First silver

[Old Dude]

Went out for a bit this morning. Was at a county park for about 5 minutes and got my first signal. Remember how you felt when you saw your first silver peeking out of the hole? I was ecstatic. Pulled this 1960 rosie out. Spent about 3 more hours trying to find more. Dug some clad, the usual trash (bottle caps, pull tabs, can slaw, modern spent cartridges). I was getting hungry and tired so decided I had enough for a day and headed back to the blazer. I got one more signal and when I pulled the chunk of lead out with the help of my pointer, I remember saying "OMG". Because of the wealth of info I have read on this site, I knew what I had. If not for TNet, I would have dismissed it as more trash! I have no caliper so haven't measured the bullet yet but it weighs between 29 and 30 grams. Is a real chunk. Can anyone date it for me? I love it! First silver AND first 3 ringer!

 

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[vpnavy]

Nice finds Old Dude!

 

[Wildcat1750]

Nice silver Rosie and 3 ringer. I'm not sure which you should be more excited about!

 

[worldtalker]

You got the fever now Really need a measurement on the bullet,it's an oldie,Nice. GodBless Chris

 

[worldtalker]

You got the fever now Really need a measurement on the bullet,it's an oldie,Nice. GodBless Chris

 

[worldtalker]

You got the fever now Really need a measurement on the bullet,it's an oldie,Nice. GodBless Chris

First double post I ever made One of you mods please delete one.

 

[granthansen]

Congrats! Those are 2 great finds!

 

[Digger2]

Wow! Those kind of finds makes it all worthwhile!!

Roy

 

[cjon455]

killer finds, cant wait to hear what type of 3 ringer u got there

 

[CoilyGirl]

Old dude, I'm probably not the one to ask but I'll betcha there are some people here that will help you identify your bullet if you can just get a measurement on it.

 

[John Boy]

Congrats on you're first silver and tge lead buddy.

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

At Old Dude's request, I'm coming over from my home turf in the What-Is-it forum to ID his bullet in Today's Finds.

It is too beat-up for me to ID it with extreme specificity. However, its general shape, its apparent NE Pennsylvania dig-location, and its precisely-measured weight (between 29 and 30 grams, which is 447-to-463 grains) tell me it is a .58-caliber "generic" US 3-groove Minie-ball. Statistically speaking, it is most probably from civil war era training of recruits/draftees, for the following three reasons:
1- This specific form of Minie-ball was developed and produced by the US Ordnance Department in the latter-1850s, during which time it was not in the possession of civilian game-hunters.
2- There was no civil war combat action in northeastern PA. But that state recruited (or drafted) hundreds of thousands of troops, who received at least some basic training in the state before being sent South.
3- Although in the years after the civil war's end, some quantities of war-surplus .58 muzzleloading rifles were sold to civilians, the quick development and public availability of breechloading, metal-cartridge-firing rifles caused the muzzleloaders (and their Minie-balls) to rapidly fall out of favor.

 

[Old Dude]

Thank you so much! CoilyGirl and Bigcypresshunter both said you'd be the one to help. I hope to have more for you.

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

The good news:
Where you find one civil war bullet, there's almost always more in the nearby vicinity.

The bad news:
If it's a fired bullet, the others may be kinda "spread out" from it ...meaning could be 100 yards from where you found the first one.

Your bullet is so beat-up I can't be 100% certain whether it is a fired one, or unfired. I think I see enough of a "dent" on its nose (and another on one side) to indicate it is a fired one ...but in the past 39 years I've also seen some definitely-unfired ones that some soldier beat up pretty badly -- perhaps because he was irritated with being a draftee. So I'm not quite certain about whether yours is a fired one, or not. Hunt the area hard. Good luck to you.

Wish I still had my very first civil war bullet. I metal-detected it in March 1974. But I got divorced shortly afterward, and lost that Minie-ball somehow. Keep yours in a secure place. You'll never find another FIRST one.

 

[CoinandRelicMan]

Sweet first finds outings! Metal detecting moments that will last on in your memory.

 

[nitnelyons]

Nice finds old dude. I think I held, and stared at the 2 ringer I found in central, Pa longer than anything I dug up. May have been shot by a civilian, idk, but the age of it excites me.

 

[Digger2]

At Old Dude's request, I'm coming over from my home turf in the What-Is-it forum to ID his bullet in Today's Finds.

It is too beat-up for me to ID it with extreme specificity. However, its general shape, it apparent NE Pennsylvania dig-location, and its precisely-measured weight (between 29 and 30 grams, which is 447-to-463 grains) tell me it is a .58-caliber "generic" US 3-groove Minie-ball. Statistically speaking, it is most probably from civil war era training of recruits/draftees, for the following three reasons:
1- This specific form of Minie-ball was developed and produced by the US Ordnance Department in the latter-1850s, during which time it was not in the possession of civilian game-hunters.
2- There was no civil war combat action in northeastern PA. But that state recruited (or drafted) hundreds of thousands of troops, who received at least some basic training in the state before being sent South.
3- Although in the years after the civil war's end, some quantities of war-surplus .58 muzzleloading rifles were sold to civilians, the quick development and public availability of breechloading, metal-cartridge-firing rifles caused the muzzleloaders (and their Minie-balls) to rapidly fall out of favor.

I am impressed! to say the least. Knowing the history of an old find really adds to the enjoyment.

Roy

 

[CoilyGirl]

Glad you got your question solved.

 

[Old Dude]

Nice finds old dude. I think I held, and stared at the 2 ringer I found in central, Pa longer than anything I dug up. May have been shot by a civilian, idk, but the age of it excites me.

I definitely understand that. It was hard for me to put this one down. Thanks to all who have said the nice things, to CoilyGirl and Bigcypresshunter for pointing me to The CannonballGuy, and to The CannonballGuy for sharing his obvious passion for the hobby and great knowledge of his field. Where else could someone as novice as myself be surrounded by so many helpful and interesting people? This is exactly why I had NO reservations about becoming a charter member. For the sake of preservation of the things we find, we have to keep sites like this alive.

Sent from my iPad using TreasureNet

 

[Metal Magnet]

yes, i remember my first silver and the feeling. i got a mercury dime. honestly, when i first saw it, i kind of froze - didn't know what i had and why it was so shiny. then it dawned on me and my adrenaline shot through the roof. and, like you, i went into overdrive for more. a very hearty congrats to you!