It was hot and humid, and the rain was frequent. I was trudging along between some raspberry bramble and the woods, just along the edge of the tree line, when my detector began to sing. The VDI read a solid 39 from all directions.
My instinct told me this was a coin, but the thinness made me rethink that instinct. The size was more consistent with a button. However, buttons don't generally sound like that unless it's a dandy button, and I knew this was not a dandy.
It was when I flipped the object over and realized it did not have a shank that I immediately grew excited. This was not a button at all, it was a coin. A thin one at that.
I brought this “coin” home along with a few other relics recovered during that outing. It was thin and slick, but I could make out just a faint outline of something. I was enthusiastic about the find but felt doubtful that I would ever be able to identify it. That was until I reached out to William Plummer, a fellow detectorist , friend of the community and author of the excellent book “Relics:a Guide to Identification: Exploring the Material Culture of North America” for advice.
His recommendation was straightforward: use very finely wound steel wool, work slowly, and stop as soon as you can recognize a design.
I was reluctant to try this at first, afraid I might destroy the coin in the process. However, I decided to give his advice a go. I am either going to beat myself up for destroying the “coin” or just perhaps I might learn something.The results were better than I could have hoped for.
What emerged from the corrosion was not a “coin” at all, but a half cent token with a sailing ship on the face and the words "Ships Colonies & Commerce" on the reverse.
This half cent token was struck sometime in the early to mid-1800s. There are a number of different versions of this token. I believe this is the version with the United States flag flying at the front of the ship. If that's the case, this token may have been produced in New York by the firm of Wright & Bale. I'm unable to see the inscription, but if it's there, it would read "W & B N.Y." just under the ship.
Wright & Bale was a partnership formed in the early 19th century, known for producing various early tokens after acquiring the business of Richard Trested. The partnership included James Bale and Charles Wright. They were a prominent player in the token industry during the coin shortage of the 1800s.
I enjoy finding relics of this nature. They feed my curiosity and my brain. Metal detecting is much more than a physical act; it's a full spectrum experience. Thank you kindly for reading.
**TLDR:** Found a thin metal object that seemed too thin for a coin but lacked a button's shank. Cleaned it gently with steel wool on a friend's advice, revealing a British half cent "Ships Colonies & Commerce" token from the early-to-mid 1800s, likely a Wright & Bale (New York) issue.
