Iron Patch
Gold Member
- Sep 28, 2007
- 19,254
- 8,730
- 🥇 Banner finds
- 3
- Detector(s) used
- Deus
- Primary Interest:
- All Treasure Hunting
I don't even know where to start with this one, it's a long time since I've been on a 4 hour high and still going - although it may be coffee buzz that has taken over now. 
There's a bit of a back story to this, but won't get too much into that as it would take too long to explain... but I did not see anything like this coming. I did my year-end post while Ironhorse was on vacation having never expected my best day was yet to come.
I recently started hunting some fields I had been taken to once before, basically feeling the statute of limitations had run out on the previous permission seekers, and also because I needed somewhere to dig!
I had some success with a find years ago so decided to try the same spot in that particular field to see if I could repeat the success. So that was my plan, and all I had. So I get there and conditions were decent to dig but it would be corn stalks I had to deal with, but beggars can't be choosers right. I spent about an hour and a half swinging and all I had to show for it was two plain buttons... and at that point I was thinking about what would be the back up. I never text while hunting, but it was so slim I was talking to the Patriot some and wishing I was on one of his fields!
So after those 90 minutes I figured it was time to lose some coffee, but I was too close to the farmhouse so decided to make my way down the field. While on the walk I had the thought... wouldn't it be funny if this was how I dug something good, and then I could tell the Patriot how my luck hand changed and how it happened. So I walk down and do what I had to do, then started to make my way back to the site and swinging fast and not being concerned at all with overlapping swings, as I didn't believe there would me much to find lower in the field. I walk about 10 or 15 paces and get a high tone screamer, dig it up and see it's a bent piece of copper or brass, just junk... and then flip it over to see it's a belt plate! Just a plain one, but only the 2nd I've ever dug. My #1 thing to find has always been a marked one, but even this one was a day maker. Not near as nice as Kiddo's... and it looks like on top of having the bend I hit it with the shovel... but still it's a keeper.
So hitting the belt plate about mid. field that snapped me out of sticking to the iron patch and I started walking the rows, and sure enough the targets began to come out. Wasn't tons, but it seemed like the % were pretty good for what I was digging, and with a belt plate in hand I had turned things around and was having a pretty good day.
So I get home, and dug out my take for the day and start to scrape some dirt off the plate. I see it's pretty corroded so after a little thinking I decide to give it a lemon soak to clean it. Knew it would make it dark but that was ok, and it was also good just for the odd chance something was hiding below. So I drop it in the juice and move on to the other stuff and immediately see a little designed button I had noticed in the field because the back had so much gilt. I didn't think too much of it having just thrown it in with everything else, but now seeing it under better light it was more interesting. It looked like a tudor rose so I was pretty stoked I had likely found my first Rev War British Navy Lieutenants button. But then I looked closer - there was writing... no way! It's a Rev War King's American button, but the 2nd issue. When I started detecting I found a nice one and not being really into buttons at the time I sold it. Of course my interest grew tremendously, and for about the last 15 years I've wanted to find one, but turned out they are much rarer to dig here than the earlier type. About a week ago I had actually decided to try and track down the one I sold about 16 years ago to see if I could buy it back. That's how much I wanted one again, but now I don't have to!
I then go back to sorting, being on cloud 9, and paying more attention to cleaning the button well than worrying about much else. Was also texting with the Patriot and told him I had quite a surprise when I got home. I guess about 45 minutes had passed and decided to take the plate out to give it a brush, and it was coming along well with most of the green gone. Then I took a little closer look... and wait for it.... No way! There's letters on that thing! After 15 years I dig my button finally, and in addition waiting for basically as long as I've detected I've finally dug my first marked early military crossbelt plate. There's so little left I was concerned I would never ID it, but there was just barely enough at the top, and several letters at the bottom, and I was able to confirm it's a 1790s local militia from my area. Definitely not the prettiest relic, but it is what it is and I'm not complaining! I can't even imagine how many times I've thought about each of these finds and to get both on the same day is unbelievable, and in fields hunted by others, and ones that basically slipped under the radar for myself. That sure was a mouthful, and many might not see the big deal, especially if they didn't bother to read... but this was definitely a day I'll not soon forget.
There's a bit of a back story to this, but won't get too much into that as it would take too long to explain... but I did not see anything like this coming. I did my year-end post while Ironhorse was on vacation having never expected my best day was yet to come. I recently started hunting some fields I had been taken to once before, basically feeling the statute of limitations had run out on the previous permission seekers, and also because I needed somewhere to dig!
I had some success with a find years ago so decided to try the same spot in that particular field to see if I could repeat the success. So that was my plan, and all I had. So I get there and conditions were decent to dig but it would be corn stalks I had to deal with, but beggars can't be choosers right. I spent about an hour and a half swinging and all I had to show for it was two plain buttons... and at that point I was thinking about what would be the back up. I never text while hunting, but it was so slim I was talking to the Patriot some and wishing I was on one of his fields! So after those 90 minutes I figured it was time to lose some coffee, but I was too close to the farmhouse so decided to make my way down the field. While on the walk I had the thought... wouldn't it be funny if this was how I dug something good, and then I could tell the Patriot how my luck hand changed and how it happened. So I walk down and do what I had to do, then started to make my way back to the site and swinging fast and not being concerned at all with overlapping swings, as I didn't believe there would me much to find lower in the field. I walk about 10 or 15 paces and get a high tone screamer, dig it up and see it's a bent piece of copper or brass, just junk... and then flip it over to see it's a belt plate! Just a plain one, but only the 2nd I've ever dug. My #1 thing to find has always been a marked one, but even this one was a day maker. Not near as nice as Kiddo's... and it looks like on top of having the bend I hit it with the shovel... but still it's a keeper.
So hitting the belt plate about mid. field that snapped me out of sticking to the iron patch and I started walking the rows, and sure enough the targets began to come out. Wasn't tons, but it seemed like the % were pretty good for what I was digging, and with a belt plate in hand I had turned things around and was having a pretty good day.
So I get home, and dug out my take for the day and start to scrape some dirt off the plate. I see it's pretty corroded so after a little thinking I decide to give it a lemon soak to clean it. Knew it would make it dark but that was ok, and it was also good just for the odd chance something was hiding below. So I drop it in the juice and move on to the other stuff and immediately see a little designed button I had noticed in the field because the back had so much gilt. I didn't think too much of it having just thrown it in with everything else, but now seeing it under better light it was more interesting. It looked like a tudor rose so I was pretty stoked I had likely found my first Rev War British Navy Lieutenants button. But then I looked closer - there was writing... no way! It's a Rev War King's American button, but the 2nd issue. When I started detecting I found a nice one and not being really into buttons at the time I sold it. Of course my interest grew tremendously, and for about the last 15 years I've wanted to find one, but turned out they are much rarer to dig here than the earlier type. About a week ago I had actually decided to try and track down the one I sold about 16 years ago to see if I could buy it back. That's how much I wanted one again, but now I don't have to!
I then go back to sorting, being on cloud 9, and paying more attention to cleaning the button well than worrying about much else. Was also texting with the Patriot and told him I had quite a surprise when I got home. I guess about 45 minutes had passed and decided to take the plate out to give it a brush, and it was coming along well with most of the green gone. Then I took a little closer look... and wait for it.... No way! There's letters on that thing! After 15 years I dig my button finally, and in addition waiting for basically as long as I've detected I've finally dug my first marked early military crossbelt plate. There's so little left I was concerned I would never ID it, but there was just barely enough at the top, and several letters at the bottom, and I was able to confirm it's a 1790s local militia from my area. Definitely not the prettiest relic, but it is what it is and I'm not complaining! I can't even imagine how many times I've thought about each of these finds and to get both on the same day is unbelievable, and in fields hunted by others, and ones that basically slipped under the radar for myself. That sure was a mouthful, and many might not see the big deal, especially if they didn't bother to read... but this was definitely a day I'll not soon forget.
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Certainly makes for a good story behind the finds. You definitely get a banner nod for two rare pieces in the same hunt. 
I remember suggesting in your last post that you try for an even dozen for the year. Glad you were able to do so. 
