Southern_Digger
Hero Member
- May 21, 2012
- 573
- 221
- Detector(s) used
- Minelab Explorer and Excalibur; Tesoro Tejon; Fisher 1265-X; Garrett Master Hunter; White's Coinmaster; In closet: Bounty Hunter and Relco
- Primary Interest:
- Other
Found on site of Fort Meade, Florida (Peace River) in 1981. After Civil War, fort site was purchased by a retired Deputy from the Chicago Police force. He tore down the slave quarters. This is i.d.'d as a southern states style of a hat badge-not Chicago, so I am told. Hence, if that is the case, it is probable that one of his descendants served as a policeman here in Florida in later years.
Buckle, which I have yet to research, dug from privately-owned lot in southeast Florida where an early park once existed. I established permission for our club to search there. The site included a public well with a nearby bottle dump. Also, the site produced Indian head pennies and barber dimes. One club member dug a Nazi belt buckle that was discarded in a circa 1930's trash dump behind an old house.
Leg irons found in a 1850's Seminole War fort, in a locked position. I have a copy of diary written by an officer at the fort who wrote of two soldiers who broke into the officers mess, stole and drank the officers wine and port. They were placed in legirons the following morning and locked up in an enclosure. During the next night, they slipped out of their irons, broke out of the wood enclosure and hiked back down to a coastal fort where jail conditions were much improved as well as the food supply. They turned themselves in at the latter post.
Coin found at another 1850's fort reveals that at the time, the paymaster and the US Army received new coins fresh from the mint. Those lost immediately after retain great detail and little wear.
More beauties below dug from an 1850's Florida fort...
Thanks for looking.
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