🥇 BANNER Unreal day!! Relics, and a 13 projectile point cache!!!

Jon Phillips

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Mar 10, 2009
535
326
Riverview Florida
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I'm still amped up from this, even though I'm exhausted!

Me, my father, and a good friend went relic hunting today at a site that my friend had hunted for years. It's been a good spot for him in the past, but isn't producing a whole lot these days. He had found a few musket balls recently, and invited us to hunt with him. We gladly took him up on it, as it was a beautiful day, and had rained yesterday, so the ground was conductive, and easy to dig in the sand. (not so much in the wet clay).

Not long into it, I found some melted camp lead, and then a nice .69 cal. musket ball.

IMG_20121227_105918.jpg


After a while, we had all found some musket balls, some buck shot from buck and ball loads, and some fired pistol shots, more camp lead, some iron relics, and some glass from an 1800's wine bottle, common to these sites.

Towards the end of the hunt, we decided to try another area at the site.

After a few more musket balls and buckshot, I got a signal that indicated another piece of buckshot.

As I was digging it, I heard a scrape that sounded like glass or ceramic, and saw what I thought was the side of a milkglass medicine bottle, and assumed I had detected the metal lid of it......As I put my fingers under it, and popped it out.....I almost had a heart attack, when out popped this.......

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Not only was it the first complete point I had ever found....It is one of the nicest ones I have ever seen in person!

I was in shock, and called my dad over to look....I told him I hadn't dug the target yet, but he needed to come look! I was shaking!!

I dug the target, and it was a tiny piece of buckshot....

I calmed down, and we went back to hunting...but my mind wasn't really into it after that!

After about 30 or 40 minutes, I came to an area about 50 yards away that was covered in flakes...I picked up a handful to see if they matched the material of the point.

When we had about all we could take for the day, my dad said he had once found a nice point in a wash while bird hunting, and then found another on in the same spot a few weeks later...so I should go back and check that hole again......

I found the spot, and used his relic shovel to loosen the dirt (very carefully).....I heard a scrape, then pulled it out....and heard another scrape.

I stuck my hands in there and pulled this out.....

IMG_20121227_141154.jpg

I was freaking out, but managed to remember that other scrape....and reached back in and pulled out two broken tips.....I was about to be sick, then I noticed they had already been broken by the looks of them....so I decided to see if the rest of them were in the hole. They weren't, but the next handful brought these up....

IMG_20121227_141324.jpg


Of course at this point I am like a dog digging for a bone, and the next handful is a stack of about FIVE of them in one stack....I guess they were burried in a leather sack maybe, the way they were stacked up. They were all obviously made by the same man....then I guess stashed and he either died, was run off, or forgot about them or something...who knows....but they sat there for what thousands?? of years until I dug them up?

I imagine they represented some kind of wealth at the time.

It ended up being 13 points in all, counting the 3 broken tips.

IMG_20121227_143515.jpg

IMG_20121227_143519.jpg


I calmed down enough to get my buddy to come over...I showed him the first point, which I had put in my wallet, and he about freaked at how big, and nice it was....then I said: "Hey....look at this", and opened out my pockets with them stuffed in there!!! He perked up even more, and said: "What have you got there???" I said "thirteen in all....come over and see if you can find any more."

He dug up all around and finally popped out these two chunks that never got worked, about two feet away.....

IMG_20121227_145312.jpg

We called a couple of people on the way home...My buddy thinks they are Hillsborough Points. The consensus was a cached stash, and a hunting camp or villiage because of the abundance of flakes. I haven't cleaned them yet, but most seem to be coral. I've heard it's a one in a million deal to find a cache of points...let alone ones like these.

It's definately a once in a lifetime deal for me...and I'm thankful for my dad and my buddy being there to witness, and share it with me!!!

A very nice start for my point finding career!!! :laughing7:

We talked about how hard it would be to believe, if we didn't see it with our own eyes...


IMG_20121227_151331.jpg

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Everything together except some big iron...mostly railroad stuff...and one item that might be a section of musket barrel....I'll have to get a better look tomorrow.....

IMG_20121227_192531.jpg

IMG_20121227_192543.jpg

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IMG_20121227_192643.jpg

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IMG_20121227_192657.jpg

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Those are camera phone shots...and that's a quarter in those last few shots.....

I'm extremely happy with the way today turned out!!!


Edit: Added some new pics to the thread in the North American Artifacts forum...

http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/n...-found-point-cache-today-help-i-d-please.html



artifacts 003.JPG

artifacts 018.JPG

And what I think is a rifle barrel that my dad found...

artifacts 022.JPG


artifacts 020.JPG

artifacts 024.JPG


artifacts 026.JPG
 

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Jon Phillips

Jon Phillips

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Mar 10, 2009
535
326
Riverview Florida
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First of all congrats on the rare cache of points -- they are beautiful even to the untrained eye! I agree with Argentium's post in that the pros have the means and resources (money and equipment as well as time) to properly document (for posterity) and excavate the site if warranted to extract as much information as possible about the site and culture responsible for the points. Otherwise there's the danger of this being lost forever which would indeed be a shame. I think more cooperation between detectorists and "archies/anthropology folks" is a good thing. I hope you'll contact them regarding this find and congrats again! Regards, Erik


I agree.....It's too bad that most of them refuse to cooperate with hobbyists, and amature historians/collectors.

The problem in Florida is...when you tell them about a site...there is a REAL good chance, that all they will do is make it "off limits", but never bother to excavate it. Then the site will get ravaged by illegal digging...and nothing will be accomplished. It's happened time and again. Some possibly very important sites will never be explored, unless they are paid to do it....and believe me....the SECOND the money runs out...it will look like they were abducted by aliens!

This site is on private property anyway, and I'm sure the landowner doesn't want any "officials" in there, or any attention. It has also been altered so much, that the whole trench digging and dating process will be useless.

We had an "Isolated Finds Program" in Florida for finds on public (HA!) lands, and river finds.....It required reporting of the finds, with a picture, and approximate location, plus gave the state at least a chance of buying an important find, or excavating an important site. "They" did away with it. Supposedly because it was "too expensive". I wonder how much it cost a year for some grad student to catalog the occasional email, or letter that made it's way to the powers that be? The same system works just fine for fossils......makes you wonder what the real reason for doing away with it was? I guess they think that a guy fishing, or kyaking, or whatever that sees a nice point in the water will just say..."oh that's nice" and paddle away now.....

I really wish it was different here...but it's going to take some "new faces" in those positions to bring common sense back into the mix.
 

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Zodiacdiverdave

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Mar 18, 2011
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I agree.....It's too bad that most of them refuse to cooperate with hobbyists, and amature historians/collectors.

The problem in Florida is...when you tell them about a site...there is a REAL good chance, that all they will do is make it "off limits", but never bother to excavate it. Then the site will get ravaged by illegal digging...and nothing will be accomplished. It's happened time and again. Some possibly very important sites will never be explored, unless they are paid to do it....and believe me....the SECOND the money runs out...it will look like they were abducted by aliens!

This site is on private property anyway, and I'm sure the landowner doesn't want any "officials" in there, or any attention. It has also been altered so much, that the whole trench digging and dating process will be useless.

We had an "Isolated Finds Program" in Florida for finds on public (HA!) lands, and river finds.....It required reporting of the finds, with a picture, and approximate location, plus gave the state at least a chance of buying an important find, or excavating an important site. "They" did away with it. Supposedly because it was "too expensive". I wonder how much it cost a year for some grad student to catalog the occasional email, or letter that made it's way to the powers that be? The same system works just fine for fossils......makes you wonder what the real reason for doing away with it was? I guess they think that a guy fishing, or kyaking, or whatever that sees a nice point in the water will just say..."oh that's nice" and paddle away now.....

I really wish it was different here...but it's going to take some "new faces" in those positions to bring common sense back into the mix.
You are absolutely right Jon, The archies in the USA and in Canada could take some lessons on the way the amateurs and pros work together in the UK.

UK detector finds database - Online

ZDD
BTW, great find.
 

oxbowbarefoot

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Those points are stunning! Fantastic finds. They look great up top on the BANNER!
 

Lanny in AB

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Fan-frickin' tastic finds!! Nicely done!

All the best,

Lanny
 

Sidevalve45

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Apr 8, 2007
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Congratulations on an outstanding find! Banner material for sure.

Sidevalve45
 

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Valley Ranger

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Outstanding find! Definitely banner. Congratulations.
 

smokeythecat

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Totally awesome. I thought this only happened in fairy tales.
 

CRUSADER

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Better luck next time:thumbsup::laughing7:
 

newnan man

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Hey Jon, Those are Newnan Points similar to Hillsbourough, and great ones at that. Archaic. Put this thread in the North American artifacts forum! This is a great find. I found a broken Newnan point near Bullfrog Creek years ago which is in your county. Man those are banner and a super find. Congrats!:thumbsup:
 

Tnmountains

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Wow! That is the way treasure like that is found when you least expect it. I am taking my metal detector with me next time I am looking for points. Congratulations on your cache.
HH
TnMtns
 

SilverPirate

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Dec 23, 2012
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Wow congratulations that's an awesome find, it's amazing what you can find with a metal detector!
 

lairmo

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Awesome points. Nice find indeed. Congratulations on the find of a lifetime!!!
 

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Jon Phillips

Jon Phillips

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Mar 10, 2009
535
326
Riverview Florida
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Hey Jon, Those are Newnan Points similar to Hillsbourough, and great ones at that. Archaic. Put this thread in the North American artifacts forum! This is a great find. I found a broken Newnan point near Bullfrog Creek years ago which is in your county. Man those are banner and a super find. Congrats!:thumbsup:


Thanks!

I put the thread in that section as well...with some detail pics.

I actually live on Bullfrog Creek!

We have 5 acres that is bisected by a east/west tributary that is spring fed. Did you find that point on the main part of the creek? I now have the "artifact fever", and plan on doing some digging on the other side of the creek soon!
 

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Jon Phillips

Jon Phillips

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Mar 10, 2009
535
326
Riverview Florida
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F-75, MXT, 6000di sl
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Jon Phillips

Jon Phillips

Hero Member
Mar 10, 2009
535
326
Riverview Florida
🥇 Banner finds
1
Detector(s) used
F-75, MXT, 6000di sl
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Thanks for all the kind words, and banner votes folks! That makes this already special thing, even more special to me!!
 

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