🥇 BANNER All I can Say is "What a Day!!!"

Devonrex

Sr. Member
Jan 6, 2012
351
1,260
SE Virginia
🥇 Banner finds
4
Detector(s) used
XP DEUS, Nautilus DMC IIB
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Yesterday was one of those days where you sometimes wonder if you are dreaming. I thought the spot I ws hunting was about played out. The pit I had dug wasn't producing anything so I once again, through the advice of Bill D. started to dig in aother area laden with iron signals. The digging is almost impossible with many roots that are 3 inches or more in diameter crisscrossing like fingers and I had to actual bring a hatchet to cut many of these. It started slow but after I don't know how many iron targets I finally got my first good sounding target just a little under 10 inches. And man what a target it was. My first reale from the site that has been cut in half dated 1736! I was even fortunate to get the half thats dated! Next came a few musket balls and then 2 more bayonet clips and some colonial brass small buckles. It was about this time I started to think "ok, there's brass so maybe there will be another button." Not more than 5 minutes later at a depth of about a foot out pops a beautiful coat French button with the turrent shank just staring at me. Turning it over I saw the unmistakenly number 41 staring up at me! My second coat 41 from the site! After that came a small French 85 button, and then another small 41!! Just when I didn't think it could get any better with one shovelful out pops 2 more silver cut quarter reales (one dated 1721) and a small coin that looks like my first cobb! I was in shock!!! I had never found this many 1700 coins in my 25 yrs of detecting! These coins were just under a foot surrounded by nails. I almost left but decided to stay for a little longer. And the finds just kept coming! A large sun rosette or button, more musket balls, a brass tack, and lots of melted lead! Just as I was about to leave in the pile of dirt I had thrown up I got a tiny reading I had missed. Just as it was getting dark I pulled ANOTHER French button.... this one the smallest I have ever found. I had never seen a French button this small. And what a button it was......a 23 - the third of these I have pulled from this site. Once home and after cleaning my finds I started looking at the small coin shaped like a cobb. It has all the markings a cobb should have, the spanish cross on one side and the design on the back, but the color and shape seems odd. It almost looks burnt. Then I started looking at some of the lead splatters I had recovered from the pit. A huge hunk of lead was also burnt as well as many of the others. Now I am beginning to wonder if this might be an area where uniforms were burnt or a medical site. It was an unbelievable day that I won't ever forget! HH Devonrex
 

Upvote 2

joeyfresh

Bronze Member
Dec 19, 2006
2,283
1,399
Colonial Virginia
🥇 Banner finds
2
Detector(s) used
XP Deus
Teknetics T2
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Fantastic finds and it's about time you've made the banner with finds from that site. Like Bill said, find the trash pits and dig them!!
 

Joe88

Hero Member
Sep 10, 2004
722
29
Rhode Island
Detector(s) used
Teknetics T2 SE, Garrett GTA 550, &
Garrett Pro-Pointer
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
WOW!!! Fantastic finds!!!

:hello2:
Joe
 

70monte68

Hero Member
Aug 8, 2010
804
542
PA
🥇 Banner finds
1
Detector(s) used
TEKNETICS T2 SE
TEKNETICS T2 SE (back up)
MINELAB EXCALIBUR 2,
WHITES MX SPORT
Some beautiful finds there. I would love a day like that, Congrats!
 

williamsingr

Sr. Member
Mar 15, 2012
253
17
U.P. Michigan
Detector(s) used
V3i, MXT PRO, Coinmaster
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Nice finds, you may have found a spot where some French got slaughterd by Native Americans, that could explain some of this so there may even more out there yet to find.
 

Bill D. (VA)

Silver Member
Oct 7, 2008
4,711
6,212
SE Virginia
🥇 Banner finds
6
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
2
Detector(s) used
F75 SE (land); CZ-21 (saltwater)
Primary Interest:
Other
Nice finds, you may have found a spot where some French got slaughterd by Native Americans, that could explain some of this so there may even more out there yet to find.

This is definitely a Rev War era site and by that time all the Native Americans in this area had long since been driven out. Has to be either a French Rev War hospital site where "diseased" uniforms were being buried or possibly from where the troops were being resupplied and old uniforms were being discarded. But I still have no reasonable explanation as to why lots of coins, musketballs and other period artifacts are being found in these same trash pits. A very significant and historical site for sure. Can't wait to see what else comes out.
 

Breezie

Gold Member
Oct 3, 2009
6,269
2,119
North Carolina
🥇 Banner finds
1
Detector(s) used
White's DFX & Spectrum~Garrett's Pro-Pointer~VibraProbe
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
WOW! What a great hunt! Congratulations on a well deserved BANNER! Breezie
 

Michigander Dan

Sr. Member
Mar 11, 2012
446
24
Water Wonderland
Detector(s) used
Minelab Explorer SE Pro, Garrett Pinpointer pro
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Congratulations on your BANNER find. In 25 years of detecting you have learned alot ( that's obvious ) and we are always learning more everyday. I don't know what your doing and maybe you don't either but just keep doing what your doing because it's obviously working for you brother. Happy Hunting.
 

OP
OP
Devonrex

Devonrex

Sr. Member
Jan 6, 2012
351
1,260
SE Virginia
🥇 Banner finds
4
Detector(s) used
XP DEUS, Nautilus DMC IIB
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
I still think all of your totals from that site should be on the banner(a long time ago)and is one of the top all time finds ever posted on here if not the TOP!!

Thanks Kuger, it has been one heck of a ride! Devonrex
 

OP
OP
Devonrex

Devonrex

Sr. Member
Jan 6, 2012
351
1,260
SE Virginia
🥇 Banner finds
4
Detector(s) used
XP DEUS, Nautilus DMC IIB
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Thanks for all who voted banner for me. This site has given up buttons now that have belonged to 14 different French regiments ..... after some of the replys , I am thinking about writing a story about the site and having it published by either North South Trader or American Digger. I think it would give the soldiers who camped here the homage they deserve.
 

Bill D. (VA)

Silver Member
Oct 7, 2008
4,711
6,212
SE Virginia
🥇 Banner finds
6
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
2
Detector(s) used
F75 SE (land); CZ-21 (saltwater)
Primary Interest:
Other
That's a great idea about writing an article, but don't start it until you've finished up digging the site. It could be that the best is yet to come if you can find more pits there. I'll be rooting for you to expand your enormous Rev War button collection.
 

leprechaun

Bronze Member
Feb 20, 2012
1,996
606
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
CTX 3030; The only metal detector I'll ever need
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Beautiful stuff.
 

hamiddetecting

Gold Member
Feb 22, 2012
6,398
2,510
North Pole
Detector(s) used
Sovereign GT and Excalibur II, Whites, Garrett, Fisher, Alert, MD,Cscope,Tesoro, Compas, XP, Long Rs
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Congratulation. HH, Hamid
 

Baldingboy

Bronze Member
May 17, 2007
2,240
34
Southeast Missouri
Detector(s) used
Minelab SE Professional with 6" Coil
I found a button very similar to that the other night. Picture 019 resize.JPG
 

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