days of detecting ever. I was glad he was having a great time.

Mike finding the trade silver in its self-made for a super day but walking out with two major silver finds made this a day that I will long remember. It started to get dark. With the site location etched in our minds, we decided to call it a day. The area to be searched is very large and we focused on the area with the brick. As I write the snow starts to fall. When conditions are right we will return to the site. Our hope is that the coin is just one of many hidden with others many years ago waiting to see the light of day once again. …$5.00 Gold Coin, Hammered Silver Date 1540, and many other finds all found with the E-TRAC. and now this 8 Reale ,,,, I love this hobby and the E-TRAC

 

Jim  - New York, USA

Return to Top

arrow_back Minelab
arrow_back Main Menu
arrow_back Minelab
arrow_back Product Filters
arrow_back Minelab
arrow_back Filters