paleomaxx
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- Aug 14, 2016
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I had hoped to be out detecting today, but with 6-10 inches of snow everywhere instead I'll post this amazing yard hunt that I managed to sneak in before the snow. Originally I hadn't thought this house would be particularly promising. It's a nice 1820-1830's brick house with a good bit of yard space, but there's definitely been some landscaping work and it's not too close to a town center. The hunt started slow with lots of deep modern trash and aluminum roof bits until I happened upon a shallow penny signal which turned out to be this:
A 1787 Connecticut copper! The obverse in is decent shape, but the reverse didn't end up with as much detail. I was able to identify the variety in part thanks to the unusual feather at the end of "Connec:" I believe this is a Miller 37.9-e which is a rare variety!
As I went away from the house down a hill I started finding more shallow old targets including a nice 1803 large cent:
At this point I started a grid and the next two hours saw dozens of great targets.
There were numerous buttons, including a couple plain dandies and tombacs, but the coolest is the fancy 2-piece button depicting two children playing on a wall. I also turned up a beautifully engraved intact cuff link which was literally on the surface below leaves:
I also found another three colonial coins scattered about the hill and all are pretty well worn King George II halfpennies. One has enough detail to see the date, 1746, on the reverse though.
Three hours in I had turned up some great finds, but I still hadn't come cross any silver which was a little sad.
Fortunately that would change at the far end of the hill. It was a weird low 90's signal, so I dug a large plug which broke apart. In the middle I eyeballed a small iron buckle which I thought was probably it, but I ran the detector over again to be sure and fortunately another of the clods was still ringing. I picked that up and it broke apart in my hand to reveal this:
Turn-of-the-century coin spill! Or actually more accurately a lost coin purse. It was four IHPs and a barber half, but the pennies were still wrapped in the leather from the pouch and I found part of the brass clasp. I also think the small iron buckle was part of the strap that connected it.
The pennies were all pretty corroded from being in contact, but I did get them cleaned up enough to recover the dates: 1896, 1904, 1907, and 1908. The 1899-O barber half cleaned up amazingly and is in great shape. I've found some more modern spills even with silver, but this is now my oldest!
I also have a new record for old keys in one yard:
One has a brass tag with "86" stamped into it. I think it's probably a Victorian hotel key, but I don't have any leads on where it's from and I doubt this house was a hotel at any point. I also turned up two mystery pieces that I'm lost on, but really anxious to identify:
The first I strongly suspect is late 1700's and is quite ornate. It's cast brass and only the long smooth end looks like it was broken. The other end tapers to a tip like a screwdriver and there are no holed anywhere so I don't think it's a section of a Georgian shoe buckle. The second is thinner brass and has the same design on all six sides. It's actually hollow, but has a little weight to it. I've never seen anything like either one so I don't have a clue.
There were tons of other relics recovered which were mostly standard 1800's to 1900's yard finds.
A number of spoon fragments, clock plate, and crotal bells. I finished the hillside, but there are at least 2 more acres of direct yard space and then some fields so I have plenty more ground to cover. I'm really hoping this snow melts soon so I can get back to it before the ground freezes!
A 1787 Connecticut copper! The obverse in is decent shape, but the reverse didn't end up with as much detail. I was able to identify the variety in part thanks to the unusual feather at the end of "Connec:" I believe this is a Miller 37.9-e which is a rare variety!
As I went away from the house down a hill I started finding more shallow old targets including a nice 1803 large cent:
At this point I started a grid and the next two hours saw dozens of great targets.
There were numerous buttons, including a couple plain dandies and tombacs, but the coolest is the fancy 2-piece button depicting two children playing on a wall. I also turned up a beautifully engraved intact cuff link which was literally on the surface below leaves:
I also found another three colonial coins scattered about the hill and all are pretty well worn King George II halfpennies. One has enough detail to see the date, 1746, on the reverse though.
Three hours in I had turned up some great finds, but I still hadn't come cross any silver which was a little sad.
Fortunately that would change at the far end of the hill. It was a weird low 90's signal, so I dug a large plug which broke apart. In the middle I eyeballed a small iron buckle which I thought was probably it, but I ran the detector over again to be sure and fortunately another of the clods was still ringing. I picked that up and it broke apart in my hand to reveal this:
Turn-of-the-century coin spill! Or actually more accurately a lost coin purse. It was four IHPs and a barber half, but the pennies were still wrapped in the leather from the pouch and I found part of the brass clasp. I also think the small iron buckle was part of the strap that connected it.
The pennies were all pretty corroded from being in contact, but I did get them cleaned up enough to recover the dates: 1896, 1904, 1907, and 1908. The 1899-O barber half cleaned up amazingly and is in great shape. I've found some more modern spills even with silver, but this is now my oldest!
I also have a new record for old keys in one yard:
One has a brass tag with "86" stamped into it. I think it's probably a Victorian hotel key, but I don't have any leads on where it's from and I doubt this house was a hotel at any point. I also turned up two mystery pieces that I'm lost on, but really anxious to identify:
The first I strongly suspect is late 1700's and is quite ornate. It's cast brass and only the long smooth end looks like it was broken. The other end tapers to a tip like a screwdriver and there are no holed anywhere so I don't think it's a section of a Georgian shoe buckle. The second is thinner brass and has the same design on all six sides. It's actually hollow, but has a little weight to it. I've never seen anything like either one so I don't have a clue.
There were tons of other relics recovered which were mostly standard 1800's to 1900's yard finds.
A number of spoon fragments, clock plate, and crotal bells. I finished the hillside, but there are at least 2 more acres of direct yard space and then some fields so I have plenty more ground to cover. I'm really hoping this snow melts soon so I can get back to it before the ground freezes!
Upvote
43
Maybe your unknown "T" is a cane topper?
