🥇 BANNER Civil War ID tag

treasurehound

Bronze Member
Jan 23, 2008
1,500
376
Morristown, Tennessee
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Last week I attended the invitational DIV hunt in beautiful Culpeper, VA and had a great time as always. This was on my bucket list and I was so excited to find it. At first I thought it was a large cent then I showed it to my buddies James Bibb and Josh (Sentinel) right after I dug it and James cleaned a little to reveal some of the detail. That was when we recognized it was an ID tag. The name on the tag is Frank Ritz Co. E 4th US INF ANTIETAM, FRED'K'SBURG, GAINS MILL, S. MOUNTAIN, MALV. HILL. The front still needs to be cleaned but I want to make sure it is cleaned properly as this is one of my best finds lately.
 

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treasurehound

treasurehound

Bronze Member
Jan 23, 2008
1,500
376
Morristown, Tennessee
🥇 Banner finds
1
Detector(s) used
Minelab GPX 4500,
Minelab Equinox 800,
Garrett AT GOLD with NEL coil,
Garrett Sea Hunter
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
Randy, I knew when I saw that Sweet Thing that it was NO token, that you had something MUCH more special when I read the words "Gains Mill!" CONGRATULATIONS, I knew it had more detail...and boy did it ever, you can read all the battles, the name, EVERYTHING. That is a fantastic, holy grail find, that not too many folks get to find these days and it could'nt have been found to a nicer, better friend! Congratulations again on the find and not even a doubt that it would make the Banner!!
Thanks Josh. Boy you knew exactly what it was before James could even get it cleaned up a little. Sure was good to see you again and hope we can get some hunts in later.
 

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treasurehound

treasurehound

Bronze Member
Jan 23, 2008
1,500
376
Morristown, Tennessee
🥇 Banner finds
1
Detector(s) used
Minelab GPX 4500,
Minelab Equinox 800,
Garrett AT GOLD with NEL coil,
Garrett Sea Hunter
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
Thank you everyone for the kind responses.
 

mustang8780

Full Member
Feb 28, 2010
141
28
Gainesville, VA
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Minelab E-Trac, Minelab GPX-4800, Teknetics T2 SE
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Randy, awesome find buddy. Best part was getting to hold it in my very own hands! You killed it at the DIVs and I had a great time with you and the rest of the guys in our group.

Cant wait to hunt with you guys again.

Phil
 

vadigger89

Full Member
Feb 8, 2012
176
278
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That is awesome very cool cw relic. I saw it on the last day of the div. I didnt get to participate in that dig but went saturday to look and got kicked out!
 

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treasurehound

treasurehound

Bronze Member
Jan 23, 2008
1,500
376
Morristown, Tennessee
🥇 Banner finds
1
Detector(s) used
Minelab GPX 4500,
Minelab Equinox 800,
Garrett AT GOLD with NEL coil,
Garrett Sea Hunter
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
Randy, awesome find buddy. Best part was getting to hold it in my very own hands! You killed it at the DIVs and I had a great time with you and the rest of the guys in our group.

Cant wait to hunt with you guys again.

Phil

Thanks Phil. I had a great time hunting with you guys as well and can't wait to go again. That had to have been one of the most memorable DIV hunts ever. I can not believe all the great relics found.
 

Curious The George

Hero Member
Sep 4, 2008
655
133
East Coast
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Metrotech
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Great find, congrats on the banner.

I would think it not an ID tag. An ID tag wouldn't have the battles listed on it. I'm guessing it is some kind of veteran organization tag, the regiment he belonged to, given to survivors at a reunion.
 

Tnrelicman

Sr. Member
Mar 2, 2010
350
10
East Tn
Detector(s) used
Whites MXT but missing my Etrac
Id tag

Great find, congrats on the banner.

I would think it not an ID tag. An ID tag wouldn't have the battles listed on it. I'm guessing it is some kind of veteran organization tag, the regiment he belonged to, given to survivors at a reunion.

Actually they would have that engraved after an engagement, I have seen it on many "dog" tags of that era.
 

DirtDodger

Jr. Member
Mar 13, 2012
73
36
Ohio
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White's V3i & DFX
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Last edited:

Curious The George

Hero Member
Sep 4, 2008
655
133
East Coast
🥇 Banner finds
1
Detector(s) used
Metrotech
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Actually they would have that engraved after an engagement, I have seen it on many "dog" tags of that era.

You might look at the photo again, the lettering is not engraved. It is raised lettering and that is done when the item is made, you can't add raised lettering after the fact.
 

leprechaun

Bronze Member
Feb 20, 2012
1,996
606
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1
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CTX 3030; The only metal detector I'll ever need
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Great old find.:notworthy:
 

pumice

Full Member
Dec 27, 2011
117
5
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Can it get any better than that?...........:thumbsup::thumbsup:
 

eclipsegt3

Full Member
Apr 30, 2011
134
2
Virginia
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I dont live far from culpeper at all
 

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