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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[Terry Soloman]

Great finds - Congratulations!!!

 

[Sooper Dave]

That's a lot of awesome finds you got from there! Your persistence is paying off! Way to go Erik

 

[Erik in NJ]

Great finds - Congratulations!!!

Thanks Terry, wish the cold weather wasn't closing in here! There's still a lot of yard to do there and I *know* that there's good stuff in the backyard too that mat be too deep. I'm gonna have to try my 3030 there with the big coil or maybe my F75 Ltd if I can find the time to learn it. I have a feeling this yard has more interesting finds to give up and i want to piece together a history for the owner and the local Historical Society.

 

[FoundInNC]

Great job Erik, I too think the broached could be colonial. I love it all! Amazing finds! Great pictures!

 

[Little River Hunter]

Very nice finds! Sounds like you have established a relationship with the land owners, too! That's always a plus.

 

[Erik in NJ]

That's a lot of awesome finds you got from there! Your persistence is paying off! Way to go Erik

Thanks Dave! The difference between the front and back yard is like night and day! It's sad to think that so much history in the back is either gone or too deep because of that road! Nevertheless it's a labor of love since it's local history and I'll keep trying deeper machines when I get a chance. Thanks again for your kind words! Best, Erik

 

[Erik in NJ]

Great job Erik, I too think the broached could be colonial. I love it all! Amazing finds! Great pictures!

Thanks for the kind words brother! Yes, this site is like a little time capsule and it would be nice to document the finds for posterity and for the family. They were very gracious to give me access to this historic property as they are wealthy and could have just said no. I made sure to drop by Thanksgiving morn with a little thank-you gift and this was before I'd found anything in the front of the yard. I was just happy to get access to the property even though I didn't find much in the back yard as of tha time--the tombac button (not pictured yet) was just a thrill for me. As in your case, the best part is establishing a relationship of trust with the land owner.

 

[Erik in NJ]

Very nice finds! Sounds like you have established a relationship with the land owners, too! That's always a plus.

Hi LRH,

Yes, it was nice to get to know the owners a bit and establish that relationship. I'm relatively new at seeking permission for private property and this was a very positive experience for me. I want the owners to get something back for being so kind to me regardless of what I found there.

 

[Little River Hunter]

Establishing a good relationship with them could open more doors for you in MDing. If asked, those folks may even allow you to use them as a reference to MD on other land owner's property. Its worked for me. Good luck!

 

[spitfire55]

Way to go little brother. Darn good search and your recovered relics.....Wow!..you're good.

 

[West Jersey Detecting]

Looks like a great spot!

 

[CoilyGirl]

Wow,ya gone good! I can only dream of what is still there to be found.

 

[granthansen]

Awesome! Congrats, especially for not giving up on the spot. WTG!

 

[cntrydncr1]

good hunt!! congrats on the barber!

 

[Rick (Nova Scotia)]

They were very gracious to give me access to this historic property as they are wealthy and could have just said no. I made sure to drop by Thanksgiving morn with a little thank-you gift and this was before I'd found anything.

Good spot, nice finds. Silver broach, and buckle frame. Shoe buckle parts are very scarce under my coil. (none this year)

It is real nice of you to give a little something (gift or some of the finds) to the prop. owners. Rich or poor there really isn't much incentive for any of them to give permission. It's just the goodness in their souls, and we as a whole should be very gratefull. I sure am.

 

[Erik in NJ]

Good spot, nice finds. Silver broach, and buckle frame. Shoe buckle parts are very scarce under my coil. (none this year)

It is real nice of you to give a little something (gift or some of the finds) to the prop. owners. Rich or poor there really isn't much incentive for any of them to give permission. It's just the goodness in their souls, and we as a whole should be very gratefull. I sure am.

Hi Rick!

Yes, as I mentioned it's my first colonial buckle so I was quite happy to find it and it's in pretty nice shape too, but missing the cross piece. Best part is it told me that I was probably into some old soil. I originally told the property owner up front that she could have anything I found and her reply was "no, I don't want anything, I already have enough stuff" I agree with you, this is a beautiful old house in an expensive town and there was no reason why they should have given me access to the property, except out of kindness. They trust me with their property and I will take care of it and was happy to drop off a gift for them Thanksgiving morning. This property is opening up a window of history for me in this particular town and I am certainly grateful. Thanks for your post!

 

[Erik in NJ]

Awesome! Congrats, especially for not giving up on the spot. WTG!

Hi Grant,

After my first hunt there, it would have been easy to walk away from this property and years ago I might have. I knew the house went back to the 1700s and so I was determined to forge on as there had to be something there--I doubt this yard has been detected before. The first day was sort of a random walk, which I generally don't like to do. The next time back the gridding gave me more of a feeling of control and also got me to slow down a bit and explorer some of the iffy targets. Funny thing is that with the random walk I covered some of the ground in the front of the house, but wasn't finding anything. Most of the targets are not too deep, but I also need to be careful with their lawn. Let's hope for some milder weather in NJ in the coming weeks.

 

[granthansen]

Let's hope for some milder weather in NJ in the coming weeks.

Amen to that! Last winter we were blessed... let's hope Mother Nature strikes twice!

 

[kuger]

Great finds Eric!!Hey your Oval piece is a belt tightner missing the middle bar.Type used on two piece buckle belts