Mint Possibly Revolutionary War Soldier's Button

[Eastender]

We hunt because we have to. We find things because we can. Location, machine, ability, and luck sometimes converge to give us something which puts a smile on our faces and makes us forget those many hours of swinging the coil and finding nothing. From deep in the woods this morning in what was once the 180 acre farm of my town's Revolutionary War Hero.

 

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[ironhorse]

youre in the GW club now!
nice one too

 

[mikefromIllinois]

Congrats on the nice GW button.

 

[Eastender]

 

[Gaspipe]

Nice find. Not a rev war button . They were made in many different varieties to commemorate our first President . They were likely produced in the late 1780’s. While many of the chicken hawk designs are not rare per say they are prized by us metal detectorists. I all my years and hundreds of old cellars I’ve only found one. Good job.

 

[smokeythecat]

Gaspipe is correct. Not Revolutionary but made for Washington's first inauguration in 1789, and yours' is in great shape!

 

[Eastender]

The story of the man who most likely owned this button as this land was once part of his private 180 acre farm. As recorded in his genealogy:

In the Revolutionary War, the British lying in Gardiner's Bay often made raids on Isaac Van Scoy's farm. For safety, nights he had a handy hayfork standing by the head of his bed. On a certain day he had 50 English pounds paid him by some one. Some of the British being on shore, got wind of it, and broke into his home to get it. "The money!" they demanded. He told them they should not have it. They asked him where it was. He told them-they made a rush for it. With his two-tined pitchfork he killed one on the spot, and wounded two more. Arnold Squires Van Scoy of Hampton Bays, L.I. tells the same story, which he heard from his grandfather, with this added: Isaac was taken prisoner and put aboard a British warship at Sag Harbor to await trial. One dark night some friends and neighbors rowed out to the warship and managed to free him through a porthole. He had to hide out until the war ended.ISAAC VAN SCOY 2 (s. of Cornelius Van Scoy, he actually 3d generation in America and originally Van Schaick) b. April 1732 d. Nov. 2, 1816.

 

[Eastender]

Interesting side story. This character in our local history has a small family cemetery and all that remains of his 1770's house is a foundation pit and a well. I respect these small family plots and stay well away. The foundation was revealed in the 1980's, cut out of dense undergrowth and incorporated into a trail system. I never felt the desire to scan it believing everybody and their brother must have hunted it. But one day I did. And next to the what would have been the basement entrance I found a King George II 1730's halfpenny. I know a descendant and felt an urge to pass it on to him. So a good friend did for me. He said it gave him chills. his brother had passed away a month or so earlier and he was a coin collector. He was asked if he wanted his brother's collection but had not yet replied. Some people felt I was nuts to give away my oldest coin find. I feel content with the decision. Maybe karma just gave back to me.

 

[Steve in PA]

Congrats on the GW inaugural button. You dug a beauty

 

[Professor of Engineering]

Beautiful specimen!

 

[Digger RJ]

Very Nice!!! Congrats!!!

 

[powrsurg]

I love how they have no clue what they actually found. This is sick! Big time holy grail. Im voting banner.

 

[Eastender]

A small part of the viewscape from where I have spent over 500 hours of the last seven months metal detecting for colonial evidence which began in the late 1600's. I walk the grounds of these early settlers and they have shown me their history which I cherish and respect.

 

[OtakuDude]

Fantastic find! I wish I could find one of these out here in Illinois but that's never going to happen.

I think what the OP was saying is that the button was likely belonged to and worn by their local Revolutionary War hero later in his life. Not that it was worn during his time in service itself.

 

[CRUSADER]

I love how they have no clue what they actually found. This is sick! Big time holy grail. Im voting banner.

I think most have misunderstood, all he meant was it was probably own by a Rev War Soldier after the War, not that its a Rev War button.

CONGRATS to the OP on a really nice looking one

 

[Silvermonkey]

That button is in fantastic shape! What a terrific find!

 

[trdking]

Spectacular! It is always nice when we find something that is actually a profit for the day

 

[xcopperstax]

I'm voting banner. Pretty amazing that you may be able to link the button to a person in history... with a history. The condition is amazing too!

 

[devldog]

The story of the man who most likely owned this button as this land was once part of his private 180 acre farm. As recorded in his genealogy:

In the Revolutionary War, the British lying in Gardiner's Bay often made raids on Isaac Van Scoy's farm. For safety, nights he had a handy hayfork standing by the head of his bed. On a certain day he had 50 English pounds paid him by some one. Some of the British being on shore, got wind of it, and broke into his home to get it. "The money!" they demanded. He told them they should not have it. They asked him where it was. He told them-they made a rush for it. With his two-tined pitchfork he killed one on the spot, and wounded two more. Arnold Squires Van Scoy of Hampton Bays, L.I. tells the same story, which he heard from his grandfather, with this added: Isaac was taken prisoner and put aboard a British warship at Sag Harbor to await trial. One dark night some friends and neighbors rowed out to the warship and managed to free him through a porthole. He had to hide out until the war ended.ISAAC VAN SCOY 2 (s. of Cornelius Van Scoy, he actually 3d generation in America and originally Van Schaick) b. April 1732 d. Nov. 2, 1816.

That is a Great, personal Historical story to accompany this Great Historical GW button. Congrat's on this stellar find and Save and Thanks for sharing this bit of History with us.

 

[GeoW]

Banner!