Mona Lisa Visits Montana...

[Montana Jim]

... and it's about time!

I was honored to have Mona Lisa visit for over a week with me here in Montana and share some detecting time with me at my secret-squirl Indian Wars Infantry site. We got out three different days and the weather was perfect! Even though I found two eagle buttons and she didn't - Mona Lisa out detected me on all accounts and grabbed a few great eyeball finds too.

I tried to identify everything so you know what you're looking at...

Mona Lisa & Montana Jim



Here is some miscellaneous goodies from the first day... .45-70 shells and lead bullets, some awesome square nails, a groovy bayonet scabbard tip (sans finial), a grommet, an eagle button, some unidentifiable twisted decorative brass and other crappola.





The next day was a little different and we got into some more trashy areas. We picked up a bunch of glass, a few more bullets and shells, another eagle button, and Lisa found a great variety of cool stuff including the Prince Albert tobacco tin lid, the Colgate tube, the flattened lead musket ball and some stuff to be shown in other pictures.





The third day was all about Lisa finding this awesome array of late 1800s stuff (except the button - I’ll claim that) and her bad-assed detecting skills. The round piece is a large locket or watch case cover.



Here is a picture of Mona Lisa enjoying the flawless Montana diggings…



The next few pictures detail some of the better finds...

1. “Pin Fire” 12 Gauge shotgun shell (Jim)
2. Indian Wars era “spike” for US Army “Pith Helmet” (Lisa)
3. Ponds Cold Cream tin… lipstick tube size (Lisa)
4. Shoulder Board piece – US Army Non-Commissioned Officer (Lisa)
5. Carbine Sling “bat wing” belt end tip (Jim)



1. Harmonica Read Boards – matching set! (Lisa)
2. Tin or pot-metal rosette (Lisa)
3. Colgate Co. Shaving Stick container (Lisa)
4. Parker Inkwell bottle (Lisa)
5. Intact and unfired .45-70 round (Lisa)



1. Misfired round (Ignited but never fired) (Lisa)
2. Brass longhorn steer unknown… possibly a bolo tie ornament (Jim)



And of course, just because I like to share the trash too, this is about half of what we also dug and walked out with.





Hope you enjoyed the pictures… thanks for looking.

 

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[beetle662]

Not sure what happened to all the pics, but looks like s very nice hunt! Congrats!

 

[Montana Jim]

Not sure what happened to all the pics, but looks like s very nice hunt! Congrats!

I had to re-adjust... they should all be there now.

 

[Schrecky]

Those are great finds. I agree, Lisa is incredible with her DFX. I'm surprised she didn't pull any large cents, she is the Large Cent Queen back home. I've seen her make some great finds and miss hunting with her.

Great job.

 

[Kyle PA]

First of all, it is an honor to know that Montana Jim is back to posting...his recoveries from the Montana soil like the old times. Secondly, it is finally good to see you and Mona detecting together on that very same Montana soil. It is always good to see Treasurenet friends getting together and making memories!

Great post like always, Jim! I hope you continue to get out and hunt like you used to! You must!!

Kyle

 

[warsawdaddy]

Pics are perfect,Jim.What a tremendous amount of great finds.Both you and Lisa have been a little tardy on posting lately,it is great that you guys were able to get together and enjoy each other's company.She traveled a long way to get to Montana,so no excuses from either of you on the next 'Rowdy Bunch' tnet hunt we put together here.God Bless!

 

[RPG]

Great post Montana Jim. Good to see you digging again. Awesome finds and great pics.

By the way, that first pic of you and Mona is "BANNER".

Good Luck
Randy

 

[spartacus53]

WTG on those great relics. Loved the way you shot the pictures and captions, right down to that belt tip. Looks like you two cleaned up; literally

 

[michigan michael]

WOW! thats alot of digging! congrats on some awesome finds!

 

[PBK]

​

 

[Kirk PA]

Jim Montana,

Awesome post with some awesome pictures! I have always enjoyed your thrill of finding Indian War buttons. You need to get back on this site and post more often.

As always, you should keep the passion high!

Kirk E.

 

[Don in SJ]

Super post Jim, I am sure Lisa enjoyed her Big Sky Country trip, I have really enjoyed my several trips I have had to Great Falls in the past.

I sure hope the ground was a bit easier to dig than when I was pingin in the Cascade area back in the mid 90s, gads, it was like cement in mid July. All I got to show for my efforts were 30.06 casings and some nails and one wheatie. But, did find a lot of Buffalo bones and Indian scrappers below the Buffalo Jump site on my buddies ranch.

Don

 

[gold nuggets]

Nice finds Mona Lisa and Montana Jim,
I enjoyed reading your post and seeing the pictures
of all the treasures. I miss the country in Montana
(Flathead Lake country) but not the winters. At least
here in Oregon, you don't have to shovel the rain. LOL
Gold Nuggets

 

[Detectingfreak]

That looks like an awesome hunt! Nice job on the photo editing skills! You made your presentation of your finds really nice! Hope you guys had fun!

 

[Burdie]

Great Hunt congratulations to both of you.

Burdie

 

[SHERMANVILLE ILLINOIS]

have a good un..................

 

[kuger]

Awesome post,I wish I was there.Dad said it has been in the ninetys..........and snowed last week......Montana weather!

 

[bravowhiskey]

Sure thank you for posting all. That was a great trip with good company, glad it all worked out sooo well.

Good bunch of finds professionally presented. Very nice.

Last time I made Montana was in 1971 and it was easy to see why it is called "big sky country" Beauty!

BW

 

[BuckleBoy]

Jim,

This was a Beautiful post. It really took me back to remembering so many great posts of yours in the past--and I enjoyed reading it so much. You two really got 'er dug!

Fantastic company and great finds. That's digging at its finest.


Your post really made my week.

 

[Likely Guy]

By your count Jim...

Mona 9, you 3!

All the best in your adventures. That's Great country you're in.