Devonrex
Sr. Member
- Jan 6, 2012
- 351
- 1,260
- 🥇 Banner finds
- 4
- Detector(s) used
- XP DEUS, Nautilus DMC IIB
- Primary Interest:
- Metal Detecting
- I can honestly tell every one at TreasureNet this year has not been easy on me. My Dad and I metal detected with each other for over 25 years. Those memories are ones I will never forget. As most know he passed away on Febuary 9th of this year. I was fortunate to grow up in one of the biggest Yankee camps in Yorktown. It had been hunted hard. Most of the plates had been found early on. But a multitude of buttons, bullets, and coins were waiting for me and my Dad to find. One of our first photos of finds from this ...camp was pictured in North South Trader in late 1983. This photograph represented the best finds my Dad and I had made that Fall. I had hunted almost every day that Fall, and had found most of what was pictured, including a Louisiana coat button and a gold soldiers wedding band. My Dad had to work each day at his job at NASA and therefore could only hunt occasionally, but when he did we always hunted together. One day I had to do something else. I honestly don't even remember what it was but it was WAY more important to do than to go relic hunting. I'm sure it had to do with a girl. Well that day my Dad ventured into an area near our house, he never really did tell me where, and dug 9 or 10 buttons. Most were ordinary eagle buttons, but he did have a Connecticut cuff and a beautiful Overcoat A button. That was the first Overcoat A button I had ever seen. I had been fortunate to dig an Overcoat I, which is also in the picture, but had never dug an A button. This button was beautiful and my Dad was extremely fond of it because it was his first Artillery button and it had been found in Yorktown. It took me a long time before I dug an A button....but it was a Coat. I dug another couple of coats and cuffs over the years but NEVER an Overcoat. When my father died in February of this year I inherited his relic collection. Most everything was carefully stored in small boxes with each relic wrapped up in tissue. As I was going through them I remembered from looking at each relic the day that each was found and our conversations. And then I came upon the Overcoat A. He had it in a box all by itself and I just sat there...... and cried. I feel closest to my Dad now when I go metal detecting. Today I felt a little down so I went today to a spot close to my home. It always makes me feel better. Sometimes I even find myself talking to my Dad after I make a find. Well today, after a few hours, I finally found a button which was immediately followed by another. I remember thinking to myself "Well Dad, it took a while but I finally got one" Well I just cleaned those buttons, and you guessed it, one of them is a beautiful Overcoat A button. I can't be sure but I think I wandered into the spot my Dad found his 33 years ago. It may not be worth as much as a Confederate state button but this button is priceless to me! I am happy tonight and I feel like I got to spend another day with my Dad doing what we both loved to do the most. ............................................................................................................... Follow up................. I ventured back into this site a week later and dug several more dropped Colt 44 pistol bullets and another dropped one ring Smith Carbine 50 caliber bullet. The only buttons were a cuff Eagle and a two piece flower button. As I was walking back out of the site and thinking of how my Dad and I use to venture here together I received the sweetest signal. I flipped the plug of dirt and there looking up at me was the prettiest Spanish one reale I had ever dug! I gently placed it in my button container and went home......happy. After a gentle cleaning, the coin turned out to be a gorgeous 1758 one reale! This is the oldest dated coin that is not holed or clipped I have ever found! I will more than likely have this coin put in a bezel and wear it around my neck as a remembrance of my Dad. HH Devonrex
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. BTW - my dad worked at NASA from 1948 to 1986 and knew many people there, probably including your dad. If you pass on his name to me I can see if my dad knew him. You can PM or FB that info if you prefer.
