There aren't any 202-Year-Old Coins in Kentucky.

[BuckleBoy]

Of course not...


I went out day before yesterday to rehunt an old spot that something just kept calling me back to--and I wanted to share those finds before I got to the good story. Keepers were thin, but I got a bridle rosette, a toasted late 1860s IH, a .69 cal round ball with the sprue still attached, a neat silver plated buckle that was wadded up and close to a foot down, and a very cool little key which was the find of the day.











And now on to the better story... Yesterday, HB invited me to go back to his 8 Reales spot for another rehunt and I couldn't say "yes" fast enough. We got out there on the site and got digging. HB hit a button patch almost immediately and dug two pewter buttons and a good many brass ones. I was worried that I might get skunked, but I continued to clear Big Iron off the site so that I could find the goodies. Pretty soon I dug a target that sounded fairly good and once it was out of the hole I knew it had to be a copper. Here's what I saw laying in the dirt:











It was a beautiful 1825 LC. Meanwhile HB started to rack up some nice brass targets like part of a teardrop style stirrup, more buttons, and some other bits. Well...I took it easy because I didn't want to be the only copper magnet hunting on HB's spot. So I cleared some more iron, finding a nice cast iron stove leg (I clean them up and turn them into door stops).

Pretty soon I had another iffy target that I thought would be iron. I dug down and down through the busted up stones and iron-infested soil, then checked the hole. The target was out. I expected the signal to break up like it does with much of the big junk iron when the halo is broken, but the signal was even louder. I told HB that he would probably kill me, but that I thought I had another copper. When he came over, I was looking at a really worn copper in the dirt:











I was hoping for an oldie, but I couldn't see anything on the face of the coin. Turning it over, I could read "ONE CENT" plus the fraction under the wreath and knew that I had a Draped Bust LC.

We hunted a while longer, and HB got a whole pocketwatch and a piece of a spur. The last signal I got was a whole harmonica reed and what looked like a tin-foil-thin piece of brass in the hole. I picked up the harmonica reed, then rechecked the hole. Another signal blared through the speaker. It was another whole harmonica reed. I almost walked away from the hole before I realized what the thin brass pieces were: the outside of the harmonica. (I have only found a piece of one of the outside covers before.) So I switched to all-metal and gathered up as many pieces as I could find.

Then we headed out, took some finds photos on the truck tailgate, talked over the game plan for the weekend hunts, and went home to clean finds. Here are HB's finds, just dug:











And mine:











Here are HB's goodies cleaned up. The spur has decorative "dimples" on it, which if I recall correctly may mean that it was an officer's item. The standard issue spurs had no such decoration. The pocketwatch (photo is in the first reply), I think he is going to soak it in mineral oil and see if it will open. Any tips on how to get the watch open are much appreciated. This is the first pocketwatch I have personally seen dug that was complete.











There are more photos below:

[BuckleBoy]

HB's pocket watch, what looks like a furniture drawer pull back plate, and keyhole piece:







My finds after cleaning. The harmonica is a Hohner. I also got a bridle rosette, and I think the piece to the left of the LC's is a keyhole cover from an old lock. It says "Patent" on it.







The two LC's. The front of the Draped Bust is pretty toasty, but I can see 1-8-0-? in the date. I am fairly certain that this coin is an 1807 Draped Bust, Sheldon 274. The 1825 LC is a beauty.









Best Wishes and HH,



Buckles

[johnnyi]

Nice finds buckleboy. The patina on that large cent is beautiful!

[BuckleBoy]

Nice finds buckleboy. The patina on that large cent is beautiful!

Thanks johnny for the kind words. That 1825 is a real Kentucky Greenie.

[nova treasure]

Dang it, that is a Great Site. I really like the varieties, Congrats on the Coppers and all the Great Finds.

Nova Treasure

[TXPIRATE]

Very nice finds. Very nice coins on the old watch case any name scratched in it. Some times they would put there name inside.

[Don in SJ]

Good hunt for sure, lots of buttons, relics and two more Largies to boot! Fairly certain it is an 1807 Sheldon 274, the 1825 is harder to say, need a good photo of the reverse to get variety if you want to know it.

Don

[mlhudson]

Ah, he strikes again. Great finds, real nice coppa you found, "1825."


Mlhudson

[mountainplayer]

Great finds, Buckleboy, especially the LC's. What a wonderful pair of coins!

I was in Versailles, KY from Oct 25 thru the 29th. Absolutely gorgeous this time of year, and I couldn't help but wish for my detector as we were driving past all of those gorgeous horse farms (and yep, lots of bean fields with the beans still standing). If there is any part of the country that could tempt me away from Northern CA, it is the area around Versailles.

On my second dig after returning home to CA, I ended up with a token from the Labrot & Graham distillery! Weird what turns up.

MP

[ModernMiner]

YOU LUCKY DOGS!!!!
Great jobs on the old copper BB. A job well done.
Any idea on the age of that harmonica yet? Is that a dat I see on it?
Congrats to a super hunt guys,
MM
P.S. A full pocket watch is tough to find!

[romeo-1]

Nice coppers Bucks!!!

[JimBeHuntin']

My kind of finds ... nice relics, buttons, and LCs (especially the beautiful 1825) ... congratz on some great hunting!

Jimmy

[jgas]

That LC is great. Not to say everything else is bad......wow nice stuff all the way around. Congrats. jgas

[Iron Patch]

Looks like we both put a tectin beatin on the PA bros this week!

[Woodland Detectors]

Great finds as usual BB... Lovely patina on that Large cent too! And great story to go with it. Mike HHHH

[Kyle PA]

Buck, you have been a copper-digging machine these last two weeks. That Draped Bust's reverse is very nice for a field-dug copper. I'd love to see a pic of the obverse.

I feel some early silver coming from that site. I can feel it, Buck!

Kyle

[Bell-Two]

Wow what a great hunt, love those largies the 1825 is a beaut all of your other finds are real keepers too. Great to see such stuff coming out of a "down home" site. Keep it up!

[sonny61]

good finds BB

[peanut]

Great post Buckles, love those coppers. Any idea on the date of the draped?
P.S. never mind I read it closer, 1807

[Trond]

Great photos, and beautiful finds.