WIFE GOT A NICE 1740 HALFPENNY & ANOTHER - BARREL TAP KEY BUTTONS ETC

[Cross Potent]

Take care guys and gals. Moved to facebook and youtube.

 

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[bill from lachine]

Good score on the old copper and barrel tap key.

Regards + HH

Bill

 

[PaDirtDigger]

Awesome finds... When i got to the picture with the stuff on the paper plates, i thought it was at my friend Rich's place, he uses the exact same paper plates!!!
Thanks for sharing!!

 

[Vino]

Nice finds, another beautiful copper..
So hard work huh??
I have not dug one yet..
Plan on it in a couple weeks..
A pit i mean..lol

 

[Bill D. (VA)]

CP - many of the early pits I've dug are loaded with brick frags and mortar so that's not a surprise. Neither are the animal bones and charcoal as you know. Don't get flustered if you don't immediately get into pottery, glass and an abundance of clay pipe parts. Like I mentioned earlier, many times the good stuff was only deposited in one small part of the pit, or possibly in another one lurking nearby. You might want to consider digging a few more test holes before starting to sift as that'll be no easy job with all the shells. Speaking of oysters, I read a few years ago that the average 17th century settler living in the Chesapeake Bay region consumed 40-50 BUSHELS of oysters a year. No wonder these pits are so loaded with them, and that also helps to explain their low life expectancy. Anyway, don't get discouraged and keep methodically plugging away as there's bound to be some nice stuff in that pit, especially some nice early, marked pipe bowls, and if you're lucky, a bottle seal. Good luck!

 

[SouthJerseyJim]

Excellent finds. I'd love to get into a colonial pit!

 

[Bill D. (VA)]

BTW - I found that exact barrel tap key (along with the matching tap) at a site where nothing prior to 1750 was dug, so that likely dates later than a lot of your other finds. Still a very cool artifact not often seen.

 

[Cross Potent]

Yep the barrel tap key was nearer to a separate foundation where I dug early 1800s stuff.

 

[bentdiggin]

I would be willing to come and help dig. Your finds are unbelievable. I wish I lived out east ( without the 6 ft of snow).

 

[Cross Potent]

Nice finds, another beautiful copper..
So hard work huh??
I have not dug one yet..
Plan on it in a couple weeks..
A pit i mean..lol

Would have been a lot easier if it was sandy down there. But it was dense clay and I dont even see how it can be sifted.

 

[Professor of Engineering]

Excellent hunt! You and your wife managed to find some very interesting historical items, Congratulations.

 

[Cross Potent]

CP - many of the early pits I've dug are loaded with brick frags and mortar so that's not a surprise. Neither are the animal bones and charcoal as you know. Don't get flustered if you don't immediately get into pottery, glass and an abundance of clay pipe parts. Like I mentioned earlier, many times the good stuff was only deposited in one small part of the pit, or possibly in another one lurking nearby. You might want to consider digging a few more test holes before starting to sift as that'll be no easy job with all the shells. Speaking of oysters, I read a few years ago that the average 17th century settler living in the Chesapeake Bay region consumed 40-50 BUSHELS of oysters a year. No wonder these pits are so loaded with them, and that also helps to explain their low life expectancy. Anyway, don't get discouraged and keep methodically plugging away as there's bound to be some nice stuff in that pit, especially some nice early, marked pipe bowls, and if you're lucky, a bottle seal. Good luck!

Thanks for the help. I'll think about this some more and decide what to do next. I might be too impatient for this task. We'll see. Now give me a Bobcat and I could get enough done to stay interested. Of course that'd all change if I found something really cool.

 

[Cross Potent]

It was fun watching those longer pieces of pipe fall out of the shells.

 

[Bill D. (VA)]

It was fun watching those longer pieces of pipe fall out of the shells.

When you get a large enough sample size you'll have to do a pipe bore diameter analysis to determine the average occupancy date for the site. It's usually pretty accurate and helps to date other artifacts found at the site. I've gone through that exercise countless times, and its another worthwhile method to help document a site. Have you checked any of your pipe stems for marks?

 

[Cross Potent]

When you get a large enough sample size you'll have to do a pipe bore diameter analysis to determine the average occupancy date for the site. It's usually pretty accurate and helps to date other artifacts found at the site. I've gone through that exercise countless times, and its another worthwhile method to help document a site. Have you checked any of your pipe stems for marks?

The bore diameters are all over the place. I have some very large ones and fairly small ones. I only see one bowl with something on it. Once I get more I'll shoot some pics of the one I have. There was a decorated pipe today but I guess I lost it. Had them set in a bucket as I was finding them so not sure how it went missing.

 

[joeyfresh]

Digging through the oyster shells is like digging through concrete. Get that bobcat out there quick!

 

[cjon455]

absolutely great hunt yet again, you are on a roll!, congrats on your great finds. I like the clay pipe pieces also, very neat!

 

[Cross Potent]

Digging through the oyster shells is like digging through concrete. Get that bobcat out there quick!

Thank god for oyster knives and potato rakes. lol

 

[ironhorse]

You're squeezing every drop from your site!
Nice quality relics!

 

[Bill D. (VA)]

Thank god for oyster knives and potato rakes. lol

Remember, the pointed end of a large pick axe works wonders in helping to break up those compacted shells.