A North Carolina man brought a metal detector with him when he went on vacation early this month in Maine. He found something more than just nails when using it near a church in the town of Embden. Treasure hunter Shane Houston uncovered a 222-year-old copper coin buried in the dirt. The penny is dated 1798 and is valued at about $200. The coin shows the draped bust of Lady Liberty in profile, with the word liberty and the year. It was designed by Robert Scot, the first Chief Engraver of the United States Mint, after a painting by Gilbert Stuart. Money was first minted in the U.S. in 1793. It is the oldest coin Houston has found in more than 10 years of metal detecting. On that lucky vacation, he also found an 1818 penny, a wagon wheel and a musket ball that is believed to be British. He plans to keep his find.
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