1775 COIN FIND MAKES NEWS Public Deposited
The E-Sylum: Volume 7, Number 52, December 26, 2004, Article 17
1775 COIN FIND MAKES NEWS
On Sunday December 26, 2004, a story about the discovery
of a common 18th century coin in Boonsboro, MD made the
local papers, with a guest appearance by NBS board member
John Kraljevich:"Masonry contractor Clyde Barnhart didn't have to finish
his renovation to the historic Boone Hotel building in
Boonsboro before getting paid for his work. He dug up a
reward worth more to him than money soon after he started
the project this fall.The self-described "history nut" and relic hunter
discovered a 1775 British coin beneath the rotting
floorboards of the more than 200-year-old building. The
front side of the worn, copper half-penny includes a bust
of King George III with the words "Georgius III Rex."
The back side of the coin reads "Brittania."Despite its age, the coin isn't worth much - to anyone
except Barnhart and Boone Hotel owner Mark Webb. The
229-year-old coin today is worth between $5 and $10, said
John J. Kraljevich Jr. of Annapolis, director of numismatic
research for New Hampshire-based American Numismatic
Rarities. That half penny would be equivalent to about a
half dollar in today's economy, he said.""I don't care about the value; it's the historical
significance to me," said Barnhart, 55, of Hagerstown.
After finding the coin with his metal detector, he
cleaned it up with lemon juice and gave it to Webb to
frame and mount above the old brick fireplace near
where he uncovered his treasure.""The hotel was one of the first five buildings
constructed in Boonsboro after William and George
Boone founded the town in 1792..."To read the full story, see:
Full Story- 2004-12-26
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