My Holy Grail, Double Eagle, What a Pit!!! **NEW PICS**

[jgas]

Went back to the same yard Don and I have been excavating/privy digging for the last few trips out and did some major Earth moving. Started out near the clothes line where we felt a fairly deep privy with the 6 foot probe. Turned up a couple nice ceramics and a couple of newer(1910-20) bottles. This pit was right next to the one where we got the Sarsaparilla bottles from the 1880's-90's.

After that one was said and done we felt some good prospects closer to the garage and underneath some fir bushes. We dug like crazed groundhogs on steroids since we were running out of light. Although I carry my battery powered light, it was just too dark. Grabbed up a keeper medicine/apothecary bottle from Boston and a cool little casket flask. But it was time to leave for the night.

Since this was a secluded spot with no danger of anyone getting into the hole, we left it for the next day to continue. It was about 3 feet deep at this point. So onto the next day and more crazed groundhogging(if that's a word). We were really digging two side by side pits that ended up being about 5 to 6 feet deep and then kinda connecting them in the middle. I thought we were done but decided to probe the walls of the pit as I usually do and felt some more possible glass going underneath the garage. So we tunneled a bit. Not too dangerous because the dirt is packed and rock hard till you get to the good stuff. So we tunneled and found another couple of small pint sized flasks. Some more non embossed medicines and broken glass everywhere. There were rocks, bricks and you name it. The Bottle Bombs were killing us.

I was nearing the back side of the pit and was completely under the garage with my shorter shovel and just scooping out some broken glass and overburden. Then collapsing the ash and dirt layer a little at a time. Then I saw it...............

........The sight of The Eagle!!!! Laying right on top of my shovel. Don was right next to me looking into the tunnel we had dug. I pulled it out and grabbed it up quicker than Grasshopper to the pebble! I yelled out "Please be whole, Please be whole." Opened up my hands and we were both in amazement to see the Double Eagle Flask to be in near perfect condition. We could not tell what the color was because it was so dark outside, but looking at it with my light I could tell it was green. After cleaning it looks to be either Olive or Emerald. We took some photographs as it would have been in the pit on the shovel had I not snapped it up so fast. So after that what else would be in store. I can't top it. Although Don snagged a J Hostetter Stomach Bitters too and an Iron Tonic and some straight sided cokes we had to end there and plan to continue the Trench Warfare along the garage on a future dig.

We talk about it all the time, which bottles we want to find in our lifetime and we always say The Double Eagle Flask. Well we succeeded today and then some. What a day and night it turned out to be. I will be on cloud 9 for some time to come....Thanks for looking..............Jgas

[jgas]

More photo's......

[lidigger]

Amazing - congrats!

[Blacksheep]

Great post! Congrats on all your finds!

Hope to get to a buddies dads place for a privy dig in the next couple weeks (but most likely next spring), I have been reading tons of stuff on digging in the hope we get it right the first time. The building your next too, no foundation? Just curious as the spot we will be digging has a half wall that concerns us a bit even though the building itself is long gone.

Again, great post and thank you for sharing.

[relic lover]

That flask is an epic find congratulations on a banner dig

[{Sentinel}]

I tell my relic hunting buddies all the time that if they love metal detecting, they'll LOVE bottle diggin! I just about would rather go privy/bottle dump diggin than metal detecting sometimes as nothing can beat the rush of finding a really old, rare Hutch, or slick Coke, or nice old cathedral or bitter....But that Eagle Flask is down right AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Congrats on one of the prettiest bottles that I've seen dug in a LONG TIME.....(did I mention rare) And to find it without being chipped, cracked, or broken is amazing. I have no problems with voting for this Flask for Banner as I would love to see this pretty piece up there!! Big Congrats man!

[CMDiamonddawg]

Impressive amount of time and effort to dig some of the finest bottles I have ever laid my eyes upon Congrats on these wonderful recoveries

[cntrydncr1]

wow you have some awesome looking bottles! congrats

[ModernMiner]

Amazing bottle finds guys. Well deserved after all your efforts.
Cheers,
MM

[mainer]

Now that is a cool looking bottle.

[hogge]

Congrats! One awesome looking flask!!!

[goldgrubber]

Awesome digs!

[mikefromIllinois]

AWESOME bottles . I have to vote BANNER on the eagle flask also.

[jgas]

Thanks for all the replies guys....It turned out to be a great great pit to dig. Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought this would have landed on my shovel. And for Don to be there to witness it was great as well. I will try to get a backlit picture of it to post. The color is just killer. Thanks for the banner knods as well, I really appreciate the votes! jgas

[BuckleBoy]

That is a KILLER color for that eagle flask!! There's nothing I like more than a GOOD privy dig post, with lots of story to read and enjoy, and lots of great photos of excellent bottles coming up. Each privy dig is a story all its own--no two are the same. And in terms of the hours and hours of work (FUN!) involved, each has a great story to tell. I am very happy that you took the time to tell the story of this dig, and post some photos of your fantastic glass digs.

Congratulations!


-Buckles

[Argentium]

Oh my God ! that double eagle is beautiful -- Hey bottle afficianatos , what is the story on that ?
how old is it - how rare/valuable is it ? please some info on this - and a few of the other better
bottles ! Thank you !!! Argentium.

[Mr Tuff]

sweet one!!!!!! MR TUFF

[Tnmountains]

1830 to 1850 maybe?? Value $250-$300. Just guessing,, You guys pull out it looks like a couple thousand dollars worth per hole. Just great hunts. I miss digging and your post made me get out my probe.
All we need is rain. Great hunts jgas have enjoyed your post!
TnMtns

[augusthog]

Ultra-Groovy finds! Well done. Congrats on finding your "Grail"

[zaxfire69]

I want to learn how to do this. My town is really old and I bet there are some good pits in town. Congrats on those beautiful bottles. Heck I am happy with 50's Coke Bottles. I would blow my top if I found something like that.