IRON Brigade: SEATED HALF DOLLAR and a Complete MUSKET LOCK PLATE!!

[BuckleBoy]

Hello All!

Got up this morning and got a call from HB who was jonesin' for a hunt after his spur and eagle button on Wednesday. Took a look at the truck thermometer and figured it would be a nice day to dig a few holes. :P



So we set out for the site, bringing the probe so we could open up the privy too.

When we got there, we did some probing for the privy, and indeed hit glass. We opened up a hole and started finding busted up china and bits of glass. So the hole got wider....and deeper... (We'd already asked the owner if this was o.k. and gotten the go-ahead on the privy dig.) Here's a photo of DiggerGirl down in there:



We took turns digging, and picked up our detectors and swung when we weren't working the privy. Here's HB gettin' it dug.



We soon figured out that we were in a burn pit--we dug down to clay and found only charred items, a brass spoon, a harmonica reed plate, and broken china and stoneware. Few bottles, and not much worth reconstructing. So we covered 'er in and kept detecting.

My very first signal of the day was a good one. It was an overload--so I knew it was big, or shallow, or both...so I cut a big plug. Well let me say that we dig so few silver coins out here that it takes a second for it to sink in when we find one. What I wasn't prepared for was the SIZE of this one coming out of the ground. I was thinking "Nah--it can't be" when I bent over to get a closer look:



My first instinct was "Cut Spanish Silver!" as I looked at the find--and when HB asked what I found, I think I said something like just a CUT SPANISH COIN. As I looked at the coin more closely, I realized it said "Half Dollar" on it! It is an 1858-O Seated HALF!



Folks, it's been quite a few years since my last Seated Half find, and I am Thrilled.


We kept pounding the site, finding toe taps, organ reeds, harmonica parts, clock parts, and lantern tops. I dug a wierd, flattened/cut minieball closer to the cellar hole--all the while watching the Iron pile grow by the truck. (I know there's 40 lbs there from the hunt today.)

Then as darkness approaches, HB yells at me from across the site. I can see him holding up something in his hand--and I immediately knew what it was--a complete musket lock plate!



Folks, I have never seen one of these dug before. I've dug pieces before, but no dice on a complete lock plate. The best part of this one is the condition--with some Slow electrolysis and a little luck, we might be able to read some markings.

Incredible hunt today, but I am Beat to Death. At least I can feel my fingers now.

So here is a shot of my finds for the day, along with HB's lock plate. If anyone can identify the model of gun this piece is from, please let us know.



The finds cleaned, and close-ups of some of the goodies:







And a BIG CONGRATULATIONS to HB on this one. Good huntin' with you today, buddy.





And that's part of the reason we dig all the Iron.


Best Wishes and Happy Hunting,



Buckleboy

 

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[texan connection]

Back then folks cut American silvers just like the did reales, just not as often, and depending on avalibility of Change. There have been shortages of coinage in communities, so a half dollar got cut and became a Quarter or a dime. Silver was still real money back then. Ive dug plenty of Thin dimes that were beyond recognition but obviously still traded.
I belive that half (if you look at the cut) is a example of that, its been "chewed" off not cleanly cut. Kinda lik a Punch or small chisel did it.

 

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[Captn SE]

Man, that's some cold temps out there, Buckles!!

Md'ers here in S. Ca would be staying inside with those temps....then again, I've never seen temps that low in my locale.

Congrats on your seated half. I found the exact same date/mint mark last year....it was my only seated coin find, and still is.

Congrats to HB on that very cool relic find!! Very nice!

HH,
CAPTN SE
Dan

 

[John Deere Digger]

Really great coin, love the other relic. WTG
JDD

 

[Baldingboy]

Buck, I bow once again to the masters.....Nicely done. You guys are Ace metal detectorist.

 

[Bavaria Mike]

Nice hunt, finds and post! HH, Mike

 

[l.cutler]

That lock looks familiar, Cosmopolitan or Gwyn and Campbell carbine perhaps?

 

[Hutch911]

Great finds B.B that lock plate is cool .... that one is on my bucket list I have not forund yet !!!

Hutch

 

[Diggincoinz]

WOW That's Awsome!

 

[NGE]

AWESOME finds! Love the 35 cent piece. Just like when LC's were cut to make change, I believe that's what happened to your half. I never knew that lock plates were made of steel, thought most were brass. I once found a silver walker cut into many curly pieces by a park mower. It was all over in a small area, it was cut into small slivers of silver. Once again, Congrats on a siccessful hunt......NGE

 

[civilman1]

Congrat's to the Brigade BB on some Beautiful recovery's.....The Plate is Sweet HB....

 

[geo4472]

nice finds . i like the musket part

 

[halfdime]

Congrats on some great finds! No sense fretting over the damage to that Half; you didn't do it, you just found it. I found a mangled half dime last year and didn't stew at all about the condition, I just relished the find!

 

[BuckleBoy]

some always find the good stuff

Product of hard work, research, and a little good fortune.

Looks like the Brigade strikes again! Absolutely fantastic bunch of finds but that seated half and the lock plate are stunning! I would have been doing the "happy dance" for the rest of the day upon digging those! Congrats to you Buck and congrats to the whole Brigade...

Thanks buddy. Wishing you two all the best at your "maverick site" today.

You guys have a great spot there. That lockplate is a spectacular find. The Seated half is in perfect shape considering. Without the cut it would probably be in AU condition. What a find for you buddy.
My 1859 Seated Half was found right in front of Kirk and Kyle when they were about 16 years old and I was showing them what its like metal detecting. I was jumping for joy and they were looking at each other and snickering. Congratulations.
Chris

This is Seated Half #2 for me. First thing I did when I found it was look at the edge and it was indeed an old cut. Good that they had the experience of seeing you dig it. I had been detecting for three years by the time I was 16, and already had my first Seated Half under my belt (found in 1993).

Hittin' the books even back then.


Best Wishes to you and your Team, Chris.

Man, that's some cold temps out there, Buckles!!

Md'ers here in S. Ca would be staying inside with those temps....then again, I've never seen temps that low in my locale.

Congrats on your seated half. I found the exact same date/mint mark last year....it was my only seated coin find, and still is.

Congrats to HB on that very cool relic find!! Very nice!

HH,
CAPTN SE
Dan

Captn Dan, thanks for your kind reply. That's about as cold as I will MD here. Later in the season, it just isn't possible due to the frozen ground--but early on, it's manageable.

I found an 1857-O Dime in a CW camp last year. It was my only Seated Last year. And this one is my only Seated this year. Fourth Silver for the year--two 1700's silvers, this Seated Half, and an 1899 Dime in beautiful shape. I can't imagine digging as many silvers as you dig in a year.



Best Wishes to you,



Buckleboy

 

[BuckleBoy]

That lock looks familiar, Cosmopolitan or Gwyn and Campbell carbine perhaps?

If you, or anyone, can ID the lock plate--I'd be very appreciative. I will start the electrolysis on it soon, looking for markings. Actually, I might take some fine grit sandpaper to the flat part first (easier to see the markings with the way the rust dust sticks in the grooves of stamped letters, etc...).

Best Wishes,


Buckles

 

[Montana Jim]

Excellent Post!

Great pics and narrative as always Buckles!!

 

[Gilligan]

Man, what a shame that coin is cut, it is in excellent condition and would have been worth some nice change!

 

[l.cutler]

I have cut a silver half dollar, Kennedy not seated, to make a silver front sight blade for a muzzleloading rifle. I am almost positive the lock plate is from a Cosmopolitan #3 Civil War carbine made by Gwyn and Campbell.

 

[BuckleBoy]

Congrats, those are some mighty nice finds. I dig privies too, but always avoided country privies. Never seemed to find much in them, they always seemed to dig shallow pits and dump their glass elsewhere. Cincinnatti has provided me with lots of nice glass. Have you ever checked out privydigger.com? I dig with those guys sometimes. Do you have any luck in those country pits? A seated half sure beats a Franklin half. The cut is just another piece of history as far as I'm concerned.  
Thanks, Steve

Steve, we haven't hunted enough country privies to make any evaluation of them.  Although we try to make every find we can at a site (metal...glass...pottery), most of the housesites from this fall have been in plowed fields.  But as we dig more of them, we'll find out more information.  If country privies aren't working out, then we'll direct our time elsewhere.  We already use several different sets criteria to select which housesites are the most promising and narrow our focus from the hundreds of possible sites.  

Regards,


Buckleboy

 

[BuckleBoy]

I have cut a silver half dollar, Kennedy not seated, to make a silver front sight blade for a muzzleloading rifle. I am almost positive the lock plate is from a Cosmopolitan #3 Civil War carbine made by Gwyn and Campbell.

Wow. I'd love to see a photo if you can find one--and I'll look for a photo of the weapon to post as well.

 

[l.cutler]

I can't seem to find a good picture of #3 online, only #4 which has a flatter hammer. I have a copy of the book "Civil War Guns" by William B. Edwards which has pretty clear pictures of the different varieties.