18th Century Sailing Ship Cufflink and few other relics

[Don in SJ]

After my first fall hunt last week produced just a 1818 Large Cent and no relics I needed a hunt that produced at least one decent relic.


This year, 2010 has been one of my best years for old coins, but one of the worst for "special" relics. Well the hunt yesterday finally gave me one I that I really like.

I started out at the Tallyo cufflink site from two years ago, that has been somewhat good for many hunts, but the finds are petering out now, but I did find one little plain flat cuff button and a complete frame buckle, either knee or shoe, the size and the spindle location seems to contradict each other on determing for sure. But I was happy to at least get a full frame. ( I lean towards it not being a shoe buckle)

I decided to quit hunting early, after only a little more than an hour and started my 20 minute walk back to the truck, but instead of walking back directly on the dirt road, I decided to walk into the woods and walk parallel to the road, but about 50-100 yards uphill in the regular woods.
This section of woods was logged in the 60s and some areas are quite free of underbrush and I had hopes of stumbling across a unknown homestead, since this has worked in the past. About 5 minutes into the exploration I spotted a rather nice size depression in the ground, but there were only a few scattered iron hits, and I assumed the depression must have been a result of the 1960s logging operation. But about 20 feet further uphill I saw a smaller depression and as I headed towards it, the iron hits started to get more frequent.


I had no idea still, if this was an old cabin site or just ground disturbance from logging, until I got my first diggable signal and out popped a button snap like object. Now I had hopes, just as I dug the object my Battery dead warning started sounding, so I stopped, changed my battery pack and as soon as I turned it on, and put it to the ground, I got a good high signal, possible copper coin! Nope, it was the back part of a Blowhole button, rather thick one at that. Now I knew it was in fact a homestead at one time. So I started a very thorough search and was rewarded with a Large 35mm design flat button and a few unknown hunks, but then I got a decent reading and out pops the broken section of an old trigger guard.

I really wanted to get an old coin, figuring with what I am finding, and occupation was most likely of a very short duration, that any coin found would be 1790s or older. But, no coins were found. Now, the find of the day, as I was combing the area just before quiting I got a funky good reading and happily a small oval cufflink appeared. It was rather uneventful looking but I know once they are cleaned, they usually have a design on them, and this site is only 5 minutes walk from where I got my similar sized Tallyo button.

Upon cleaning all the finds, I was more than pleasantly surprised to see a design starting to appear on the cufflink, at first I thought it was two initials for some reason, but once the final dirt was removed by the peroxide, a beautiful old sailing ship was staring at me!
I have seen this style before, and always wanted one for the collection, just like I wanted a Tallyo/Tallyho/Tallio cufflink. I looked on IP's Best Finds post of Cufflinks and there is a similar one there, with the flag going in the opposite direction!

Another surprise when cleaning was to be had when I noticed on the gun part, there appears to be a imprinted mark on the underside, I wonder if it is a makers mark? That might help ID what type of gun or at least the era of the gun if I can find out.



Oops, forgot to add the cleaned photograph of the 35mm flat design button, hard to see but in additio to the notches around the perimeter it also has several concentric circles on it.

Overall, a nice little short hunt, and a return trip to this small new site will be in my future.

Don

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[CRUSADER]

I would be smiling from ear to ear with that cufflink

[djm of PA]

very nice! how did you clean up that large cent?

[Steve in PA]

I really like that cuff link Don!

[cntrydncr1]

sweet cufflink Don! congrats

[Kirk PA]

Your past few hunts have been a true success. I am really drooling over that unique cufflink. It makes you wonder what it was trying to portray. This Colonial stuff is why I have such a passion for metal detecting.

I am leaning towards a smaller shoe buckle due to the pin terminal location. I would be back at that small cabin site. A Blowhole button could indicate that this site dates to the 1750s or earlier.

Kirk

[Neil in West Jersey]

Hi Don,

A post with your name on it was long overdue! That sailing ship cuff link is a keeper for sure.

I hope to see the matching link posted soon!

[Don in SJ]

Your past few hunts have been a true success. I am really drooling over that unique cufflink. It makes you wonder what it was trying to portray. This Colonial stuff is why I have such a passion for metal detecting.

I am leaning towards a smaller shoe buckle due to the pin terminal location. I would be back at that small cabin site. A Blowhole button could indicate that this site dates to the 1750s or earlier.

Kirk

Kirk, I just am not sure, yes the spindle location indicates shoe, but the size indicates non shoe, unless it is a very early 1700s buckle, which the website of buckles seems to indicate the earlier shoe buckles were smaller and the larger ones from the late 1700s.... It was hard to determine if it was square or rectangle due to the bent configurartion, but appears one side is about 1/4"longer.
From the website: http://www.netmarshall.co.uk/bucklepage19.htm
SHOE BUCKLE SHAPE AND SIZE - a general guide only as there are obviously some exceptions to the rules.
Square - under 2 inches are early-18th century, over 2 inches are after 1760.
Rectangular - 2-2½ long up to 1760, increasing to very large (up to 4 inches long) from the 1770's.
Oval to round - 2-3 inches are more common from the 1750's.

So if a shoe buckle, it could be much older than the others I have found, all of the whole ones are much larger, and most of the complete knee buckles are a tad smaller.....

Don

[ModernMiner]

Don,
Your adventure into the woods turned out great. Beautiful cufflink.
Congrats,
Doug

[mainer]

Wow, great finds Don. That cufflink is awsome.

[Sniffy]

Excellent success on the cufflink! I have yet to find a cuff link of any sort, and I'm always thinkin about them. Is this navy or marine oriented?

[Don in SJ]

Excellent success on the cufflink! I have yet to find a cuff link of any sort, and I'm always thinkin about them. Is this navy or marine oriented?

I have no idea on what the ship might represent other than a ship of the era they lived in. I have been very lucky with cufflinks over the years and hand a nice display of them. They seem to come in bunches, then long periods of not finding a one, just like a lot of our finds.

Don

[N.J.THer]

Don,
Great cuff link. Good luck on IDing the gun part.
NJ

[Don in SJ]

Don,
Great cuff link. Good luck on IDing the gun part.
NJ

I got this reply from a gun guy, not much to go on, but a start.

"Certainly the long strap of a triggerguard, either of Dutch or French manufacture. I can’t make anything of the mark though."

Don

[Woodland Detectors]

Hi Don!

Wow, I just love that cuff button!

Beautiful!


I hope all is well,
Mike, Maggie and Samantha

[bookfisher]

Hey Don, great find! I would grid hunt every inch of those woods if you have not already done so.

[Iron Patch]

Yep, that ship cufflink is awesome. The other day the water was a bit rough in the area we were hunting and we talked for a minute of what it must have been like to be sailing across the ocean in one of those. Freakin scary... that's what!

[Bubba65]

Hey Don, that cufflink sure looks great, I was waiting to see a pic when you told me about it. Congrats on a great short hunt and that site looks like it will turn up much more.

Bubba65

[Colonial Copper Zeus]

Awesome cufflink Don. With the flag blowing toward the front of the ship that means they had a good wind for their sails. Sounds like the kind of day yours turned out to be. Nothing like the wind in your sails and going forward in this wonderful hobby. Congrats in finding something that you always wanted to.
Chris

[BuckleBoy]

Don, that's a GREAT cufflink! And that LC is quite nice in terms of detail. Plus, you found a new site! That's a success in any book.

Best Wishes,

Buckles