It really was a Good Friday

[Old Dude]

Hi all. Yesterday I met a friend from here for the first time after we discovered that we hunt the same sites. He is Wyoming Valley Relics. We really hit it off and talked like 2 old women for hours, lol. We decided to do a hunt today and met up at a cornfield that gave me my very first musket ball. WVR ( he is a Dave also ) got there before me after looking the site over last night on some old maps. He met me with his first discovery - a nice Merc. We hunted around where an old school once stood and dug some iron targets, then decided to move out into the field where the silver had been. We both dug fairly modern buckles and I got a nice green wheat. On my next good target I dug a large crotal. I was pretty happy with it even though it had a chunk missing from probably a plow. I discovered later after cleaning it still had the clinker ( or whatever it is called ) packed inside with the mud. I dug a couple more wheats, the little gilded metal box and found the pretty pink glass bottleneck on top of the ground. Dave was VERY excited to dig his very first crotal, a small little one with patent date on it and once he cleaned it, he discovered a fragment of cloth or thread on it. We aren't sure how it was attached. Looking for help from you experts please! Dave dug an old ball that he thought was a buck and ball but I think is a pistol ball. He doesn't have scale or calipers yet so I will weigh and measure it for him soon and update this thread. After cleaning his bell, he discovered it still rings and sounds like Christmas!

Thanks for looking. We enjoyed our first hunt together!

 

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[lesche Is More]

Nice Merc. The bottle neck is flint Glass it had a high level of magnese in the glass
that caused sunlight to turn it that color. They stopped making around 1900
looks like it was tooled top whisky or med

Ive yet to dig a crotal! cant wait

HH OldDude

-LIM-

 

[Wyoming Valley Relics]

It was a good day indead. lead ball weighs 6 grams. crotal bell says Pat. oc 24 may 14 , 78

 

[catherine1]

Great job!! Nice Friday!!! Thanks for the pics!!

 

[Wyoming Valley Relics]

little bit of research.
Major George W. Tucker and possibly the American Ring Company

The oldest Tucker bells are marked with the single patent date of "PAT. OCT 24. [18]76" circling the base of each bell.

The base of the most common style of "patent" or "Tucker" bell is circled with two patent dates of "PAT. OCT 24. [18]76 & MAY 14. [18]78". A maker's mark of a diamond with a small dot in the center may also be present. Later Tucker bells are completely plain, but are otherwise identical in shape and design details to earlier versions.

These bells are found in single throat (slit), double throat, and triple throat versions, with many minor variations in size, shape and design. Nearly all Tucker bells are machine stamped from yellow brass sheet, although small numbers of the triple throat version were also stamped from sheet steel. The bells were probably produced by the American Ring Company of Waterbury, Connecticut, that was organized in October 1852.

"[The American Ring Co. produced] saddle, harness and carriage hardware, patent brass, silvered and iron rings, etc. Their factory, until destroyed by fire, January 5, 1872, was on Canal street [in Waterbury]. The Ring Co. is now [1894] under the control of the Plume & Atwood Manufacturing Co...." (15)

Tucker's two patents describe the manufacture of a double-throat bell stamped from thick sheet bass. Tucker was awarded 21 design patents between 1869 and 1882, including the two for his sleigh bells. (15) Tucker, a prominent, respected citizen of Waterbury and an officer of the American Ring Company, was dismissed in disgrace from the company in 1886 after being accused of embezzling a substantial sum of money.

Classic Bells: American Horse Bell Makers

 

[Old Dude]

Sorry, I omitted the pic of WVR's bell showing the thread......

 

[cjon455]

Looks like an awesome hunt, those bells r awesome

 

[ModernMiner]

Great hunt Guys! Glad to see the Amish are dropping a few relics up there in PA.

I'm pretty sure those bells fell off of Santa's sleigh. Quindy told me he blasted him with a shotgun thinking he was a poacher, and you even found the shell casing as proof. The pink glass was from Dman's cologne bottle I believe.

Congrats and thanks for that super long video OD.

-DUHg-

 

[Old Dude]

Hey, that video is just like me~~short and sweet!

 

[VOL1266-X]

You guys had a great hunt OD!! Wtg, Q.

 

[Chuxter]

Very cool finds guys. New friendships are also fantastic to find. Thanks for sharing and HH. -Chuck

 

[scaupus]

great video. masterful. sums it up well.

 

[dig kzoo]

Wow you guys did well, that merc looks great! sweet vid. GL & HH!

 

[vpnavy]

More great finds Dude! Thanks for sharing...

 

[Old Dude]

Thanks all for your replies and views. I had a great time in spite of losing my digger
I guess forgetfulness is a sign of being "an old dude"

 

[CoilyGirl]

Great hunt guys,love the Merc and the color on that crotal Bueller is really nice.

 

[Davers]

Great Finds guys.
Davers

 

[park pirate]

Nice stuff, the merc is in nice condition ....

 

[Tnmountains]

New friends and a hunt you will always remember. That really was a long video. Perfect!

 

[Old Dude]

New friends and a hunt you will always remember. That really was a long video. Perfect!

lol, Tn. I have to agree with Mr Quindy on videos.....why waste people's time and the storage space with unnecessary content? We just wanted to share the sound of something recovered and old, and as you can tell by WVR's smile, he was deservedly proud and happy. Thank you, Sir!