🥇 BANNER GW Button!!!!

pa-dirt_nc-sand

Silver Member
Apr 18, 2016
4,231
14,615
South Western PA
🥇 Banner finds
2
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
2
Detector(s) used
ACE 250 with DD coil
Equinox 600
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Decided to take another shot at finding an 1862 dot in the park woods. What is interesting about this dot is that it disappears on the 1872 map and the aerials in the 1900’s show nothing but woods. I had tried a couple of times with my old detector with nothing but an occasional shotgun shell head stamp.
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Today I wandered in the same area and got 2 quick cuff flat buttons and a partial big tombac button. These were really small 11-12 signals with the Nox.
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A couple big rifle casings and head stamps, then a really nice deep 21-21 signal. This is often a 2 piece button or a zincoln.
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Thought cool, big dandy button. I have only dug a few of them in my area. Did the Hoover Boys “please be a GW...” chant and popped some dirt off.
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Ok, can’t be.... time to send some shaky pics to Steve...
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I don’t have a toothbrush on me and it’s starting to dry out so I pack it in dirt and hike back to my car.
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Quick call to Steve to game plan next step. Should I... use mineral oil to keep from drying out, just toothbrush, use Renn wax, etc. Decided to pluck it out o the clod, toothbrush the dirt away and while I was still a little winded nose grease it up before it dries out too much... stressful moments.
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There is a lot of gilt on the back and in the engraved front areas. Seems to have stabilized here. Thoughts on lemon juice to clean up gilt or next step?????

Wow, still shaking. Good luck out there!

Cleaned up pics
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Last edited:
Upvote 126

Kray Gelder

Gold Member
Feb 24, 2017
7,013
12,577
Georgetown, SC
Detector(s) used
Fisher F75
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
THAT is a realy gorgeous button! Nice patina, and gilding in all the right places. I'd frame that one and hang it on the wall. Outstanding! Banner!!!
 

CRUSADER

Gold Member
May 25, 2007
40,820
45,226
ENGLAND
🥇 Banner finds
27
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
XP Deus II v0.6 with 11" Coil
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I use lemon juice a lot, but I would not use it on that button. It looks good enough, & although it will shine up some areas, it will also darken the copper & it won't look as nice. LEAVE IT.

CONGRATS:occasion14:
 

OP
OP
pa-dirt_nc-sand

pa-dirt_nc-sand

Silver Member
Apr 18, 2016
4,231
14,615
South Western PA
🥇 Banner finds
2
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
2
Detector(s) used
ACE 250 with DD coil
Equinox 600
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
THAT is a realy gorgeous button! Nice patina, and gilding in all the right places. I'd frame that one and hang it on the wall. Outstanding! Banner!!!
Thx! Still in shock that this happened less than 3 hrs ago. Seems like the patina is staying pretty uniform.

Wow!!! Let us know what you do to clean/stabilize.
Thx! This button came out clean, no encrusted dirt/corrosion, just damp cloth to wipe dirt away and a couple layers of the old handy nose grease so far, we’ll see if further cleaning, preservation is required

Awesome! I would leave it as is. Congrats!
Thx! That’s the plan at this point.


I use lemon juice a lot, but I would not use it on that button. It looks good enough, & although it will shine up some areas, it will also darken the copper & it won't look as nice. LEAVE IT.

CONGRATS:occasion14:
Thx Cru! I remember reading one of your posts on not slabbing your coins because you like to be able to hold them in your hands. I might take your advice and see this button on my coat.... just kidding. I have not found a button with enough gilt to give the lemon juice method a try, so not thinking this would be a good test button.
 

xr7ator

Gold Member
Sep 2, 2011
5,164
7,137
Denver, Colorado
Detector(s) used
Garrett AT Pro, AT Gold, ATX, MH7 (oldie!) Minelab Explorer SE Pro, EQ800
Cool piece of history, thanks for sharing and congratulations on a bucket lister for you guys back east. I guess it could happen out here, but i'm not going to hold my breath...
 

dirtlooter

Gold Member
Jun 5, 2014
8,889
13,497
mid western ARK
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
3
Detector(s) used
XP Deus with 9"LF and 9" HF Coils and 600 Equinox with stock and 6" coils
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
A Holy Cow moment for sure! What an awesome button find! Beautiful and crazy cool! I am totally envious of you guys that have those to find! I take it that you like that Nox. Center piece for sure. Congrats and it is Banner worthy in my book
 

DocBeav

Bronze Member
Jul 8, 2012
1,697
3,157
SE Va
🥇 Banner finds
1
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
6
Detector(s) used
Minelab Equinox 800, Minelab CTX 3030 (17", 11", 6" coils), Minelab Excalibur 800, Minelab Excalibur 1000 (w/OBN's Remote Pinpoint mod and CTX headphone connector)
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
OMG! That is in BEAUTIFUL condition! Congrats and BANNER all the way!
 

Steve in PA

Gold Member
Jul 5, 2010
9,575
14,086
Pittsburgh, PA
🥇 Banner finds
4
Detector(s) used
Fisher F75, XP Deus, Equinox 600, Fisher 1270
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Looks great as is Thad. I wouldn't do anything further except find a nice case for it. I have one I can give you next time I see you. I'm amazed at all the exceptional early finds you have made considering you haven't dug a large volume of material from that period. Let's see...Nova and NJ coppers, War of 1812 cross belt plate, rattlesnake button, sword guard, and now a GWI. I probably left some things out. Regardless, this is only the second GWI that I am aware of to come out of SW PA. My only regret is that I can only vote Banner once!
 

Steve in PA

Gold Member
Jul 5, 2010
9,575
14,086
Pittsburgh, PA
🥇 Banner finds
4
Detector(s) used
Fisher F75, XP Deus, Equinox 600, Fisher 1270
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I don't think there is any gilt left on the face except in the recesses. You could try lemon juice on the back but I would apply it with a q-tip. I think lemon juice on the front would attack the patina
 

Evolution

Gold Member
Aug 2, 2007
5,278
2,481
Upstate NY
Detector(s) used
Whites DFX (with 4x6 shooter DD coil and 12" spider coil), Minelab Rocco 2700. (E-Trac)
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Looks awesome just the way it is. Gotta love finding one of the most desirable finds out there. Amazing history behind that one. Congrats! :occasion14:
 

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
Banner freakin awesome that nox might open up some new finds Well done
 

Last edited:
OP
OP
pa-dirt_nc-sand

pa-dirt_nc-sand

Silver Member
Apr 18, 2016
4,231
14,615
South Western PA
🥇 Banner finds
2
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
2
Detector(s) used
ACE 250 with DD coil
Equinox 600
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Cool piece of history, thanks for sharing and congratulations on a bucket lister for you guys back east. I guess it could happen out here, but i'm not going to hold my breath...
Thx! I am definitely lucky to be in this hobby and live in SW PA. You never know what will pop out of your next hole, I thought 50/50 chance it would be a zincoln...

A Holy Cow moment for sure! What an awesome button find! Beautiful and crazy cool! I am totally envious of you guys that have those to find! I take it that you like that Nox. Center piece for sure. Congrats and it is Banner worthy in my book
Thx! It took me several months to really align with the Nox, but now I love it.

OMG! That is in BEAUTIFUL condition! Congrats and BANNER all the way!
Thx! The other 3 buttons I found in the same 10’ area are toasty, definitely lucky that the GW was a survivor.

Looks great as is Thad. I wouldn't do anything further except find a nice case for it. I have one I can give you next time I see you. I'm amazed at all the exceptional early finds you have made considering you haven't dug a large volume of material from that period. Let's see...Nova and NJ coppers, War of 1812 cross belt plate, rattlesnake button, sword guard, and now a GWI. I probably left some things out. Regardless, this is only the second GWI that I am aware of to come out of SW PA. My only regret is that I can only vote Banner once!
Thx Steve! I love it when a bit of history pops out of the hole. Definitely a cool feeling to have it in your hand and think about who must of lost it and how long ago. Thx for the ID and preservation advice.

Incredible detail on that bird!
Thx! The button reads “March Fourth 1789”, but I guess he was not actually inaugurated until, 4/30/1789
 

BLK HOLE

Silver Member
Aug 3, 2017
4,725
6,500
Northern Virginia
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
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AT MAX/AT PRO/GPX-4500, Equinox 800, Garrett Pro Pointer,NEL Attack Coil, Lesche diggers, and the custom made in the USA Freeloader Pack Mule Pouch!
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Boom!!! What a beautiful GW, I’m drooling :icon_thumleft: Banner for sure!
 

smokeythecat

Gold Member
Nov 22, 2012
20,682
40,649
Maryland
🥇 Banner finds
10
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
XP Deus II
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Awesome button! DO NOT CLEAN IT ANY MORE!~ You'll ruin it.
 

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