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

  Wayne Homren, Editor

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