Rare 19th-century coins found after fire at historic tavern

Archaeologists Uncover Rare 19th-Century Coins After Historic Tavern Fire

A devastating fire at Ohio's Overfield Tavern Museum in December has left the historic building in ruins, but its fate may be more positive than initially thought. While several historical items were lost to the flames, a team of archaeologists discovered an impressive array of artifacts beneath the charred floorboards.

Among the recovered treasures is a rare 1817 50-cent coin, which may have been used to purchase a drink or meal at the tavern during its operation. The coin's discovery provides a unique glimpse into the financial transactions that took place in the early 19th century. Archaeologists also found animal bones, including pig and fish remains, which suggest that the Overfields, who owned 78 hogs in 1810, may have butchered some of these animals on site.

Other notable artifacts include a piece of a ceramic smoking pipe, clay marbles, buttons made from bone, glass, metal, and shell, straight pins used to fasten clothing, a delicate finger ring, what appears to be a French gunflint, and two broken prehistoric projectile points (arrowheads).

The excavation revealed a fascinating glimpse into the daily life of the Overfields and their community. The discovery of these artifacts has helped replenish the tavern's collections, while an architect specializing in log structures will help rebuild and restore the historic tavern.

The total cost of the restoration is estimated to be around $1 million, with plans to reopen the fully restored museum by late 2027. Despite the devastation caused by the fire, the recovery of these artifacts has provided a sense of hope for the future and an opportunity to tell the story of Troy's original gathering place even better than before.

I'm so stoked that archaeologists were able to salvage some awesome history from the ashes ! The 1817 coin is like, super cool, you know? It's crazy how much info we can learn about what people were buying and doing back then. And those animal bones are wild - it's like they're saying "Hey, this place was a real hub of activity!" I'm also loving the fact that they found some prehistoric arrowheads - who knew Troy had such a rich history before the tavern even existed?

I guess it's kinda sad that the original building got destroyed, but at least the artifacts are safe and we get to learn more about the Overfields. It's like, full circle, you know? From the ashes of the fire, new knowledge is born The restoration plan sounds ambitious, too - $1 million isn't chump change, but it'll be worth it in the end I'm sure. Can't wait to see the new and improved Overfield Tavern Museum when it opens!

Man... this fire was super devastating . I mean, the thought of all those historical items going up in flames is just heartbreaking . But on the other hand, the fact that archaeologists were able to find so many cool artifacts beneath the rubble is like, whoa! A 1817 coin? That's like, totally rare and valuable . And the animal bones, like, it sounds like they really lived on site back then .

I'm glad that the museum is getting some help to rebuild and restore it, too . $1 million is a lot of money, but I guess it'll be worth it in the end when people can see all these awesome artifacts again . And it's cool that they're gonna try to rebuild it as accurately as possible, since it was like, built from logs or something . Fingers crossed that it opens up by 2027 .

omg that's so cool!! i mean i've heard of coins being hidden in buildings or stuff but to actually find one from 1817?! that's wild i'm also kinda glad they found some animal bones and pipe shreds, it's like getting a glimpse into the people's lives back then, you know? they're gonna rebuild this museum and make it even better than before, so fingers crossed for that!

I'm still trying to wrap my head around this whole thing... I mean, can you believe it? A historic tavern goes up in flames and instead of losing all its historical significance, archaeologists find this amazing treasure trove of coins and artifacts beneath the floorboards! It's like they say, "from ashes rise"

The fact that these coins date back to 1817 is just mind-blowing. I can only imagine what it must have been like for people to be walking into that tavern, ordering a drink or meal with this very same coin, and never even thinking about the historical significance of it all. And the animal bones? That's just fascinating. It's clear that the Overfields were living a pretty self-sufficient lifestyle.

Now, I know $1 million is a lot of money for restoration, but I think it's totally worth it. This place has so much history and character, and by preserving it, we're not only saving a piece of our past but also creating a unique destination for people to visit and learn from. I'm all about giving new life to old places, even if they've gone through a little fire (pun intended).

Wow I'm so down for that! It's crazy how much stuff they found underground. Like, who knew that the Overfields were running their own little slaughterhouse back then? And 50-cent coins are like, ancient money . Rebuilding the tavern is a big deal too, especially with a log structure expert on board. It's gonna be dope to see what else they find when it opens in '27

Man, can you believe what just happened? Archaeologists were like "oh no, everything is gone" but then they start digging around and find these epic coins from 1817 Like, who knew that old tavern had so much history tucked under its floorboards? And the animal bones, oh man, that's some wild stuff. I mean, it's not every day you see pig and fish remains on site. It's like, what was going on in that kitchen? Also, a ceramic pipe piece, clay marbles, and buttons made from all sorts of materials...it's like they found a time capsule or something. And two broken arrowheads? That's straight outta history books. I'm all about the restoration now, $1 million isn't too bad for a historic building that just got torched Can't wait to see the Overfield Tavern Museum back up and running by 2027

I'm kinda bummed about that tavern fire, but on the bright side, who would've thought archaeologists would stumble upon some epic 19th-century coins? It's amazing how much history can be hidden beneath a floor. Those animal bones are pretty cool too - it's like we're living in an episode of 'American Pickers'! The fact that they found all those artifacts, including the fancy finger ring, is just mind-blowing. I guess you could say the fire was a blessing in disguise for history buffs... and now we get to see Troy's old tavern come back to life even better than before . $1 million sounds like a pretty penny, but if it means preserving that piece of Ohio history, then I'm all for it

Ugh, can't believe they're gonna be rebuilding that old tavern . Like, what's the point of preserving history if we just keep rebuilding everything? I mean, don't get me wrong, it's awesome that they found all those cool coins and artifacts... but now it's just gonna get lost in a sea of new stuff . And $1 million for restoration? That's like, a whole lotta dough . Can't help but wonder what other treasures were left behind . Guess we'll just have to keep an eye on their online updates to see how the rebuild turns out

omg can u believe this? like i knew they were gonna find something valuable at that tavern but 1817 coins tho?! i'm low-key obsessed with those prehistoric projectile points, what is up with them? did the overfields use em to hunt or somethin'? anyway, glad they got some artifacts outta the fire, it's def a win-win situation. now let's get that tavern rebuilt and make it even more epic than before

omg i cant believe what just happened archaeologists are like total heroes right now! discovering all those old coins and stuff that were hidden beneath the floorboards is insane! it's so cool that they got to learn about the overfields and their community from all these artifacts i mean imagine using a 50-cent coin from 1817 to buy a drink at this historic tavern also can u even believe there was a french gunflint among all those finds? like who knew that was something old europeans used back then?

just saw this news about the tavern fire . like, imagine all that history just going up in flames... but at least they found some cool stuff . i mean, a 19th-century coin is super rare! you can't put a price on something like that . and the bones they found are pretty interesting too - it's like you're getting a glimpse into their daily life . the fact that they got to rebuild the tavern with some of those artifacts is amazing . hopefully the museum will be even better when it reopens in 2027

omg this is so cool! i wonder what it would be like to visit that tavern back in the 19th century... i bet they didn't have air con or anything lol. did you know that my grandma has a coin collector thingy at home and she's always showing me old coins from europe? i wish they could find more stuff like this, especially for my hometown history classes what do u think they should name the new exhibit? maybe something with "the original tavern" or "troy's historic hub"? btw have u ever tried making clay marbles at home? i wanna try that again

omg that's so cool ! I mean, can you imagine stumbling upon ancient stuff while trying to save some old building from burning down? It's like a real-life treasure hunt, but instead of pirates or detectives, it's archaeologists on the scene! And those coins, man... 1817 is like, forever ago. You gotta wonder what kind of life people lived back then and how much money they spent on a pint of beer. I guess that's why it's so awesome to see these old artifacts resurfacing – it gives us a taste of the past and helps us learn from history. The fact that they're gonna rebuild the tavern too is pretty amazing, especially with all that cool stuff they found. It'll be like stepping into a different era when they reopen in 2027

I just saw this news about the old tavern fire and I'm like totally shocked that they found so many cool coins ... I mean, who knows how much money those people had back then? And what's up with the animal bones? Did they really butcher their own hogs on site? I wonder if they still have a kitchen in the new part of the tavern. Is it going to be open soon? I was thinking about visiting but now I'm not sure...

omg, can you believe it? like, archaeologists were literally digging around in the ruins and found all these awesome old coins & stuff ! i mean, a 50-cent coin from 1817 is pretty wild, right? and to think they found pig bones too, which means the overfields might've even had a little slaughterhouse on site . anyway, i'm all about preserving history, so it's awesome that the museum is getting rebuilt with the help of an architect who knows their stuff . 1 million bucks seems like a lot, but i guess it'll be worth it to see the place restored and ready for visitors by 2027 . fingers crossed they can make it happen!

OH MAN I CANT BELIEVE THEY FOUND RARE COINS AND OTHER STUFF UNDERNEATH THE FLOOR!!! IT'S LIKE A TIME CAPSULE OR SOMETHING . I MEAN, YOU GOTTA BE LUCKY TO FIND ALL THOSE ARTIFACTS AFTER A FIRE ERASED SO MUCH OF THE HISTORY FROM THAT PLACE. NOW WE GET TO SEE WHAT LIFE WAS LIKE BACK IN THE 1800S AND IT'S REALLY COOL . I HOPE THEY CAN FINISH RESTORING THE TARNVERN BY 2027, THAT'LL BE AMAZING .

Oh man, can you believe it? Like, who needs a whole building when you have ancient coins and stuff under the floorboards? I mean, seriously though, I'm glad that some historical items were saved from the fire. It's crazy to think about what life was like back in the 19th century. The fact that they found animal bones suggests that the Overfields actually did butcher their own pigs on site! That's wild . And I love how they're rebuilding the museum, estimated to cost $1 million. It's going to be amazing to see it all restored and open by late 2027 . On a side note, I think it would've been awesome if people could have learned more about the Overfields before this fire happened. Guess that's just part of history, right?

Ugh , can you believe what just happened? Like, I'm all about preserving history and stuff, but this is just crazy! They were literally burning down a museum... what if more artifacts got lost?! Anyway, those 19th-century coins are straight fire , especially that one from 1817. It's wild to think those coins were used for drinks or meals at the tavern back in the day. And omg, animal bones? That's some gross but cool stuff right there . I guess it's a blessing they found all these artifacts before they got destroyed too... fingers crossed the museum gets rebuilt and restored soon