Colonial flat button found at a 1980s baseball field?

FreeBirdTim

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Colonial flat button found at a 1980's baseball field?

This sure looks like a colonial flat button to me. I'm no expert, but it's paper thin, brass (or maybe copper), has a broken off shank on the back and is very large. I found it six inches down at a baseball field that was built in the early 1980's. How is this possible?

I also found a 1920 wheat cent there a couple of weeks ago. That's not too unusual, but finding a colonial button there seems odd, to say the least.

What's your take on it? Is this really a 220 year old button or is it something else?

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Old Dude

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I wish I could give an expert opinion, but since I have yet to find my first one, I will give you my novice opinion, lol. I checked your profile and since you are in RI, I see no reason why it might not be, even if found in a 1980's ball field. Since it was found at a reasonably shallow depth, it could have been in any fill dirt brought onto the site, or earth movers could have even scraped dirt from atop the find. Perhaps your site was a homestead or even a camp during the period. I hope the experts soon find this post and give you some credible opinions. I'd like to see how a novice did, lol. Merry Christmas to you.


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ATpro5

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Definately A Colonial Flat Button! Neat To Think What Might Have Been There At One Time. Probably A Colonial Homestead! Hit That Place Hard.
 

Gunrunner61

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That would be my guess, Just as old coins are found at new homes, I'd think that especially
in one of the original 13 colonies that you can find colonial artifacts just about any where
that the dirt has been moved around. jmho
 

filmiracle

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Looks like a colonial "dandy" button from the late 1700s. Of course you can find them at a baseball field built in the '80s. Everything was something before it was something! Before the ballfield, could have been just a wooded area, before that, an old farm.
 

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FreeBirdTim

FreeBirdTim

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Thanks for the replies! I thought it might be one, but I've never found anything very old there. Except for the 1920 wheat cent, every coin has been from the 1940's and up.

I may have found it today because the ground at this field is completely saturated right now. That always helps when you're looking for deeper coins or relics. I will have to go over that area with a fine tooth comb now. Thanks again and Merry Christmas to everyone.
 

Ahab8

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Living anywhere in New England you have the possibility of digging a colonial piece almost anywhere. As said previously it may have been moved there or someone could have been walking there 200+ years ago and lost it. Possibly an old homesite was there. That's the beauty of finding something like that, you just never know how it could have ended up there but it's always fun to find them. Better yet it can always be an indicator that more and perhaps better colonial finds are hidden close by. Happy Holidays
 

carcusrex

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I wish I could give an expert opinion, but since I have yet to find my first one, I will give you my novice opinion, lol. I checked your profile and since you are in RI, I see no reason why it might not be, even if found in a 1980's ball field. Since it was found at a reasonably shallow depth, it could have been in any fill dirt brought onto the site, or earth movers could have even scraped dirt from atop the find. Perhaps your site was a homestead or even a camp during the period. I hope the experts soon find this post and give you some credible opinions. I'd like to see how a novice did, lol. Merry Christmas to you.


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What he said and great find. Do some history research and keep digging.:icon_thumleft:
 

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