what I thought was junk!

[outlaw319]

Like the title says! I've learned to closely inspect the stuff I find that normally I figured is just crap from now on
As it started out my hunting buddy and I was out in this field the other night where we had some good luck at. Normally he gets a little ticked with me at times cuz I always seem to find the good stuff even though he has a Whites Vision and I'm using either my DFX or ACE 250 w/ accelerator 10x14 coil. The first day out I found a copper or bronze ring, some buttons, and a 1865 IH penny in good shape and he was cussin me. The next day he showed me up by finding a 1700's spanish reale in the 1st 10 minutes we were there. So 2 nights ago we were back out there in the field again before dark. I manage to find a 1919 wheat penny that was all bent up, and on the way through the mud and darkness back to the truck I managed 2 "iffy" signals that I dug up for the heck of it that ended up looking like coins but were corroded and had holes in the center of them. While back at the trucks he asked me if I found anything and I showed him the penny and the 2 things I thought might be just some ol washers or backing plates for small cabinet/drawer knobs, then I started joking with him that maybe they're tokens since I have found dozens and he is yet to find 1 I started rubbing the mud off of 1 of them and seen some lettering and he was quick to say that some washers have words on them and that these were not tokens........boy was he wrong! So tonight I decided to clean them up and see what they were, they were so corroded that I used electrolisis to clean them, and the 1st one was indeed a token that read "ALL QUALITY CONFECTIONS" on 1 side and "GOOD FOR A 5 CENT PACKAGE OF CANDY" on the other so the smartazz that I am sent him a pic with my phone with the caption "what a wierd washer". Then I started in getting the next one cleaned thinking of another token when what I seen suprised me! After some of the crud fell off I could make out on 1 side Abraham Lincoln 1860, then on the other Hannibal Hamlin 1860! So I then was thinking "campaign button"and thanks to GOOGLE that's indeed what it was The bad part was I found out what mine was missing and that it had an actual picture of Abe and Hannibal on it at 1 time, but I still think it's neat and 1 of my best finds to date. Sorry for the long winded story but I felt it was needed to show how to buddies that aggravate each other with their finds turned into a cool finding that might of been tossed in the scrap pile.

[outlaw319]

I ruined a cool story by forgetting the pics......but on that note I'll be adding them later after I figure out what my 4 year old did to the camera
But until then heres the link with some pics of the button that I found to help out in the meantime.
http://museumcollections.in.gov/deta...1860&record=13

[treasurefiend]

Great find, can't wait to see the pix!!!

[Lowbatts]

Wow! I've pounded two campaign sites from the 1860 campaign and found only coinage, no buttons, even with crowds of 10k plus at both sites. What a cool dig!

Was the site you were at a campaign rally spot?

Real nice find even with the pic missing. Those tin types do not hold up well in the environment though. Found a couple lockets with tin type remains in them over the years also. They too had pretty much turned to dust.

[kimsdad]

Great story and excellent finds!!!

Is it like the one brother Merf found earlier this year?

http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.p...,271349.0.html

That would be killer!

I learned to check my trash, too - especially when it's muddy!

[outlaw319]

Great story and excellent finds!!!

Is it like the one brother Merf found earlier this year?

http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.p...,271349.0.html

That would be killer!

I learned to check my trash, too - especially when it's muddy!

Yep, it's the exact same one!!! I think his is in a little better shape then mine though, mine has some pitting on it and none of the plating left.
Thanks for posting that link, now i'm gonna be hoping mine is nice enough for the banner when i can get a clear pic of it on here.....lol

[d-dub]

Wow! Incredible! That is one cool find outlaw. Congrats.

[ivan salis]

uh "washers with words on em" are called for the most part tokens if you check em closely you will see that -- no cash value is often on the old "gambling tokens" in the old slots common from 1900 thru about 1930 to 40s in many places -- holed washer like looking things they are