Local Boy Hits Colonial Pay Dirt

[Erik in NJ]

I finally met the owner of a house near me that I've wanted to gain permission to for quite some time. Just before Thanksgiving, on my way to the post office, I saw a car in the driveway and decided to stop in and say hello. I'd already been in touch with the owner's daughter-in-law by email. The owner was very nice to me and said "sure go ahead" and we spoke about local history and the house. She gave me a tour and showed me some articles on the house.

Anyway, I started in the backyard and was really disappointed with what I wasn't finding. What appeared to me to be a dream property had almost no signals (good ones or trash) as I randomly meandered to find a hot spot. The back yard finally gave up a tombac button and a musket ball. I showed these to the owner as well as what looked like an old sheet music clip from an instrument and the junk I'd dug. She told me I could come back when I wanted.

I decided to try a strip near the house in the back and the front yard the next time I was there and I literally put my coil down on a flat button at a few inches. OK, now I was on the board. Next I dug a heavy rusted iron ring that's sitting in ACV at the moment.

In the front yard where I'd found really nothing on my first visit, I decided to grid. Low and behold my first target was a Colonial Knee Buckle frame -- my first ever, I was thrilled!

I dug a couple of flat buttons during this hunt. One says "WARRANTED - ORANGE - RICH" and the other has a backmark which I cannot read, but there is a circle of little dots where the eyelet is soldered on. Any ideas?

The most salient item I dug, not far from the buckle was a silver broach missing its mounting device, which is hollow with no maker's mark or markings of any kind. It is definitely silver as it came out of the ground almost like you see it. Due to the simplicity of its handmade design, I am thinking that it too is colonial. The trip was rounded out with an 1894 Barber Quarter and three IH cents, a 1906, 1908, and the best one is an 1859 Fatty! They cleaned up well in hot peroxide and are nicer than they appear in the scans. Need a bit more cleaning and some bees wax.

Oh, I also dug a roughly made 24mm ball, which I need to ID. It's too rough to be a musket ball. Is it canister shot? Anyone know the best way to clean up lead I also found part of a large pewter spoon bearing some wonderful "shoulders" above the spoon area. I understand this was done in the old days and I need to do a bit more research on this spoon as well as clean it up a bit more. Any tips? Many of these finds are just a couple inches below the surface and the soil in the front of the house in nice and dark.

A couple hours yesterday didn't disappoint, with a 34mm Dandy button that someone holed twice with a square nail after the shank broke off. It has quite an ornate design on it. And a beautiful two piece button which is part silver and was gilded -- it must have been a beautiful button in its day.

I also dug another flat button marked "TREBLE . * GILT * ." A lead seal of some sort that appears to have a N.J. on it. And an ornate garter clip which is missing it center bar.

I believe the reason why the back yard is not giving up finds is because the was a road near the house on the original maps which is now in a new location. Too bad, as this house is giving up some wonderful relics and coins!

 

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[fishstick]

Hi Erik!

Being the property is a couple miles down the road from me and it's a house that catches the eye, I'm sure you are right. The owners have been kinder to me than I could ever imagined and I'm very grateful for that. There are some very expensive houses in the area so it's been a little intimidating for me to seek permission to dig in someone's yard, but I have been three for three this fall. This house is special as it has ties back to a prominent family in the area. Once I finish the yard, I'd like to fill a display case with the finds and maybe publish a little story in the local historical society newsletter.

Re the fatty IH cent, it seems to have cleaned it well, I may give it another bath or two and then cover with a thin coating of bees wax to help it retain moisture as the peroxide seems to dry the coins out. Congrats on the fatty you found--I guess this is my third one so far as well as a Flying Eagle which is also a fatty and they are always a thrill to find, though they seem to hit in the junk range on my Explorer. I guess that's why they are not very easy to find. Thanks again for your post!

Best, Erik

Thanx for the info bud it's a big help!! Kuger is the man for sure. I've found a few of those not really knowin wat they were..KUDOS..

 

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[kuger]

Ahhh, OK, that pic shows well how the clip was used. Thanks so much kuger for the ID and the history lesson! Is there a name for this "thing?" Mine does look like it came off of a woman's belt.

Thanks Eric.We call them "tightners",not much mention is made of them outside of our circle of passionate two piece buckle collectors circle?
Ya know,we have for some time called the type of buckle I posted above "womens buckles",but after digging the numbers of them we do,in very remote camps where we know for fact there were no women,we tend to beleive that men must have worn these "Fancy",buckles.That being said,a search othrough period Dagureotypes show a significant number on children and women

 

[TommNJ]

Nice bunch of Finds there Erik, Congrats!

TommNJ

 

[CRUSADER]

'34mm Dandy button that someone holed twice with a square nail after the shank broke off'

Yeap, looks like classic re-use. Shows the value at the time. Repair & make do...

 

[nitnelyons]

First button i found has "warranted orange" on it. 2nd one has "rich orange colour" on it. Both flat smooth surface on front. Did some research and found someone selling these on a site listed them as Plain Civilian Button. Late 1700's to Early 1800's. Also mentioned these buttons were occasionally found on Confederate Uniforms. Awesome finds by the way.

 

[SilverDreams]

Congrats on the great finds!

 

[Goldirocks]

Hey Eric, Congrats on some great finds! You did very well and that place should still yield some great finds. Low and slow.....

 

[coinman123]

Congrats on your first knee buckle, you found quite a variety of colonial relics, maybe you can pull a great colonial coin out of there too at some point.

Coinman123,

 

[park pirate]

Damn nice finds looks like a good spot pound it good...

 

[treblehunter]

Nice finds Eric

Brad from New Jersey.