🥇 BANNER So I found a sword!!!

[JustKeepDigging]

Found it in the woods about 3 feet deep. Found using my Whites Industrial PRL-1 which goes pretty deep so I use it for going hunting in the woods. I honestly thought it was an old pipe of some sort but I guess not! It's marked "1851" "Mitteh" anyone have any info on that? Had no luck online.

 

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[MichiganMan]

Very, very nice find; especially in that condition. That will probably be the only one found like that, in that condition, ever here on Treasure-Net. Congratulations! I'm going to vote banner on that one.

 

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[Jon Phillips]

And why would something only be buried because it was illegal?? And where is it written that citizens couldn't own swords or weapons during the Civil War?? They had family heirlooms that were passed down, and some are even in the same family today...many had to hunt...no mandatory call to "turn in all your weapons" that I ever heard of...

I be needing this here rifle for squirrels and such. The Outlaw Josie Wales

Right! And what happened right after they turned them in? The old "Gatlin gun to the midsection" trick!

I'm sure that surrendering armies would probably be required to hand over their firearms...but I have never heard of citizens having to, or a mass disarming of citizens, or forbidding any current, or former soldier from owning any weapon at the time.

Look how many former Civil War muskets got cut down and "sporterized" after the war...They were becoming obsolete, and many were turned into "squirrel guns" and "shotguns". That tells me that many soldiers just went home with their gear...

As far as this sword goes...It is just as possible that it was buried during the Third Seminole War (1855-1858), as it is that it was buried during the Civil War, or any time thereafter.

There could be any number of reasons it ended up in the ground...

 

[Higgy]

A nice find indeed. Not banner, in my humble opinion, but certainly a nice find worthy of a round or two of beers!

 

[unclemac]

value is up to you...me?...priceless

 

[etex]

Banner

 

[Peyton Manning]

hopin it wasn't buried in plaid dacron

 

[MuckyBottles]

Cool sword ! Am I the only one that finds the depth and condition of that sword to be the definition of incredible?

I second that..

 

[BVI Hunter]

I was using the Whites PRL-1 which is used to find pipes deep down.

sounds like could be a good cache hunting machine!!

really cool find!!

 

[heathgeo]

i hate you.....
just kidding lol
Congrats!!!!

 

[Southern loyalist]

Great find! I'm no expert, but based on the curve of the blade and the date it appears to be a German import of a Model 1850 Foot Officers sword. I've seen several authentic Civil War period non-dug German variations of the M1850 with varying designs of iron hand guard (the standard US version would be brass), though I must say that I've not seen one with this navy cutlass type looking guard. I'm sure that others will chime in and give you a positive ID. Regardless of age or origin, a great find…and go back there looking for more as others have suggested!!

 

[Valley Ranger]

Amazing find. Due to the fact it appears to be complete and in excellent condition, I would say this is a banner find. Great save!

 

[Lifes A Garden...Dig IT]

Voted Banner. Outstanding! It's not everyday you unearth an in tact 1800's sword/saber in the Florida woods much less anywhere else. Would love to know the history of it and the story behind it.

 

[tyrocksalot]

Banner

 

[Discrimination Dave]

so whats the story on the cloth?
Are we gonna be able to see that?

 

[jeff of pa]

Nice Find ! I wish you would have taken pics of the cloth,
even if rotted
& full of Maggots. The cloth's condition and type could help date the Burial.

Please if you can recover those remains.... do so

Sorry But I believe it is a much more Recent Burial by Condition.
unless there was a building on the spot for 150 years.
Bone Dry or Very Thick Oxygen-starved swamp Mud.

Is it Brass ?

 

[Gaspipe]

A nice find indeed. Not banner, in my humble opinion, but certainly a nice find worthy of a round or two of beers!

Wow you are tough to please! I've been creeping this forum for a while well before I joined and started to post and I must say I don't recall too many swords of that age, condition and possible history being dug up.

 

[nuggy]

Well the year of the design is beyond dispute - 1851 pattern, so made that year or sometime later, depending on how long that pattern was manufactured for. The blade condition is outstanding is if it was coated with cosmoline or grease then wrapped up good before burying.
I reckon the most likely reason for burying it was some woman said "Wilbur you get that thing out of this house - get rid of it. Young Robert was chasing his sister around the yard with it this morning, and one of these young'un's is going to be bad hurt. It'll be your fault and blah blah blah"
Well you couldn't just throw away a good sword, so why not grease it up good, bury it out in the woods, and then you can dig it up when the need comes. Now if he made a habit of burying stuff out in the woods you might come across his cache of gold 5 dollar coins or ? Just about anything.
Anyway however it got there, to me this is as good a find as you could ever get, and one hell of a good motivator to get out detecting!! Nuggy

 

[slowwevo]

Seriously??

The Third Seminole War was from 1855 to 1858...A lot of the Second Seminole War forts were rebuilt, reactivated, and others built for the Third Seminole War exclusively. It is also commonly known as the "Billy Bowlegs War".

There was also the previous "panic" that resulted from some rogue Seminoles robbing, and killing that came between the second and third wars.

And why would something only be buried because it was illegal?? And where is it written that citizens couldn't own swords or weapons during the Civil War?? They had family heirlooms that were passed down, and some are even in the same family today...many had to hunt...no mandatory call to "turn in all your weapons" that I ever heard of...


And I don't appreciate your "History Lesson" private message, and post on here with "DUH" in it, while you are the one that is way off on your facts....Like the one that states that the Second Seminole War was over before 1840....It was 1835-1842.

I was just about to respond,but you took care of it,apparently some just read books and quote google,but don't know the history..just a little fyi,some Seminoles never surrendered,and also not all that were exterminated were seminole

 

[slowwevo]

oh and sorry,if belt buckles from the period routinely make it,How is this not a banner....

 

[MuckyBottles]

I would vote banner, but the condition is suspect to the reason I won't.