Hello All,
I sent off three relics to be restored by Robert McDaniel and was incredibly pleased to find these in my mailbox today! It was really a moment of joy as I unwrapped each one, not much different of a feeling than recovering the relics the first time!
The first one was a badly bent militia panel plate. When I dug this one back in 2008, it was bent in half like a taco. This was my first panel plate ever dug, so I held my breath as I brazenly unfolded it the day I found it. I decided to stop with it partially unfolded, rather than try to get it more straight. Here are some photos of the plate when I first found it.
And here is the result of my attempt to straighten it. Wish I'd known then what I know now and I might not have tried to do this... At any rate, notice that the rim is coming off and the center part of the design popping off of the plate!
Robert was able to straighten the plate. The bend is slightly visible, but the center of the panel is fixed, as is the rim, and the bar and tongue are braised back on the back of the straightened plate:
Next is a Louisiana Pelican Civil War button. I've had the good fortune of digging 4 of these beauties, and it just pained me so much to see this one that had suffered a direct hit by the plow long ago
Robert was able to straighten it and fill in the crumbling hole in the pelican's head. For a button that was so badly compromised, I'm thrilled that this turned out as well as it did. He told me that there was a possibility that the button would crumble apart as he tried to straighten it. SO glad it survived!
And last but certainly not least is this BEAUTIFUL restoration on my first Louisiana-dug plate, a US Yankee plate with arrow hooks on the reverse. The plow had done considerable damage to this one, and it was missing its outer rim when I dug it:
I am quite amazed at Robert's skillful restoration of the outer rim of the plate (I did not have him replace the other hook and tongue).
As a reminder to all, we are the caretakers of the history we unearth. Yes, I invested around half of the value of these plates in order to get them restored...but they were free in the first place. I didn't pay a dime for them. I dug them. So why not give back to these relics, relics which tell the story of our Great Nation?
It just kills me to see a military relic suffer in a display case as a result of damage inflicted by the plow, time, and the elements. To me, this was well worth it. And I hope you'll agree.
Best Wishes and Happy Hunting,
Buck
I sent off three relics to be restored by Robert McDaniel and was incredibly pleased to find these in my mailbox today! It was really a moment of joy as I unwrapped each one, not much different of a feeling than recovering the relics the first time!
The first one was a badly bent militia panel plate. When I dug this one back in 2008, it was bent in half like a taco. This was my first panel plate ever dug, so I held my breath as I brazenly unfolded it the day I found it. I decided to stop with it partially unfolded, rather than try to get it more straight. Here are some photos of the plate when I first found it.
And here is the result of my attempt to straighten it. Wish I'd known then what I know now and I might not have tried to do this... At any rate, notice that the rim is coming off and the center part of the design popping off of the plate!
Robert was able to straighten the plate. The bend is slightly visible, but the center of the panel is fixed, as is the rim, and the bar and tongue are braised back on the back of the straightened plate:
Next is a Louisiana Pelican Civil War button. I've had the good fortune of digging 4 of these beauties, and it just pained me so much to see this one that had suffered a direct hit by the plow long ago
Robert was able to straighten it and fill in the crumbling hole in the pelican's head. For a button that was so badly compromised, I'm thrilled that this turned out as well as it did. He told me that there was a possibility that the button would crumble apart as he tried to straighten it. SO glad it survived!
And last but certainly not least is this BEAUTIFUL restoration on my first Louisiana-dug plate, a US Yankee plate with arrow hooks on the reverse. The plow had done considerable damage to this one, and it was missing its outer rim when I dug it:
I am quite amazed at Robert's skillful restoration of the outer rim of the plate (I did not have him replace the other hook and tongue).
As a reminder to all, we are the caretakers of the history we unearth. Yes, I invested around half of the value of these plates in order to get them restored...but they were free in the first place. I didn't pay a dime for them. I dug them. So why not give back to these relics, relics which tell the story of our Great Nation?
It just kills me to see a military relic suffer in a display case as a result of damage inflicted by the plow, time, and the elements. To me, this was well worth it. And I hope you'll agree.
Best Wishes and Happy Hunting,
Buck
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