First Large Copper... Workin’ Ogre Time !

[Frodov]

First Large Copper... Workin’ Ogre Time !

Hello again everyone. I hope you are all well and happy. I know I’m a happy camper today! So far it’s been a wonderful day, I got to sleep in because it’s my day off. Of course anything past 5:30 A.M. is sleeping in for me. I had a wonderful breakfast with my darling wife this morning... after I cooked it of course. Then, I got to go metal detecting... before it got too freakin’ hot out to think! I know My area of the country doesn’t have a corner on the heat wave market, but I’m more than willing and ready for the cooler temperatures of Autumn. Oh well, just have to work around the weather if you want to play and have fun outdoors. That’s what I did this morning. I worked around the warm weather but going out a little earlier. My feet and toes look an awful lot like white raisins now though, as the dew was still very heavy on the grass and my feet got thoroughly soaked. But to be completely honest, I didn’t even notice till I got home and cooled off.
This morning I made a second hunt at a baseball complex/park in a town just down the road from where I live. I mentioned this park in my last post and how it was so very crowded with all the games going on that day. Yeah, I figured that this park would need to be cleaned up a little bit, you know, get the cans and can slaw, pull tabs and bottles all picked up... and whatever coins that might have been left laying around too of course. <grin> As it turns out, I got to hunt this park twice this week, once on Tuesday evening for about an hour and a half after the rain stopped, and again this morning for about three hours. And boy was that park in need of cleaning! You might say that it would take some Over Time to get it all cleaned up and searched. Well maybe not, but I did use some “Ogre Time”. Thanks to McDonald’s and some hapless or careless kid...



Finding this watch today makes two that I’ve found in the last couple or three weeks. It might not be a Timex, but it was left out in the rain and it’s still working. Anyone need a watch? <grin> No, I didn’t dig up the Ogre watch, it was an eyeball find WHILE detecting. Like the bottle caps that I pick up for my wife... Coke Rewards caps... Brownie Points!



Yeah I was kept busy this morning to be sure. Digging LOTS and LOTS of targets. Of course despite our fondest dreams, not every target is going to turn out to be a prize, be it coin or some other treasure. Nope, we all dig our share of scrap and junk and stuff... including the ever present pull tabs...



You might think that these few tabs are very few indeed, well think again Margret , this is the handful that remained in my finds bag to be sorted, most went into my tab bucket in the garage before I even made it into the house. Next to the tabs bucket is another bucket for balls. *GASP* BALLS? Yeah... Balls. Golf balls (didn’t find any this trip), Softballs... one found this trip.. and Baseballs... Two found this trip. No pictures of the balls this time. I probably should start another bucket for scrap metal and the “stuff” I mentioned . Most of the time I merely toss it into the recycling bin when I’m done sorting my finds. <shrug> Oh there was lots to be recycled found today too. Like these clips and Whatzits...



... and the scrap metal... A wheel weight? A BIG wheel wheight...



Just doing my part to help keep America and my local parks beautiful... picking up the trash and stuff. Speaking of keeping things beautiful, it’s amazing how many cosmetics or their containers anyway, get found and dug up at these parks.



Guess someone needed to get that wet lipped glossy look just before hitting a homerun or even a line drive. <chuckle> Looking good is the key to success I guess. Guess this other Key didn’t get anyone anywhere near success... I mean hey! They LOST the KEY! That’s okay though, the key has a nice big brass ID tag on it. Not that that is going to do anyone any good now. Now it’s just another addition to my found key collection.... Gonna Need another BUCKET!



This park that I hunted Tuesday evening and this morning used to be private property at one time not too terribly long ago. It was a farm on the outskirts of town. I’ve dug up a few “relics” here and there around and under the HUGE shady Oak trees that remain near where the old homestead once stood. I hunted around the trees again this morning, of course, as it’s a favorite parking spot on a hot day. I figured I might find a few coins there. Well I did find a few, but I got a couple of surprises too. One, was a tiny little pin... missing the pin post and somewhat the less attractive for wear and tear. And the other was what I thought was my greatest find EVER! I nearly wet myself when I uncovered this largish green disk about five inches down in the dirt, somewhere between the size of a modern clad quarter and a half dollar coin. HOLY CRAP!! I finally found a LARGE COPPER!!!

*sigh* No... it wasn’t a copper... well not a coin anyway, on closer examination, after my heart slowed down a bit, it turned out to be a button. A very large, very thin, very copper button.... a very plain button even. No decorations, no inscriptions, no nothing. Just a big ugly copper button. Oh well. It got my heart racing for a bit this morning.



I went on to find a few more coins on my way back to my truck, but the button was the highlight of the morning. That is until I got home and sorted through my accumulated finds for Tuesday’s and this morning’s hunts. I knew my finds bag was heavy on my hip, but with a softball, two baseballs, several pounds of scrap and trash, I didn’t realize that I was carrying around so many coins as well. I had a feeling it was a pretty fair amount, but it wasn’t until I sorted and counted that the whole picture emerged. WOW! I know I didn’t find even a third of the total on Tuesday, so this morning was a veritable BONANZA of clad. I found it on the grass, in the gravel, down in the dirt and in a couple of cases even under the roots of a tree. I think I’m going to have to get me one of those little adding machines that people used to use at the grocery store. You push the little plunger down and it adds to the running total. I know I lost count somewhere around $6.70 something cents this morning. I’m going to need another bucket...



And to think that I went and told my wife that I’d just made another addition to the vacation fund... She’s all smiles now because she’s headed off for a three day weekend getaway with a couple of her girlfriends... so much for the vacation fund. Gonna need another bucket... bucket full of metal detecting time to rebuild the vacation fund. <grin> Oh well, I have fun looking for it. As long as I get my gas and my batteries I’m happy. I hope you all get to get out and get a little happy soon too. Good luck, and as always...

~HAPPY HUNTING~

Frodov

 

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[BuckleBoy]

There may be hope for your style of hunting after all, if 1700s brass buttons are popping up.

 

[Frodov]

There may be hope for your style of hunting after all, if 1700s brass buttons are popping up.

I know I'm still new to this hobby, but like I've been told all along, it's WHERE you go to look as much as how well you look. I look at my clad collecting as "Practice" for the good stuff to come. <grin> I'm still working on getting into the grounds of Eastern State Hospital to hunt there. TALK about a "WHERE" to hunt! That institution is nearly 200 years old. I SHOULD be able to find some old coins on that property.. or buttons.. or jewelry.. or who knows? I'll share my finds of course... just look for a whole lot of exclamation points on the titles of those posts. <laughing> Till then... well, I'll just keep practicing.

~HAPPY HUNTING~

Frodov

 

[Kyle PA]

Way to go, Frodov, on that large Colonial flat button! You're hunting in and around Lexington, right? If so, there will definitely be some early cut Spanish silvers in your future!

By the way, I love your posts! You are one hilarious fella.

 

[Elad]

Why so down on the buttons? All my ugly 1700-1800 buttons are the pride of my collection! 8)

Imagine the history it's been through... that's what makes them so awesome. (to me anyways)

 

[Kirk PA]

Way to go, Frodov, on that large Colonial flat button! You're hunting in and around Lexington, right? If so, there will definitely be some early cut Spanish silvers in your future!

By the way, I love your posts! You are one hilarious fella.

Amen to that entire paragraph, brother! I smell some early Spanish cut silver in your future.

Classic entertainment!

Kirk

 

[Colonial Copper Zeus]

Dat's what i'm talkin bout Frodov. That large flat button is a nice find.
Chris

 

[Tuberale]

Enjoyed reading your entire post, Frodov! If it gets too hot in KY, come out to cool OR and maybe do a little bottom fishing off the coast. Temps most of this week in the 70's-80's.

 

[Frodov]

Why so down on the buttons? All my ugly 1700-1800 buttons are the pride of my collection! 8)

Imagine the history it's been through... that's what makes them so awesome. (to me anyways)

I'm not down on the button(s) Elad. It's just that when you think you've discovered a large copper cent or other similar coin... and then find out that it's just a button... well, it's just a little less exciting. I think the button is pretty cool though, I'd have to be just a little pessimistic as to it being from the 1700's though. I'd have to take an expert's word on it though because I probably wouldn't know a genuinely "OLD" button from a relatively new one. <shrug> But, that's part of the reason I hang out here at TNet. This place if full of drips under pressure.... Uh.. I mean "experts". <grin> Seriously though, I like the button. If I didn't I wouldn't have kept it. Even the junk I dig up makes it back to the house for closer inspection after all. <smile>

Now... to go find some MORE!

~HAPPY HUNTING~

Frodov

 

[relic lover]

It does not take an expert to tell that's a 1700s button. Congratulations

 

[NHBandit]

I see some sort of design around the outer edge of that button. Some careful cleaning may reveal some details. In any case it does show that there are old things there waiting to be found.

 

[mountainman 2]

I'll take one of those 18th century buttons any day of the week. Congrats. Your 1st colonial copper might be just around the corner.

 

[Frodov]

I see some sort of design around the outer edge of that button. Some careful cleaning may reveal some details. In any case it does show that there are old things there waiting to be found.

I have the button soaking in a shallow dish with some white vinegar diluted with a bit of water. In a few days I'll do a rinse and dab at it with a soft toothbrush and maybe some baking soda paste. Whatever is there, if there really is anything there, might reveal itself then. I'll post pics here of the "after cleaning". <smile>

~HAPPY HUNTING~


Frodov

 

[Frodov]

I see some sort of design around the outer edge of that button. Some careful cleaning may reveal some details. In any case it does show that there are old things there waiting to be found.

No pictures yet, but the vinegar and baking soda (not at the same time) did some pretty good cleaning. There is a lot of pitting of course, but there is deffinately some sort of design on the outter edge of the face of the button. No writing (is that the right word?) and no dates or makers marks on the back or the front. I've got it back in the vinegar for another long soak. Maybe more detail will come out with the next round of baking soda and tooth brushing. I'll take pictures after I'm done with it and post on here for everyone to see.

~HAPPY HUNTING~


Frodov

 

[Frodov]

Update on the Copper Button:

I took the button out of the vinegar solution again this evening after getting home from work. a lot more of the green and brown grunge has dissolved away and the pitting is more obvious I'm afraid. The "design" around the outside of the face of the button is more visible as well, but it's a very simple pattern with no words or letters or numbers anywhere else on the button, front or back. If this button is truly an OLD RELIC, it's a very plain one indeed.
I brushed it a bit more with my soft tooth brush (old tooth brushes get recycled at my house... from dental hygene to everyday cleaning, to treasure finds cleaning, eventually to the recycling bin) Well the tooth brush and some liberal use of some baking soda paste removed more of the gunk and unfortunately a lot of the green "patina" that everyone raves so much about. In fact I'm seeing quite a bit of "shine" from the copper to be sure. Sure, it's still pitted with black spots, but it (the button) does have a bit of a shine to it now. Once more rinsed thoroughly and began yet another overnight soak in vinegar. White distilled vinegar, food grade. Well, "overnight" is not entirely correct, more like 24 hours or so, till after work tomorrow evening. I'll rinse and maybe brush it a bit more then take some pics to share here. I don't expect a whole lot more of the grunge and discoloration is going to wash away. I'll just have to store it away as is (cleaned up that is) till I make some sort of display or shadow box with some of my other "treasures" in the future sometime. <grin>

~HAPPY HUNTING~

Frodov

 

[Baldingboy]

Looking forward to seeing it Frodov!

 

[Frodov]

*BUTTON CLEANING UPDATE*

Well I've cleaned the button about as much As I dare. The Vinegar and some gentle pursuasion with a tooth brush and later a soft cloth with baking soda paste brought out what little detail there is on this thing. There is a lot of pitting from the corrosion of course, can't be avoided I suppose, but I think it looks pretty cool all the same. The "design" or detail , such that it is, along the outter edge of the button kind of reminds me of crimping of say the top of a pie... <shrug> I was not able to find or at least determine any other kind of marking or lettering or numbers of any sort whatsoever other than that "crimping". Anyone out there have any idea how old this thing is, or who the makers might be.. what country of origin or anythink like that? I know there's not a lot to work with here to start with. But, it's all I have. Here are the pics. First the before and after side by sides...



... and the back...



And I took a couple at a bit of an oblique angle to elimnate some of the glare from the camera flash.




And the back...




And there you have it. Hope the suspense was worth the wait. Thanks for looking, and thanks in advance for any help or comments.

~HAPPY HUNTING~


Frodov

 

[Mr Tuff]

looks very nice to me!!!!!!!!!!! cool find i like to dig all thats how i find the best stuff!! MR TUFF