Rev. War-38th Regiment of Foot button - Toasted but Ill take it! Cut Spanish Silver.

Silver Tree Chaser

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Rev. War-38th Regiment of Foot button - Toasted but I'll take it! Cut Spanish Silver.

This is my last catch-up post of better finds made over the last month. These finds include two pieces of Spanish silver, an early copper halfpence coin (too corroded to ID), a shoe buckles fragment, along with a few buttons, musket balls, etc. One of the silver coins is so heavily worn from circulation that it has no distinguishing marks remaining. I’m certain that it’s Spanish silver, although I first thought it might be an early Massachusetts Silver sixpence coin when first dug. It had me all worked up for few moments.

As you can see in comparison to the modern US quarter, the piece of cut silver from the early to mid 1700’s is about the size of an aspirin pill. It’s tiny, but interesting, as you can see in the close-up – the coin was holed before it was cut. I always thought that such coins had been holed long after they circulated to be worn as a novelty item, but it’s clear from this find that such coins were holed long ago by the early colonists. Who knows why? I believe that the rectangular piece with the notch at one end is a lead flint grip, for use with a flintlock musket.

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A second site produced a British 38th Regiment of Foot button. Although the British occupied part of my home state for three years during the Revolutionary War, this is my first regiment button. I’ve recovered cannonballs, musket balls, grape shot, etc. in years past, but never a button till now. I’m fully aware that its condition is awful. The picture that I’ve attached is actually kind to its overall appearance. Much of the button is gone, as 200+ years of seasonal plowing in a rocky field has left its mark; nonetheless, enough of the design on the button remains to permit a certain ID – 38th Regiment of Foot. It’s toasted, but I’ll take it. I also found an early lead seal, probably 17th Century, and half of a jaw harp on the same day. I’ve yet to find a whole jaw harp.

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Good Hunting!
 

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mr helton

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Why did you make this same topic twice with 2 different usernames?
 

pepperj

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Nice going on the silvers.:icon_thumright:
Your quote: As you can see in comparison to the modern US quarter, the piece of cut silver from the early to mid 1700’s is about the size of an aspirin pill. It’s tiny, but interesting, as you can see in the close-up – the coin was holed before it was cut. I always thought that such coins had been holed long after they circulated to be worn as a novelty item, but it’s clear from this find that such coins were holed long ago by the early colonists. Who knows why?
The coins that were holed were done so that the coin could be hung/sewn into the lining of clothing for safe keeping. This shows on many coins the wear around the hole and the hole sometimes also shows a hole that a nail has been used to punch it out.
For myself a holed coin shows a lot of character as it was once thought of as a highly valued item to the owner so it was secured against loss or theft by putting the hole into through it.
 

OP
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Silver Tree Chaser

Silver Tree Chaser

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I didn't post with two different user names. I just messed up and posted twice by accident. Sorry for the confusion.
 

CMDiamonddawg

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Nice id on the pewter button , it's a shame about the condition but I've seen worse , cut silver and spanish add up to a exciting hunt ,
Some RW History about
38th REGIMENT OF FOOT

(THE STAFFORDSHIRE REGIMENT)



Summary of Service 1774-83
1774Departed Athone, Ireland and arrived Boston, Massachusetts.
1775Boston. (Flank coys at Lexington.) Battle of Breeds Hill (Bunker Hill), made final (third) assault on the hill and appears to have suffered higher casualties than any other unit.
1776Boston, August, to Staten Island. Battle of Brooklyn in 3rd Brigade. (Flank coys in 1st Grenadier and Light Battalions at Battle of Haarlem Heights.) Capture of Fort Washington. (Flank coys capture of Fort Lee.) December, Staten Island. (Flank coys at Brunswick, N. J.
1777
New York area. (Flank coys at Battles of Brandywine, Philadelphia, and Germantown.)
1778New York, June, to Brunswick and Piscatawa. (Flank coys in retreat across New Jersey. Battle of Monmouth.) July, to Rhode Island. Operations for relief of Newport. (Flank coys also in Rhode Island.)
1779Back in New York area. December, Flushing Fly, Long Island, one detachment at Jamaica, Long Island. (September, one flank coy in New York, one New Bedford, Long Island.)
1780April, Jamaica, Long Island. July, Camp Valentine Hill. (Flank coys, East Chester.)
1781June, Haarlem Heights. (Flank coys, Long Island.) Raid on New London.
1782February, Flushing. (Flank coys as for 1781.) July, Befford Camp or Camp Bedford Heights.
1783October-November, withdrew from New York and returned to the United Kingdom.
Courtesy of Colonel H C B Cook, OBE (Retired)
Regimental Historian
Copyright 1976, .

 

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Bill D. (VA)

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Looks like you landed yourself on a nice little site STC. I think that worn silver coin might be a 1 reale as the size looks about right. Definitely too big for a 1/2. That's an awesome button too. Maybe another will show up but be a whole one this time.
 

Zodiacdiverdave

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I'm with Bill, I think you are going to get some great finds from those spots.
In your pic from the book next to the 38th Reg. button is an artilery button, Rick(NS) and I found one each of that button about 10 feet apart from each other last week. So keep on that site, there could be a great looking 38th button close by.
Rick and I are heading back to that site we found those buttons at tomorrow and our hopes are high following all this rain we have had.
Good luck,
ZDD
 

CC Hunter

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Nice Rev War & Colonial finds! :icon_thumleft:

That cut Spanish real is the smallest I've ever seen dug!

A 38th Regiment of Foot is one we do not see very often.

If you have not already sealed the edges on this pewter button, please consider doing so soon, as fragile pewter will continue to crumble at a more rapid rate once exposed to air. A method I have have good success with, is to quickly soak pewter in clean water, to allow the moisture into the cracks. Then remove the button and dilute a small portion of Elmer's glue with water, to make a thin sealer, and apply this with a toothpick to all the edges and cracks. As the button dries, the evaporation will pull the thin glue deeper into the cracks, effectively sealing these areas. The thin glue solution when dry, may leave a slightly darker sheen to exposed surfaces of pewter, so I will generally wipe these areas clean while the button is still wet. A few buttons that I have applied this to nearly 20 years ago, are still in as good a shape now as the day they were found. :)

CC Hunter
 

The Patriot

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Sweeeeeet finds, got a few whole Spanish but no cut ones yet...
great saves
 

Iron Patch

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May be toasted, but that only makes a difference in value not history. The soldier who wore the button never could have imagined what a poignant moment in history it was when those first shots were fired.
 

Iron Patch

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I'm with Bill, I think you are going to get some great finds from those spots.
In your pic from the book next to the 38th Reg. button is an artilery button, Rick(NS) and I found one each of that button about 10 feet apart from each other last week. So keep on that site, there could be a great looking 38th button close by.
Rick and I are heading back to that site we found those buttons at tomorrow and our hopes are high following all this rain we have had.
Good luck,
ZDD


Multiples are very possible. Reading that made me think of my first good Rev War button find, and how I hunted like a madman for the next couple of months to find a 2nd, but it just wouldn't happen. Then one day after having gave up, I decided instead of hunting the field anymore I'd just cut through and detect the shoreline. The closest access point to the water was maybe 50 yards higher in the field, somewhere I didn't spend much time because there didn't seem to be any targets, but you guessed it, while swinging my way to get to the wet sand I found a target, and stayed for a bit and dug a 2nd which was my 2nd Rev button. That's over 13 years ago now but the memory is as vivid as if it happened yesterday.
 

BuckleBoy

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GREAT finds! The coins were holed so that they could be kept on a wire safely before pockets appeared in clothing.

That Rev War button is fantastic. I like the shoe buckle too!
 

timekiller

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Yep, that's a good hunt.:thumbsup: Not sure when my next one will come but that's part of the fun.8-) The piece of reale is a pistareen.It's small for sure but they cut them any old way.The first few I sarted finding were nice pie shaped pieces.But I've found some odd ball cut ones in the past as well.
Here's you some info........http://numismatics.org/wikiuploads/CNL/Pistareens.pdf
Take Care,
Pete,:hello:
 

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