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Tokens of history found in Calvert

Local treasure hunter discovers historic coins from the 1800s along the historic downtown district of the city.
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CALVERT, Texas — Tokens of history are being found in Downtown Calvert.

The city of Calvert will soon have its own museum and a local man shares some of the pieces of history he's been able to discover.

Albert Patty has been a treasure hunter for more than 20 years.

He showed me one area where he found coins from the 1800s, like this huge piece worth $1 or an odd shaped one.

"An actual bar token from Calvert, I would say that was the most exciting find," Patty said.

"A lot of people never seen those coins and never will see those coins. They're lost forever, like the Liberty sitting down, nobody knows that you might see that in a cowboy show," Patty said.

He said the new museum will allow these artifacts that have been untouched for so long will be on display in the coming months.

Jennifer Coudle, president of the Historical Foundation, said her grandmother established the non-profit in the 1960s — and she enjoys getting the chance to continue her efforts to preserve the history of Calvert.

"We'll be able to advertise those different exhibits as they come along. It will bring economic impact, I'm certain," Coudle said.

"When you come to Calvert to go to the museum, you gotta have lunch, you gotta have your coffee, and you gotta have your antique shopping," Coudle said.

She said these coins are a small glimpse into the town's past of gambling, trading, and other Wild West history.

"You know, I look forward to having a museum here because I'm sure there's a lot of stuff that people will contribute that I've never seen and maybe come up with new theories about what was going on here historically," Patty said.

Every town, no matter the size, has a story and history. Museums help to keep those alive.