🥇 BANNER What a day...some unique finds including 1600s to civil war (confederate brass!)

HomeGuardDan

Bronze Member
Jul 15, 2011
1,677
2,473
Williamsburg, VA
🥇 Banner finds
5
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
What a day...some unique finds including 1600's to civil war (confederate brass!)

On thursday evening I finally got an in at a site that I have been hoping to get on for quite some time now. Confirmed on Friday and provided literally the keys to the gates and on Saturday Bill D and I ran out to check it out. First though I have a little catch up. The previous weekend, I managed to get out for a short and snowy return visit to the site that let Bill and I down a few weeks ago. I spent 4 or 5 hours walking some new and old fields and while I managed a hand full of buttons and another 1736-1795 Kao Tsung (Ch'ien-Lung Dynasty) Chinese coin it was lack luster. This is another 1700's Chinese coin and joins the family of several that came from an adjacent farm. That and a tudor rose cufflink seemed to be the better of the finds. I am confident a decent find will come from this site, but not the quantity I had hoped.

On to yesterday, this site was historically rich from the 1600-1700s. However, there also was quite a bit civil war activity which means that I felt it had likely seen diggers before, most likely night vultures. Sadly, it seemed to be the case as while Bill and I found a decent amount, you could easily tell that it had been dug heavily over the years. This was a 300+ acre site, so we had our work cut out to cover as much of it as possible. We started out checking some likely colonial sites and while we saw signs of a dwelling that once existed, the finds were few and far. I managed to dig a nice set of 1700's mourning urn cufflinks and a couple of other buttons from the site. We then decided to take a long walk into the lower fields which did produce a nice early buckle and a surprise pocket civil war bullets. Sadly the other house site that I knew was on or near the property border seemed to be just across the lane on another property (to be continued...).

After a long walk we headed back to where we started. We decided to head back to the truck for lunch and I picked a high knoll that had some brick and lots of modern and old trash mixed in that we walked through earlier in the morning. Once ascending the hill I dug a neat little target that looked like a coin or token. After getting home it was truly a unique find as it was kind of a both. This is a dated 1847 W & T Avery apothecary weight (2 scrupel) and certainly something that I did not know existed. Literally 5 feet later I hit another nice tone, and I half expected it to be another civil war bullet or perhaps coin. Out popped a big two piece button and to my surprise it was a North Carolina state seal confederate button!

After lunch we took a long stroll and checked on a few sites before ending back up where we first started during the morning. Surprisingly, the finds picked up as I began to dig buttons, buckles and other odds and ends (including a nice glass inset button). Two civil war artillery friction primers (the brass tubes) also surfaced, both being fired which was unique as the site did not see fighting.

At the end of the day I decided to walk back to where the NC button came from when I received a nice deep but high and large tone. I did not expect it to be much more than big brass farm equipment when to my surprise out popped the Brass patch stock case cover to a model 1841 musket (Whitney, Harpers Ferry). These were fairly common muskets used by confederate troops and due to its proximity to the NC button and presence of bullets and friction primers, I feel confident it was war used. I also feel confident the rest of the gun is mixed in somewhere as the entire piece is intact and this would have been affixed to the musket stock.

I did find some proof to show those individuals who call every brass screw a frizzen pan or jaw screw from flint lock muskets. I have long debated that these are actually furniture parts and surely this proof shows that as it is A. still attached to the furniture plate and B. attached by a screwed washer.

My total finds for the day include 12 buttons, the token/weight, gun part and other odds and ends (bridle chain, large portion to early bell, etc.). While this site too will not provide the quantity of relics I had hoped, it will by all expectations, produce a few really good finds.

HH

Dan
 

Attachments

  • 1a.JPG
    1a.JPG
    847.2 KB · Views: 753
  • 1b.JPG
    1b.JPG
    413.9 KB · Views: 451
  • 1c.JPG
    1c.JPG
    482 KB · Views: 421
  • 1d.JPG
    1d.JPG
    727.3 KB · Views: 423
  • 1e.JPG
    1e.JPG
    578.9 KB · Views: 431
  • 1f.JPG
    1f.JPG
    365.9 KB · Views: 416
  • 1g.JPG
    1g.JPG
    359.3 KB · Views: 418
  • 1h.JPG
    1h.JPG
    570.9 KB · Views: 438
  • 1i.JPG
    1i.JPG
    571.6 KB · Views: 412
  • 1j.JPG
    1j.JPG
    445.4 KB · Views: 404
  • 1k.JPG
    1k.JPG
    362.2 KB · Views: 400
  • ApocWeight.jpg
    ApocWeight.jpg
    48.8 KB · Views: 405
  • 1l.JPG
    1l.JPG
    747.4 KB · Views: 369
  • 1m.JPG
    1m.JPG
    371 KB · Views: 410
  • 1n.JPG
    1n.JPG
    686.7 KB · Views: 371
  • 1o.JPG
    1o.JPG
    579.4 KB · Views: 386
  • 1p.JPG
    1p.JPG
    611.4 KB · Views: 385
  • 1q.JPG
    1q.JPG
    581.5 KB · Views: 368
  • m1841.JPG
    m1841.JPG
    32.4 KB · Views: 418
  • 1r.JPG
    1r.JPG
    731.1 KB · Views: 359
  • 1s.JPG
    1s.JPG
    591.7 KB · Views: 383
  • 1t.JPG
    1t.JPG
    362.8 KB · Views: 350
Upvote 66

Iron Patch

Gold Member
Sep 28, 2007
19,254
8,730
Dirtyville
🥇 Banner finds
3
Detector(s) used
Deus
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
The button and cufflinks are two pretty good keepers, and fun when you're popping great things from different eras. You guys have it real tough :) ... either hunting early Colonial to Rev war, or Rev War to Civil war.. or I bet on the odd occasion early Colonial right to Civil War. Damn it's hard to beat VA!
 

villagenut

Gold Member
Oct 18, 2014
5,748
10,224
florida
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Judging from the backside of the patch box cover hinge portion, I would bet you are right about the musket being somewhere close by. I noticed that the surface is less affected by the ground conditions than the rest of the piece. Probably was on the musket long after it was laid to rest there. I would hit the same area hard....it's gotta be there.
 

joeyfresh

Bronze Member
Dec 19, 2006
2,283
1,399
Colonial Virginia
🥇 Banner finds
2
Detector(s) used
XP Deus
Teknetics T2
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
That brass stock piece is really cool and would have never figured out what it was. You are a walking encyclopedia! Also, thanks for putting the jaw screw/furniture hardware debate to rest, I can now move them out of my musket parts box :sadsmiley:

Nice frizzen Frezza :laughing7:!!
 

Bill D. (VA)

Silver Member
Oct 7, 2008
4,711
6,212
SE Virginia
🥇 Banner finds
6
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
2
Detector(s) used
F75 SE (land); CZ-21 (saltwater)
Primary Interest:
Other
Although the site didn't contain everything we were hoping for, I'd say you had quite a day none-the-less. I know we had to work hard for what we found, but it was well worth the effort, especially in your case. I'll have to say those cufflinks are pretty cool and are my favorite, and that apothecary weight is a close second. Nice summary post, and thanks for letting me tag along.
 

A2coins

Gold Member
Dec 20, 2015
33,807
42,606
Ann Arbor
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
3
Detector(s) used
Equinox 800
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Great suff I would keep looking for the gun that plate went with Great history!!!!!!
 

OP
OP
HomeGuardDan

HomeGuardDan

Bronze Member
Jul 15, 2011
1,677
2,473
Williamsburg, VA
🥇 Banner finds
5
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
That brass stock piece is really cool and would have never figured out what it was. You are a walking encyclopedia! Also, thanks for putting the jaw screw/furniture hardware debate to rest, I can now move them out of my musket parts box :sadsmiley:

Nice frizzen Frezza :laughing7:!!

Ha ha, thanks man...for reading through the entire post. Honestly, so many swear they are those screws...very few are.
 

OP
OP
HomeGuardDan

HomeGuardDan

Bronze Member
Jul 15, 2011
1,677
2,473
Williamsburg, VA
🥇 Banner finds
5
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
The button and cufflinks are two pretty good keepers, and fun when you're popping great things from different eras. You guys have it real tough :) ... either hunting early Colonial to Rev war, or Rev War to Civil war.. or I bet on the odd occasion early Colonial right to Civil War. Damn it's hard to beat VA!
Thanks man...we are lucky to live in a good area...but that also brings with it more competition from other diggers.
 

jeff of pa

Super Moderator
Staff member
Dec 19, 2003
85,463
59,223
🥇 Banner finds
1
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Awesome Finds Dan :thumbsup:

Nice Display Pictures !

& Cuff Links
 

Last edited:

OutdoorAdv

Bronze Member
Apr 16, 2013
2,457
3,350
East Coast - USA
🥇 Banner finds
1
Detector(s) used
XP Deus,
GPX 4500,
Equinox 800,
AT Max
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Great hunt and post Dan :thumbsup: Those cufflinks are awesome man. I especially like your COMPLETE patch box cover plate. I dug the engraved Colonial on this fall and have been searching for the rest of it since. Really nice that you got the hinge and all. Solid hunt all around man.
 

OP
OP
HomeGuardDan

HomeGuardDan

Bronze Member
Jul 15, 2011
1,677
2,473
Williamsburg, VA
🥇 Banner finds
5
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Great hunt and post Dan :thumbsup: Those cufflinks are awesome man. I especially like your COMPLETE patch box cover plate. I dug the engraved Colonial on this fall and have been searching for the rest of it since. Really nice that you got the hinge and all. Solid hunt all around man.
Thanks man...this is the second complete one i've found and very cool indeed. Obviously not as ornate as the one you found, but a big hunk of brass none the less.

Dan
 

Oct 5, 2014
31,886
35,424
Massachusetts
🥇 Banner finds
1
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
Garrett: AT Pro, AT Gold & Infinium; Minelab: Explorer SE, II; Simplex; Tesoro: Tejon & Outlaw; White's: V3i
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
Great finds! Like the buttons, jewelry and coins! Congratualtions! :occasion14:
 

Loco-Digger

Gold Member
Jun 16, 2014
11,825
17,742
Northern O-H-I-O
🥇 Banner finds
1
Detector(s) used
F75 LTD, 1280X Aquanaut, & a Patriot (back-up/loaner)
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
You guys dug a treasure trove of relics. :notworthy: Congrats on the great hunt.
 

Vino

Banned
Jul 7, 2013
3,801
5,045
Pa.
Detector(s) used
Ctx3030. Xp deus
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
That was a great day, them hunts are so fun!
You have a box full of finds you almost forget what you find until you get home and start cleaning them up.
Am I right when the dozen screws don't have the hole in them?
Congrats Dan
 

OP
OP
HomeGuardDan

HomeGuardDan

Bronze Member
Jul 15, 2011
1,677
2,473
Williamsburg, VA
🥇 Banner finds
5
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
That was a great day, them hunts are so fun!
You have a box full of finds you almost forget what you find until you get home and start cleaning them up.
Am I right when the dozen screws don't have the hole in them?
Congrats Dan

Honestly George with those screws, most are not frizzen. Williamsburg had an excellent gun exhibit a few years back and I spent time going through over 150 flintlock gun specimens from pistols to fowling guns, including military. Not a single one had a brass screw, and hardly any had the squared area below the knob. At the same time, they had an exhibit of colonial furniture....I saw dozens of pieces with those screws, some with and so.e without the hole. I'd say the iron ones are more likely weapon related.
 

Top Member Reactions

Users who are viewing this thread

Top