Granny's Bracelet !!!

NJKLAGT

Bronze Member
Oct 18, 2014
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Hey Everyone,

I know this is the wrong forum again, but I wanted to make sure that you guys got to see this story since I know you Bottles & Glass people better than anyone else on here (I've yet to post or comment in the metal detecting forums). There are probably better and more obvious options for posting this, and if the moderators want to relocate this story that's totally okay with me, but here it is for now so you folks can see it!

Anyway,

This past weekend I was a little ways up north at my sister's/brother-in-law's place. His family has lived on and farmed the same lot since the 1850s, and his dad still lives in the main half of the house, which I guess is passed down to the eldest son every generation. This main part of the house sits on the original stone foundations, and my sister and bro-in-law and two nieces live in a large addition that was built around the turn of the century.

I decided to bring my metal detector up because I learned a little more about how to use it since my last visit, when I pulled up nail after nail after rusty nail. My nieces followed me around the yard while I swung over a lot of trashy signals and dug up some bottle caps for them to gawk at. Some of these signals were coins though, and in the end we pulled up about a dollar in pocket change.

Only about 15 minutes into the first day, we found what we think might be the handle to an old cane. It is an ornate brass kind of knob that fits in the palm of your hand and has what looks like a hole for the wooden shaft of the cane (there was dense rotting wood inside this knob with no other wood around). All the way on the other side of the house we would find what might be the tip to the very same cane (the topsoil has been moved around a lot at this place, lots of pieces of things strewn about).

About an hour into the first day we made an astonishing find. About 20 feet from the house under an old lilac bush, I got a signal that I initially thought might not be that great, but it was chirping enough to be tantalizing, so I got the shovel out. My sister and nieces were standing right there when I flipped over the 6 inch thick plug and saw the coiled up sterling silver braid of chain. Luckily I didn't cut it with the shovel! I carefully removed it and was freaking out thinking it was monogrammed, but even better, it was engraved with a name - the name of their granny Betty! Her name was Elizabeth but they called her Betty, and she passed away only a couple years ago. She was an avid gardener, and the bracelet must have come off her wrist while working around the lilac bush. My sister was quiet with amazement while my nieces and I did our happy dances (these nieces have come bottle digging with me before and they absolutely love the thrill). When my brother-in-law came home from work, I told him that we had found his grandmother's bracelet, and he was blown away. He ran next door to the main house and showed his dad, who came over and shook my hand. I had found his mother's bracelet, and not him or anyone else had ever seen it before! I felt so warm and fuzzy to return this part of their family history. His dad suggested I keep digging and started pointing out every old structure or hot spot he could think of, haha!

On the second day I dug a big decorative letter P about a foot down near an old apple tree out front. His dad remembered being 10 years old and seeing this emblem on their front screen door! Their family name begins with P! So that was another great find, and it was something that he could remember. I also dug a Dinky car not far from the back of the house, and although he's really into trucks, he doesn't remember the toy.

On the last day near the front of the house on a gentle slope by the driveway, I got into a little coin spill! I think that someone could have been waiting on the grass for someone to pick them up, and these coins trickled out of their pocket. Each coin was about 6 inches deep and apart. Here we have a couple wheat pennies, a 1955 and a 1944D, a 1943 Canadian penny, and a 1947 Canadian silver dime! They insisted that I keep these coins and so I took them home and gave them to my Dad instead, who was really into coins when he was younger, and still very excited to examine these.

So that's my story. We had to dig a lot of trash, a few bent-up makeup compacts and toothpaste tubes, etc., but it was totally worth it! Thanks for looking, everyone!

20160910_110458.jpg 20160910_110553.jpg 20160910_110604.jpg 20160910_110428.jpg 20160922_075913.jpg 20160911_102259.jpg 20160922_075705.jpg 20160922_075747.jpg DSCF6958.JPG DSCF6959.JPG
 

jgas

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Very cool finds. There is more there. Keep at it. Congrats on the bracelet. Jgas
 

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NJKLAGT

NJKLAGT

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Oct 18, 2014
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Thanks guys! There's a chance that I'll be going there with my brother for Thanksgiving, so we'll see what else we can find. An older coin would be really nice, and I'm surprised we didn't find a single button there yet!

And I went ahead and posted this story over in the Metal Detecting forum.
 

Bass

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Jan 20, 2013
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Hunt the areas where they would have parked in the early days, you will find coins there. Also, swing around the back of the house and try to locate the privy. The cap of the privy may have metal debris in it
 

bill from lachine

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Another place worth checking out would be along any old clothes lines as well as the path to the privy.

Regards + HH

Bill
 

villagenut

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Great story of an unexpected find and return. I wish my visits with family was as much fun.
 

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NJKLAGT

NJKLAGT

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Oct 18, 2014
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Thanks guys! I've tried to locate the privy there before, but it's really tough because the land has been moved around so much - no sinking depressions visible anywhere. The soil has lots of stones in it too, which makes things difficult. I think there could have been a privy that is now buried under the addition that was built at the rear of the main house.

And my sister just sent me this picture, an aerial view from around 1950, very cool. Maybe you guys can point me in the right direction!

aerial view 1950.jpg
 

bill from lachine

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Here's my take on how to tackle the site for what it's worth.

1:-Check out any paths from and to current or former building sites.

2:-Around the foundations of said buildings past or present.

3:-Detect randomly until you hit a high concentration of nails as some older structures may have burnt down years ago and the nails will give you a good indication of where that part of the site was located.

Good luck and remember to have fun....

Regards + HH

Bill
 

2screwed

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Mar 22, 2012
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If I was looking for a privy there the first place I would look is the far end of the row of trees along the right hand side of the house. Close enough to the home and right by the garden for convenience.
 

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NJKLAGT

NJKLAGT

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Oct 18, 2014
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Thanks for the tips, guys!

I'll check out the areas with the most potential and then if that fails, I'll probably just end up using some grid method and probe up and down the yard until I get something. I'm not experienced at finding privies with a metal detector but I might try that too. Unfortunately everywhere's gonna sound promising because there's misleading trash everywhere!

'Should be going up there with my brother in a few weeks.
 

EastCoastmetal

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Sep 24, 2016
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Nice finds, some people restore those old toy trucks etc, it could use a few new tires and a paint job!
 

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NJKLAGT

NJKLAGT

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Oct 18, 2014
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Thanks EastCoastmetal, and welcome to the site!

I actually just found this firetruck or whatever when I dug a couple milk bottles recently. It's metal, made in Canada, and should clean up nicely. I'm gonna put some new wheels on and probably paint it.

DSCF6963.JPG
 

EastCoastmetal

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Thanks EastCoastmetal, and welcome to the site!

I actually just found this firetruck or whatever when I dug a couple milk bottles recently. It's metal, made in Canada, and should clean up nicely. I'm gonna put some new wheels on and probably paint it.

View attachment 1363293

I think they are called "London Toys" made in Canada.

I cant find that truck , I think its a dump truck.

But i did find this one and a cool site with vintage London Toys.

02t8mAHLyas.KsdeR4udyg.jpg

London Toy Canada. Cast Metal Vehicles. | Collectors Weekly
 

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NJKLAGT

NJKLAGT

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Oct 18, 2014
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That's a nice truck!

This one I found says "Play-Fleet" and "Made in Canada" on the bottom. I could find only one other picture of it online, and no information about the company...
 

cje

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Apr 7, 2009
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There is a square area just to the right of the house in the photo. Might be where one of the out houses was located.
 

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NJKLAGT

NJKLAGT

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Oct 18, 2014
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Southern Ontario
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I'm very curious about that spot too, cje. There's a wraparound porch around that side now, so I'm just hoping it doesn't stick out over that patch. I guess we'll find out!
 

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