Man finds 222-year-old penny outside Maine church

Oct. 26 (UPI) -- A North Carolina man using his metal detector near a Maine church unearthed a copper penny dating from the year 1798.

Shane Houston said he and a friend from New Hampshire were on a metal detecting trip when they got permission to search the grounds outside a church in Maine.

Houston said his most interesting discovery was a 222-year-old copper penny from the first decade of money minted by the United States.

The coin, which is about the size of a modern half dollar, bears the image of Lady Liberty on one side and "One Cent" on the "tails" side.

Similar coins have sold for about $200 on eBay, but he is currently planning to keep it for his own collection.

The treasure hunter said he is not revealing the exact location of the church because he wants to return to search the same area next year.