🥇 BANNER Best Long Weekend Ever! Some great Colonial finds, silver, buttons and more!

oxbowbarefoot

Banned
May 25, 2011
2,268
1,850
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*Update*Best Long Weekend Ever! Revolutionary Rattlesnake Button

After my car accident a couple weeks back, I haven’t been able to detect as much as I’d like. My left arm, which is usually my digging arm, is continually dislocating at the shoulder, however (with the OK from the Orthopedist and orders to stay active and limber) I can at least drag the shovel without it bothering me too much.
All told, the long Thanksgiving weekend was very good to me. I was able to get out and swing the Deus each day for at least a few hours between Friday and Sunday. Friday and Saturday I hunted in the blistering wind and cold with Worldtalker. I think we are both still shaking out the dust from Saturday. We went back to the 1654 massive farmland that we have been hunting for the past few weeks (same place I pulled 2 Spanish silvers out of not too long ago). This site has been producing like crazy, and there is so much more area we haven’t even explored yet. I’m sure Chris will post his sweet finds. I had a few nice ones myself. I was even able to scratch off quite a few items from my wish list, including a couple pesky Barbers, which have somehow been eluding my coil. Together with the half I got a couple weeks back, this site has now given me a Barber hat-trick. Anyways, here are a few of the highlights: (the best is saved for last)

-My first Barber Dime (1906)
-My first Barber Quarter (1908)
-My first Walking Liberty Half (1943)
-1918 Buffalo Nickel (only my 2[SUP]nd[/SUP] Buff)
-1903 and 1899 Indian Heads Cents (brings the total for this site to 13)
-My most complete Colonial barrel tap
-4 Ox Knobs
-8 Musket Balls, including the biggest one I have ever seen
-Half of a brass bullet casting mold, I think mid 1800’s, but not sure.
-a Copper ring (must be the 10[SUP]th[/SUP] copper or brass ring I have found at this site, 2 od which are gold plated)
-a decorated Sterling pen clip.
-a whole galaxy of buttons, some good, some bad, and some ugly….

And my best finds for the weekend>>>>

Two absolutely incredible buttons.

The first one I found on Friday in a cut cornfield. It’s an 1840’s era United States Revenue Service Cutter Button (The precursor to the Coast Guard). Its quite rare and in awesome condition. Much of the gilt was left and a little naval jelly made it shine up nice! I am not sure of the value, but the couple I could find listed are priced between $125 and $400. I think mine falls somewhere in between. The back mark reads U. States/Revenue Service

The second is something that I hope is authentic, although I don’t see why it wouldn’t be based on the other finds that have come out of these fields. If it is, I feel it is definitely my best find of the weekend, and maybe one of my best ever. It’s a button with a Rattlesnake intertwined around 13 eggs. I think it is either Revolutionary War era, or just post Revolution. I have only been able to find one picture online. The site is listed below, it describes the button as “American snake and eggs motif silvered brass button imported from France.”

RWb57ds-American snake and eggs motif silvered brass button imported from France.

When I found it, I didn’t have a clue what it was, I though maybe a token, a button, perhaps a piece of broken jewelry, I just had not idea. I asked Worldtalker, he wasn’t sure either. So in the keeper case it went until I got home. When I got home I gave it a little rinse and realized it was a Rattlesnake. I looked at the back and can feel where the shank broke off. There is no back mark as far as I can see. I haven’t tried naval jelly on it to see if the any silver gilt it left, but mine appears to have much better detail than the one on the website.

If anyone has any info on either button, or has any clues to value, I would greatly appreciate it.

This Thanksgiving weekend was amazing. I have a lot to be thankful for besides the great finds. I am happy to have gotten to spend time with my family, my friend and treasure hunting partner Chris (Worldtalker), and even enjoying the little things like my 10[SUP]th[/SUP] high school reunion. And of course, thank you in advance for your comments and I hope you all had a great weekend too!

**UPDATE**
The person who purchased the Rattlesnake Button did an amazing job cleaning it using peroxide and lemon juice. This button is now likely one of the finest examples of its kind. The picture speaks for its self.
cleanedbutton.jpg
 

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oxbowbarefoot

oxbowbarefoot

Banned
May 25, 2011
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a couple more of those snake buttons were found on cemetary road (across the river....)

Interesting. I wonder if they were popular in the area? I haven't hunted S. Hadley yet, but I have permission at a couple older farms with lots of native artifacts and a couple colonial cellar holes. I've been meaning to work my way over there sometime.
 

SCdigger

Sr. Member
Apr 6, 2003
488
682
South Carolina
🥇 Banner finds
2
Detector(s) used
Teknetics T2 SE, Fisher Gold Bug Pro, Shadow X5, Fisher F75/F70, Garrett Infinium
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
Awesome awesome awesome! The snake button is a banner candidate for sure...the cutter button is no slouch!

GT
 

johnnyblaze

Silver Member
Dec 20, 2010
3,208
1,749
Rhode Island
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T2 SPECIAL EDITION
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Sweet finds:icon_thumright:

I must say That Snake and Egg button is banner material right there:thumbsup:Vote is in..

The banner is like 90% coins these relics need to be up there..

Condition is very nice..Is the back intact??

Blaze
 

Jeff H

Bronze Member
May 5, 2008
1,609
2,117
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XP Deus
I am jumping on the bandwagon Oxbow. That button is beyond cool. I would love to find a nice keg tap like that ! Congrats!
 

PeteWmass

Hero Member
Nov 26, 2012
560
133
South Hadley
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Minelab Explorer
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All Treasure Hunting
hey- I sent you a message - I do a lot of the fields in Hadley and South Hadley- (and the Northampton meadows occasionally) -maybe we could compare notes -
 

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oxbowbarefoot

oxbowbarefoot

Banned
May 25, 2011
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Awesome awesome awesome! The snake button is a banner candidate for sure...the cutter button is no slouch!

GT

Thank you SCdigger! where in SC are you? My dad lives up in Pickens County, in Six Mile. Small town, very nice, I found my first Civil War bullet in his field.


I am jumping on the bandwagon Oxbow. That button is beyond cool. I would love to find a nice keg tap like that ! Congrats!

Much appreciated Jeff, thank you. The keg tap is awesome, I wish it was intact and I had a keg to use it with.

Johnny Blaze, I agree completely. Nothing against seeing a nice gold coin on the Banner, but I like to see meaningful relics up there too. The Roman Eagle is looking lonely. Thank you for the vote, I always love seeing the stuff you pull out down in RI.
 

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oxbowbarefoot

oxbowbarefoot

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May 25, 2011
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Blaze, sorry I forgot to answer your question. The shank is broken or has corroded away. There it a small piece of it left. The back has no mark that I can tell, but it has just as much detail as the front.
 

MNcoinhunter

Full Member
Nov 19, 2012
182
63
Northern Minnesota
Detector(s) used
Minelab Explorer SE Pro, Sunray X-5, 6" Excelerator EQ2, SEF 10X12.
Garrett AT Pro, 8X11 DD & 5X8 DD,
Garrett Pro-Pointer
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Good stuff ... love the coins !
 

hamiddetecting

Gold Member
Feb 22, 2012
6,398
2,510
North Pole
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Sovereign GT and Excalibur II, Whites, Garrett, Fisher, Alert, MD,Cscope,Tesoro, Compas, XP, Long Rs
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nearihunter

Jr. Member
Aug 5, 2012
46
15
western mass
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ace 150, ace350, bounty hunter, ace 250, Minelab safari, (primary)
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awesome buttons. you always got the coolest finds. banner definately
 

Iron Patch

Gold Member
Sep 28, 2007
19,254
8,730
Dirtyville
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The Revenue Cutter is good but the Snake button is great! In that condition I would be shopping it around at about $1,000, and that would be a firm price. (I'd actually start several hundred higher just to test it out - maybe at $1,400) It's hard to say what you would get in the end, just a matter of finding the one buyer who really wants it.

If my find I wouldn't be shopping it anywhere, I'd be conducting an induction ceremony into my best buttons case.
 

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oxbowbarefoot

oxbowbarefoot

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May 25, 2011
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The Revenue Cutter is good but the Snake button is great! In that condition I would be shopping it around at about $1,000, and that would be a firm price. (I'd actually start several hundred higher just to test it out - maybe at $1,400) It's hard to say what you would get in the end, just a matter of finding the one buyer who really wants it.

If my find I wouldn't be shopping it anywhere, I'd be conducting an induction ceremony into my best buttons case.

Thank you Iron Patch. Should I send details to the link Casper posted. You mentioned that you had contributed to that site, anything I can do to make research for others easier would be great. What info would the want? Date and place found, size, material, etc...? I would love to keep it, but I will likely sell it. I will always have the memory of finding it. But Christmas is coming, and I have two nephews who want metal detectors. Now I may be able to help :unhappysmiley:

If people are interested in either of the buttons, PM me. I will be renewing my charter membership soon.
 

jamesbibb

Bronze Member
Sep 11, 2009
1,554
311
Central Va
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DFX
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Banner button!!! Nice one!!!

Oh...

"If people are interested in either of the buttons, PM me. I will be renewing my charter membership soon."

nevermind
 

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Don in SJ

Silver Member
May 20, 2005
4,931
832
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The snake and eggs button is top notch for sure, big congrats on that find!!

Don
 

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oxbowbarefoot

oxbowbarefoot

Banned
May 25, 2011
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Banner button!!! Nice one!!!

Oh...

"If people are interested in either of the buttons, PM me. I will be renewing my charter membership soon."

nevermind


Thank you, but I'm not quite sure what you mean with the nevermind... I sometimes have a hard time understanding intent in person, let alone in writing.
 

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oxbowbarefoot

oxbowbarefoot

Banned
May 25, 2011
2,268
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Primary Interest:
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Update on the Rattlesnake Button:

I sold it today for a very nice sum (approaching, but not quite as high some have suggested) that I am very happy with to a buyer who I hope will either enjoy it or make a profit from it. Though it didn't make me a millionaire, it will buy some nice Christmas gifts for my nieces and nephews, and maybe a new ProPointer for me.
 

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