"See a penny, pick it up." Two Elizabethton street sweepers went for a penny, and found that their luck wasn't just one cent's worth.
While sweeping the Redi Mart on Siam Road in Elizabethton on Saturday, Jonathan Bowman spotted something in the grass; he called his friend.
"Albert was up at the upper parking lot sweeping this way," said Bowman. "I hollered, 'Albert look here what I found!' And we looked at it; it was 1736 silver coin."
Albert Myrick swept the lot every day for the past five years. Often, he and his helpers find and keep coins, but they're used to finding pennies.
The guys knew the coin was something special. Myrick's nephew, a teacher from Atlanta started the internet research, and then they took it to some local experts.
When artifacts are brought to East Tennessee State University's Reece Museum, director Theresa Burchett says she looks at them with skepticism.
But this time: "It was very impressive, I didn't expect to see what I saw," says Burchett.
If authentic, the 1736 French coin is from the time of King Louis XV.
Burchett says Louis XV was king of France during the French and Indian War, so it would make sense that there were a lot of French military men in the United States during that time.
Burchett sent pictures and measurements to contacts at the Smithsonian. She is not positive that the coin will be worth much, but she believes there is a possibility, and she awaits news of identification.
Myrick's swept the lot for five years, but no one can know how long the coin's been there. Bowman's mother, Robina Hall, says she moved to the area in 1948. The spot where the Redi Mart is now was then Keller's Grocery. She said the building sat closer to the edge of the road.
Traders and travelers visited Elizabethton through the years, and Burchett says "it could have belonged to a merchant or to a collector."
Myrick and Bowman are excited to have found a piece of that history.
Burchett says people bring potential artifacts to her at The Reece Museum sees two or three a month. Their owners want them identified or assessed.
Sometimes the staff can help, but otherwise, Burchett recommends people to see a certified apraiser to figure out historic or monetary value.
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