My best Pre Revolutionary War Find EVER!

smokeythecat

Gold Member
Nov 22, 2012
20,730
40,819
Maryland
πŸ₯‡ Banner finds
10
πŸ† Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
XP Deus II
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I asked for help yesterday with identification, this was found yesterday, it is a 3" copper/brass round disc, and I couldn't figure it out. Since then it has been identified as a first half 18th century locking cover to a round box used to hold tobacco or snuff. The sun, moon and directional arrows act as keys that engage on the rear of the object to slip a slide into the bottom of the box to lock it. I believe if soaked in WD-40 for a few days, it would STILL WORK. There was something covering it, rotted cloth or something, I don't know what. It had turned to mush. Whatever it was helped preserve it. To own something like this back then, this would have been a "if you've got it, flaunt it" item. Expertly and wonderfully made, it was in a cut soybean field almost 18" down. I was digging a trash pit (only went to 3 foot as the ground was HEAVY with water and hard to dig), and I gave up and "circled" the pit with the Deus within 15' or so to see if I was "on" the pit or if there was anything else nearby.

The Deus was used with the factory settings with version 4.0 with Deus Fast Program, tracking ground balance and running the HF coil at 74khz. NO tweaks to the program.

I had a full sized shovel as when you'd put the shovel in the wet ground, it would make a sucking sound as you lifted the mud plug up!

The signal was a solid "81" but weak, and I thought it was a small piece of lead or something relatively shallow. Boy was I surprised!

The ones I found for sale were enormously expensive. I have found gold, silver and copper coins from the period, solid silver flatware, buttons, musket balls and parts, leather ornaments, forks, knives, axes, this thing is exceptionally rare.

Enjoy! And welcome to 2019, this was a heck of a way to finish off a year I didn't go out nearly as much as I did the year before!

IMG_1471.JPG tobacco box.jpg IMG_1472.JPG
 

Upvote 49

vferrari

Silver Member
Jul 19, 2015
4,910
8,377
Near Ground Zero for Insanity
Detector(s) used
XP Deus with HF/x35 Coils and Mi6 Pinpointer/ML Equinox 600/800/ML Tarsacci MDT 8000 GPX 4800/Garrett ATX/Fisher F75 DST/Tek G2+/Delta/Whites MXT/Nokta Simplex/Garrett Carrot
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Way to end the year. Very cool the locking mechanism is intact.
 

Carolina Tom

Gold Member
Apr 4, 2014
10,059
17,064
Charlotte
πŸ† Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
XP Deus V3.2 9" & 11" Coils, AT Pro, ProPointer AT, Lesche 55, 75 & 80LT
Primary Interest:
Other
Big congrats on the nice find. You never cease to amaze.

Best of luck in 2019.
 

Terry Soloman

Gold Member
May 28, 2010
19,433
30,134
White Plains, New York
πŸ₯‡ Banner finds
1
πŸ† Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
Nokta Makro Legend// Pulsedive// Minelab GPZ 7000// Vanquish 540// Minelab Pro Find 35// Dune Kraken Sandscoop// Grave Digger Tools Tombstone shovel & Sidekick digger// Bunk's Hermit Pick
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Whoolee Khrap! :censored: Congratulations Smoke! :occasion14::headbang::hello2::notworthy:
 

Bharpring

Bronze Member
Dec 29, 2016
1,451
5,895
Savannah, GA
πŸ† Honorable Mentions:
3
Detector(s) used
XP Deus HF coils, Minelab Equinox 800
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Cool find! I like it. Great job!
 

relichound

Full Member
Aug 25, 2004
154
736
Northern Virginia
πŸ₯‡ Banner finds
1
Detector(s) used
Minelab Equinox 800, XP Deus,
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
Awesome find Smokey the cat! Congratulations on a colonial historical find of a lifetime !
 

OP
OP
smokeythecat

smokeythecat

Gold Member
Nov 22, 2012
20,730
40,819
Maryland
πŸ₯‡ Banner finds
10
πŸ† Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
XP Deus II
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
It indeed is the historical Pre-Revolutionary War find of a lifetime. I say that because a few things I found once upon a time ago in Rev War camps made the history books, and a few years back I found a whole freaking Miocene Whale skeleton, with the exception of most of the skull, and donated that to a museum. Now who does that, really? All true.
 

MadTom

Sr. Member
Dec 6, 2016
299
335
Vermont
Detector(s) used
Bandido umax
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Smokey! Your finds never cease to amaze. Be careful with Wd-40 40. There might be some dirt in those fine hinges. Find someone with an ultrasound cleaner and get all the crap out. Know any dentists?
 

OP
OP
smokeythecat

smokeythecat

Gold Member
Nov 22, 2012
20,730
40,819
Maryland
πŸ₯‡ Banner finds
10
πŸ† Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
XP Deus II
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Yes, I actually have a small ultrasound cleaner, the $20 kind, and the dentist is getting all my money on Thursday! And yes, there is fine sandy dirt everywhere. I probably won't clean it anymore, there is no need to.
 

Reanm8er

Bronze Member
Aug 17, 2018
2,283
3,556
Shenandoah Valley Va
Detector(s) used
WW2 Mine Detector, 2 Garrets and an Underwater Fisher (Older Machines)
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Fabulous Smokey! Something a colonial Governor might carry. Banner!
 

Last edited:

Reanm8er

Bronze Member
Aug 17, 2018
2,283
3,556
Shenandoah Valley Va
Detector(s) used
WW2 Mine Detector, 2 Garrets and an Underwater Fisher (Older Machines)
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Smokey, it occurred to me after I posted but perhaps this is the earliest version of a "child proof cap"?
 

Silvermonkey

Silver Member
Apr 24, 2013
4,628
10,332
Eastern Massachusetts
πŸ₯‡ Banner finds
2
Detector(s) used
AT Pro, XP Deus
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Great, great find! Gotta love this hobby...you just never know what's going to come out of the ground next!
 

dognose

Silver Member
Apr 15, 2009
3,145
8,575
Indiana
Detector(s) used
Fisher F70
Nice find. Very interesting

congratulations.

What text did you google to research this? Pre Revolutionary snuff box? I dont find them.
 

huntsman53

Gold Member
Jun 11, 2013
6,955
6,769
East Tennessee
Primary Interest:
Other
Awesome and rare find! I sure hope you get back out there and find the rest of the snuff/tobacco tin! A complete and restored one would likely be worth quite a bit at auction.
 

washingtonian

Gold Member
Sep 26, 2005
6,507
12,899
Puget Sound
Detector(s) used
Equinox 800, Whites DFX
Alright, new rule. You aren't allowed to detect in 2019 so there are some cool things left for the rest of us, sheesh.

But in all seriousness, another big congrats is in order. Way to go StC!
 

OP
OP
smokeythecat

smokeythecat

Gold Member
Nov 22, 2012
20,730
40,819
Maryland
πŸ₯‡ Banner finds
10
πŸ† Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
XP Deus II
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Reanm8er, I can't do the banner thing as I already have one up, but thank you for the thought. And yes, "child proof cap" would fit very well. Dognose, I looked on Google under "18th century locking tobacco box" and that's how I found it. It is at least 50 years older than the Revolution. And it would have been the equivalent of a Rolex watch today, or a Guicci bag or some such thing I don't own one of.

Washingtonian, I was not on the net all day till now and you're too late. Went to a Civil War site and pulled some camp lead, a complete coat eagle button, a Sharps bullet, some glass, a percussion cap, a brass watch winder and poor baby a Union 6th Corps badge. Oh the horror of it all! Heck of a way to start this year!
 

A2coins

Gold Member
Dec 20, 2015
33,807
42,607
Ann Arbor
πŸ† Honorable Mentions:
3
Detector(s) used
Equinox 800
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
That's a Museum piece Im happy for you Great job you deserve it my friend Tommy
 

vferrari

Silver Member
Jul 19, 2015
4,910
8,377
Near Ground Zero for Insanity
Detector(s) used
XP Deus with HF/x35 Coils and Mi6 Pinpointer/ML Equinox 600/800/ML Tarsacci MDT 8000 GPX 4800/Garrett ATX/Fisher F75 DST/Tek G2+/Delta/Whites MXT/Nokta Simplex/Garrett Carrot
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Yep, the true highlight of my relic hunt yesterday with StC was being able to see and handle that cover which is a true high-end museum piece. Hope the box itself is recovered at some point.
 

Top Member Reactions

Users who are viewing this thread

Top