Buckleboy and BuckleDad Hunt

[BuckleBoy]

Hello All,


BuckleDad was in town this weekend, so I took advantage of being able to dig with him. Here's the video:



We decided to meet up with Shangalang and hit a spot that we had found two years ago when scouting in South Louisiana. We had dug a couple of flat buttons, some musket balls, scrap iron, and very little else. We had hunted the site several times (Shang and I), as well as a four-person hunt with Quindy and Dman before the rows were plowed up. I had always said "I bet there's a coin or a good button to be dug there." I'm sure Shangalangalang probably got upset with me saying that so much, but today was the day that it finally proved true!

So BuckleDad and I and Shang got out there at dawn to do some digging. We were hitting the lead, little brass bits, and one or two flat buttons. Really sparse finds. But we stuck with it, and I kept on with the grid. Then I got a clay pipe stem. Then another. Then I got a nice consistent signal and out flopped a silver coin!



I was convinced it was early, judging from the era of the site (1790-1840). Knowing that Spanish Silver circulated in South Louisiana until the opening of the Orleans mint, and knowing that very little of the earlier Capped coins made their way down from Philadelphia here until well after the Civil War, I strongly felt that this coin had to be an early Seated Dime. It was actually an 1838-O "No Stars" Dime, which would've been in AU condition if not for the nail hole.



I kept on, and when I got to the turn row, a scalloped edge token appeared in the dirt. I knew it had to be a plantation token. This one is actually unlisted I'm only going to show the reverse side of the token to protect the name of the site. But I have wanted a token like this for some time, and wondered if they actually existed or not. Turns out, they do.



I was hoping BuckleDad or Shang could pick up something special at this point. Dad did get a couple handmade brass nails which are a neat find, and old (ship building, etc.). I did get a flat button that I thought was a small cent at first. Sticking out of the dirt.



Then right as we broke for lunch, I was finishing up a row, and close to just walking to the end without being thorough, I was so hungry... I got a nice signal and saw what looked like a button in the dirt. Bending over, it was a half real!!! Carolus IIII Tnet boys and girls, I was so excited that I forgot get a photo of the coin in the dirt!

Then we took a break, and back to work at a newer site that we are overdue for a great find from (1830-1860). This site is polluted with can slaw, wheat pennies, and other newer items. Although Shangalang was stoked to find an aluminum play coin from 1949, which was a neat find. BuckleDad and I got back in the field and started digging signals. A little later, Dad came over to me with a nice, large, complete thimble that he had dug. Then a little later he found a large civilian button with a shank and no plow damage. He was beaming, and I was happy for him. Buttons like that in nice condition are hard to find down here!



Here's a shot of Shangalang digging, and the backswamp in the distance.



On the next day I went to antique and junk stores with Dad. I saw a thin, really tarnished pocket knife for 10 bucks. When I looked closer, I saw the mark of JA Henckels and in spite of the tarnish, I knew it had to be silver. I talked 'em down to $9.

When I got home, I cleaned the tarnish off the pocketknife and it was indeed a sterling silver casing. Score. Dad didn't see me purchase it, so I gave it to him as a Christmas gift. He as happy--but even more happy when I told him that I paid $9 for it.



Anyhow, here are BuckleDad and my finds. The two piece civilian "flower" button is backmarked "SCOVILLS & Co SUPERFINE" which is 1840s or so, with the rmdc. The half real is dateless, but I think I can see the top of the last digit as a "2" or perhaps an "8" 1798? 1802? I'd love to know what others see. This is Spanish/Mexican/Peruvian silver #9 for the year for us. Having a slower year in 2014, compared to 19 Spanish dug in 2012 and 27 Spanish dug in 2013, but we've dug some nice finds in 2014 so I'm very pleased so far.



Shame the Seated Dime was holed. Would've been a really nice one for detail. I have dug a couple of these 1838 no stars ones, and I have always thought that they were beautiful and iconic coins. My cleaning method removed most of the fire burned black on the face of the coin seen in the photos from the field.



Best Wishes and Happy Hunting from BuckleDad and the CaneField Bandits.

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Diving for Pleasure and Treasure - Grab it through Amazon!

[Ia.FurTrade]

Super find's, BB!...........and it's great that you & your Dad got out together!!

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

A Handbook of Civil War Bullets and Cartridges - Grab it through Amazon!

[CASPER-2]

 

[mangum]

Nice finds man. The seated does have some great detail. The other finds are top notch as well, especially the Spanish silver. What method did you use to remove the black?

 

[BigWaveDave]

THAT, Tnet members, is how it is done... as usual..... Thanks for sharing, and congrats.

 

[Argentium]

Great hunt ! Getting out with your Father is excellent ! The 1838-0 is a nice date/mint in XF/AU , but I think the hole is
a bit charming too - you get the sense of a live human from back then really handling that piece with intention .

 

[HCW]

That must have been fun.

 

[metalev4]

Nice finds, nice post, looks like a great time.

 

[CRUSADER]

 

[Dman]

Those are some awesome finds. The best find was getting to hunt with your Dad. Enjoy him while you can.
Dman

 

[MrMikeJackie]

I believe my favorite is the pocket knife, good score! Yea everything else was ok I guess. Just kidding! Very nice finds.

 

[BuckleBoy]

Hunting with family is some of the best time spent together. Congrats on the Spanish and the Seated silver that have added to yearly totals as well as the other finds.
What's the main reason you figure for the lower silver count this season, time detecting, sites, or just luck?

Hey pepperj,

I think it's really a combination of several factors. We started out in 2012 with several sites that are now waiting to be plowed in the cycle, so we're on second tier sites. We also found a really good site last year, coupled with a re-plow of our colonial tavern. That was the reason the total last year was so high. But what one doesn't see in the totals as obviously is that the Seated coin total last year was way low in comparison to spanish silvers. This year we have more seateds than spanish. It's all about the age of the sites, and it all tends to even out. More time in newer sites equals more newer silvers. We got preoccupied with a site that had lots of newer items 1930-60 and saw use by multitudes of people. We dug handfulls of wheats and a good many silvers there, but really hoping for a nice piece of gold jewelry. In total we dug about the same number of silvers both in 2012 and 2013, and this year we will probably have almost as many at year's end, just that many of them will be mercury dimes and washington quarters, seateds and barbers instead of Reales.

Cheers,

Buck

 

[BuckleBoy]

Great hunt, great finds. Ha my favorite had to be the purchase of that pocket knife. You should be ashamed of yourself, you stole it, lol!

Haha, yeah pretty much. I love the pocket knife. Was hard to part with it, but I knew Dad would think it was great.

 

[Ironman!]

Nothing like making great memories & finds with those you love! Congrats on some more very impressive finds!!

IM

 

[BuckleBoy]

Buck thanks for sharing the hunt and the time with you Pops. Bummer about the big nasty hole in your dime but the Spanish makes up for it. That plantation token is an awesome find and I'm guessing fairly scarce. Hope to see more of your hunts while I'm hibernating up here in the Frozen NE

The token is unlisted, so as of now it's unique. It has been appraised at around $100 in its current condition.

Best Wishes,

Buck

 

[BuckleBoy]

It doesn't get much better than that BB!!! Buckledad looks happy. you guys had a good hunt after all. Too bad Molly couldn't go & show all 3 of you up with her new new detector. Great post & video. If anyone hasn't walked those cane rows, they don't know how fatiguing it is. WTG, Q.

She would've done it. I gave Dad her detector for good luck. He did get a couple finds. Wish I could've seen him dig a good coin though. That would've made his year!

 

[BuckleBoy]

Awesome finds BB,
I got to say you are so lucky to be able to hunt with your dad (tear) I've never been so lucky as that. Seems all I ever got to do was go to the woods for wood or haul hay, seems there was never enough time for "that other stuff"

The finds are imaterial, the memories are ever lasting.

Well said, my friend.

 

[BuckleBoy]

Another fine day in the field for you guys. I know you're happy with the spanish silver, but you don't see those early seateds very often, especially without the stars. Nice going!

I haven't dug very many of the no stars seateds, just a couple in 23 years. This one is the nicest one for condition so far, excluding for the nail hole. Good to hear from you, my friend.

 

[BuckleBoy]

Those canefields are always good for a couple silvers, this was no exception. Is BuckleDad considered a member of the CaneField Bandits?

He's an honorary member.

 

[BuckleBoy]

Great hunt BB! In every post you show finest field hunting, like your writeup a lot!

Thank you so much for your kind words, my friend. Great to hear from you, and thank you for the reply.

Best Wishes,

Buck

 

[BuckleBoy]

Certainly a productive day out there…It's crazy how many silver you guys pulled out in 2012 and 2013…I would consider 9 in one year a great year…hope it picks up for you..feel for you…lol

38 total in 2012, 19 of which were Reales
44 total in 2013, 27 of which were Reales
33 total in 2014 so far, 9 of which were Reales

So we are a little under for this year, but I think we will be in the ballpark of the past two years' totals. I wouldn't be surprised if we got 6-8 more silvers this year. It's all about the age of the sites from this year, which back in Jan/Feb were way more modern than what we'd dug in the past.

The reason we find so many reales here is that the coins from the Philadelphia Mint did not make their way down her in any quantity until the 1870s. New Orleans mint coins were the primary ones that circulated, and that mint wasn't operational until 1838, the year the dime I dug was minted there. So reales circulated here until the 1840s, and perhaps longer in larger denominations (1R, 2R), judging by the frequency that we find the cap and rays coins in the larger denominations. By the early 1800s, we see Large cents supplanting foreign coins in the northeastern US, spreading their way south. Large cents did not circulate frequently down here, as judging by the scarcity of us digging them. This cannot be due to their large size vs. odds of being lost. They were lost in droves in the northeast despite their large size. We have dug only THREE large cents in three years. That tells me that the Philadelphia coins, which were MOST likely to disperse faster in smaller denominations like cents, which were carried and spent every day, did not make it down to Louisiana for quite some time.

-Buck