Still hitting the button jackpot at our early colonial site

Bill D. (VA)

Silver Member
Oct 7, 2008
4,711
6,212
SE Virginia
🥇 Banner finds
6
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
2
Detector(s) used
F75 SE (land); CZ-21 (saltwater)
Primary Interest:
Other
Got back out yesterday with my buddy Dan and his friend Aquachigger who had come down to hunt with us. We had a great time as usual, and there was certainly no shortage of targets even though we've been hitting this place hard recently. Dan and I seemed to pretty much match our finds output again, but Aquachigger put us both to shame. I'll wait and let him tell his own story of his weekend finds. Unfortunately, my streak of digging colonial silver ended yesterday, but I made up for it by digging 35 buttons and some other early relics. My finds included several unusual and ornate buttons, plus what appears to be an early diplomatic button although we can't seem to find it in the books. It has "E PLURIBUS UNUM"in a banner across the top along with a drooped winged eagle, and it's very thin. It also has similar detail on the reverse. If anyone can ID this button please chime in. Also, what I thought at first was just a scrap piece of brass may indeed be part of butt cap from a 1600s flintlock pistol. I would never have come to that conclusion, but I had dug another similar but much nicer one a few years ago out of a colonial trash pit (see the pics below). I'm fairly confident that's what this is. All-in-all it was a great day of digging, and as usual we're chomping at the bit to get back to the site again soon.
 

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Upvote 7
That's an impressive day.. Congrats on all your finds...
 

Bill,

That is certainly the butt plate from a flintlock pistol. EDIT: Certainly pre-1800. I just looked for a match, but will look again tonight when I have more time.

Great finds! The diplomat button I have never seen before either. Might be worth an e-mail to one of the button experts. It's certainly not in any resource I've seen.


Cheers,


Buck
 

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Such a nice hunt! Love the early stuff.
 

Great stuff Bill! Keep them coming!
 

Man... you had a great day too Bill. Thanks for inviting me down and letting me hunt with you guys. I took the GPX out today and it works great. I'm already finding bullets with it!
 

I'm not much on the whole campin thing but with all the GREAT stuff you guys are findin I wood be at BASS PRO to buy the biggest TENT they had and would'nt leave that site till my machine was WORE OUT!!! CONGRATS.. HH
 

I'm not much on the whole campin thing but with all the GREAT stuff you guys are findin I wood be at BASS PRO to buy the biggest TENT they had and would'nt leave that site till my machine was WORE OUT!!! CONGRATS.. HH

If it were far away I would agree...going to have a high tuesday of only 31...I think I will keep my warm bed! However that would be a cool place to sit by a campfire...Beau, Bill, you in?
 

Great bunch of buttons Bill and beautiful pictures as always! You guys are killing it!
 

Man... you had a great day too Bill. Thanks for inviting me down and letting me hunt with you guys. I took the GPX out today and it works great. I'm already finding bullets with it!

It was great to meet and hunt with you Beau. Hope we can do it again sometime. Sounds like you're off on the right track with the 5000. You're going to be extremely dangerous with that machine once you get a little experience under your belt. Good luck to you and HH .....Bill
 

What I wanna know is when can I join you guys? I'll pay more than what I pay to hunt at the DIV! lol
 

That site keeps giving and giving. The keeper count is holding steady hunt after hunt. I think that patriotic button is a good one. Maybe William Leigh can shed some light on it.
 

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