Horseshoe/ Culpeper

RME

Greenie
Apr 8, 2019
13
37
North Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Detector(s) used
Garrett Ace 350
Garrett Pro-Pointer AT
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I found 3 horseshoes in Culpeper last year and just today cleaned one up as much as possible. This horseshoe was found in an area where I found quite a few
other Civil War items. This must have been a very small horse according to the shoe measurements. Anyone on here a horseshoe expert? Does this appear to be a Civil War dated shoe or a kids pony shoe. 1.JPG 2.jpeg 3.JPG
 

Upvote 0

BLK HOLE

Silver Member
Aug 3, 2017
4,725
6,501
Northern Virginia
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
AT MAX/AT PRO/GPX-4500, Equinox 800, Garrett Pro Pointer,NEL Attack Coil, Lesche diggers, and the custom made in the USA Freeloader Pack Mule Pouch!
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Mule shoe. They are much smaller and I have dug a few in the Culpepper area.
 

smokeythecat

Gold Member
Nov 22, 2012
20,714
40,795
Maryland
🥇 Banner finds
10
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
XP Deus II
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
The way it is made I would say it's from the Civil War period. Style changed in horse shoes, just like they changed with clothing.
 

TheCannonballGuy

Gold Member
Feb 24, 2006
6,543
13,072
Occupied CSA (Richmond VA)
Detector(s) used
White's 6000, Nautilus DMC-1, Minelab
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
Your muleshoe appears to have a recessed channel running all along its U-bend, for the nail heads to fit "flush" into... and I **think** that means it is from sometime after the civil war. I could be wrong about that. But in my 45 years of metal-detecting for civil war relics, I've never dug a channeled horseshoe or muleshoe in an "uncontaminated" civil war military campsite or battle trench.
 

Davers

Gold Member
Jan 8, 2013
8,127
7,147
N.of , I-285...GA
Detector(s) used
Whites Spc xlt & Tesoro Tejon- Now back ...Fisher 1266-X. TRX Pointer. New .Teknetics G2 + . New AT Pro .
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Your muleshoe appears to have a recessed channel running all along its U-bend, for the nail heads to fit "flush" into... and I **think** that means it is from sometime after the civil war. I could be wrong about that. But in my 45 years of metal-detecting for civil war relics, I've never dug a channeled horseshoe or muleshoe in an "uncontaminated" civil war military campsite or battle trench.

Great to know , I knew there was a reason I kept the 'Nice' Horse & Mule shoes that I found in or near Civil War Sites .

Now I 'may' be able the pick out the CW Period types to restore and tag.
Happy New Year
Davers
 

Davers

Gold Member
Jan 8, 2013
8,127
7,147
N.of , I-285...GA
Detector(s) used
Whites Spc xlt & Tesoro Tejon- Now back ...Fisher 1266-X. TRX Pointer. New .Teknetics G2 + . New AT Pro .
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Your muleshoe appears to have a recessed channel running all along its U-bend, for the nail heads to fit "flush" into... and I **think** that means it is from sometime after the civil war. I could be wrong about that. But in my 45 years of metal-detecting for civil war relics, I've never dug a channeled horseshoe or muleshoe in an "uncontaminated" civil war military campsite or battle trench.

I got to thinking .

Do Civil War Era (to the best of your knowledge ) have any "recessed channel"? Or a channel just around the 'U' bend .

To the point better .

If I find a shoe with 'Any channel 'at all does that (most likely ) mean they were post war ?

Thanks ahead
Davers
 

creskol

Gold Member
Jan 14, 2007
13,623
22,670
🥇 Banner finds
2
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
5
Primary Interest:
Other
The debate goes on .. and on ..and on..It is darn near impossible to date a horseshoe except for some of the very old ones. This style of shoe has been around for a long time and are still being made the same way today. If your shoe has a hand cut fuller (groove) it has more of a chance of being Civil War era than a shoe with a machine cut fuller. But even at that, many blacksmiths still hand cut the fuller.
 

Last edited:

Top Member Reactions

Users who are viewing this thread

Top