Surprise!!! - Update from a button Expert - Holy Cow!! - UPDATE

BioProfessor

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Apr 6, 2007
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Just to put this into perspective with other finds in the area. We found a small camp about 2 miles from this site. We didn't find much but we did find 2 hammered silver English pennies from the 16th century and a Friesland O from 1592. The entire area was overrun by the Spanish in the 1500's. So it may not be Saxon but it can certainly fit in the Medieval period or close.

So I hope this clears up the "Misinformation" as it can certainly be a button from the same time frame or a little earlier. The coins show people from the UK and/or Europe were in the area with items from this period.

That help???


Just got a reply from a button expert. Here is what he says:

[size=13pt]WOW........before I start I have 20+ years metal detecting experience at the top, run club of 130+ members my opinion is....looks like 22-24 carrot gold from the photo, I could be wrong but,, I'm almost certain the decoration looks like Anglo-Saxon punched lines, and ring & dot its defiantly hand made too not mass produced, the concentric rings are a type of Saxon decoration like on the rillington of rimmington gold cup, I've seen before, its been hand punched each and every line... I have seen Saxon metalwork and I'm convinced its medieval in date.I'm an artist myself if its a copy its a amazing bit of work..... I have seen similar shanks which fold to meet each other so to make a loop.. You will need to report it to your nearest museum ASAP, and the best thing you could do show it to a archaeologist ASAP...your looking at thousands if it is Saxon............not joking could I use it for my web site if you want me to use your name I will, but will not if I don't here from you first.......please let me know how your go on, Simon
[/size]



Had a chance yesterday to take a boat ride and do some island hoping just south of Charleston, SC. One place we got to was the site of a plantation mansion that has eroded into the sea. It was a working plantation from around 1800 until way after the civil war. Then the eroding beach got to it and in she goes. The beach is now littered with eye candy - black glass, porcelain shards, Indian pottery (who knows), and bottles - and it is really fun to detect. Problem is, the sea water is not "nice" to the metal objects. Lots of rusted iron blobs, nails, and the buttons are "crusty" to say the least.

After about 2 hours, I had a pouch full of eye candy, some 3 ringers, some pistol balls, some muskets balls, a Connecticut State cuff button, a Connecticut State Coat button, an 1800 P. G. & Old Bristol Black glass wine bottle blob seal. And a handmade, 15mm gold dress button!!!!! Now that was a real surprise. It was the only thing to come off the beach that wasn't corroded to death. Gold is nice. REAL nice.

Daryl

Thanks for voting banner today for the button Woody50. It means a lot.
 

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Upvote 0

hammered

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Re: Surprise!!!

Great find Daryl :icon_thumleft: :icon_thumleft:, get back and find some more to make us even more jealous. That button is beautiful and must have cost a fortune, added to the bottle seal I would say a rich site.

hammered
 

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BioProfessor

BioProfessor

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Re: Surprise!!!

Rich site for sure. If you stopped to pick up all the black glass, pottery, etc. you wouldn't get anything else done. It is just owe of those spots you can only get to by boat and doesn't get too much pressure. You just wait a bit and go see what the water had revealed. Not bad for a place less than 100 feet long.

Yeah, I'll bet the button (or the whole set of them) cost the plantation owner quite a bit. I should be able to put a name to the button if it is period. Maybe the family would like something from their great-great-great-great.... Grandfather.

Wish I could go back but it's back to Minnesota on Wednesday and then on to Amsterdam to try and find some crap coins and other old stuff people threw away.

Thanks for the help.

Daryl
 

Burdie

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Re: Surprise!!!

Know thats some finds!! Congrats and good luck on more outings.

Burdie
 

vayank54

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Re: Surprise!!!

Some cool stuff. Love the bottle and the button both.
 

woody50

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Re: Surprise!!!

BioProfessor said:
Rich site for sure. If you stopped to pick up all the black glass, pottery, etc. you wouldn't get anything else done. It is just owe of those spots you can only get to by boat and doesn't get too much pressure. You just wait a bit and go see what the water had revealed. Not bad for a place less than 100 feet long.
Yeah, I'll bet the button (or the whole set of them) cost the plantation owner quite a bit. I should be able to put a name to the button if it is period. Maybe the family would like something from their great-great-great-great.... Grandfather.
Wish I could go back but it's back to Minnesota on Wednesday and then on to Amsterdam to try and find some crap coins and other old stuff people threw away.
Thanks for the help.
Daryl
Great find Daryl, its not often that someone finds something like that! Would be interesting to hear about what you discovered about the button!
Looks like a very nice seal too... I would imagine that you will be taking 'more' boat trips when you finally return there next year. Finally places are paying off there.
Here the weather has cleaned up pretty good, its still March but pretty warm and 'sometimes' even dry. Let me know when you arrive! You know the number or email!

DO think BANNER! and voted for you!
 

Bavaria Mike

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Re: Surprise!!!

What an exciting hunt! To bad you don't have pictures of the eroding mansion. HH, Mike
 

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BioProfessor

BioProfessor

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Re: Surprise!!!

Thanks for the Banner vote Woody50. It is one of those finds that probably comes along here once in a lifetime for sure. A solid gold hand-made button is pretty rare. The guy that takes me out says he's hunted for over 30 years in the area and has never seen one.

Banner material? Up to you guys.

The title of the post sums up the find pretty well. It was a COMPLETE surprise. We had been picking glass and pottery and digging iron signals that sounded too good - sea water and time do that - and the occasional good target - round balls, Brown Bess Trigger guard, 3-ringer, CW buttons, what's its, etc. I get a pretty good signal but remembering back, it was the typical gold signal - low number and fairly faint. Gold doesn't reveal itself with too much fanfare. It whispers at you and I was lucky to hear it among all the iron, black sand, and nails. The second shovel full of dirt hit the beach and it just let loose and rolled out just like you see it. I had no idea what it really was until we looked at it closely and saw the marks that said handmade. Then it was "dance" time. Just like any great find, it was just amazing to hear it and decide to dig it.

As far as pictures of the site, they would be pretty boring. Think of 5,000 broken English brick, 50,000 oyster shells - the place is now only accessible at low tide - and pieces of black, green, brown, clear, and blue glass about every foot scattered among broken china, rocks, and live oak stumps. That's the picture. Oh, and don't forget that it is now on a mudflat.

Thanks for looking and thinking it is worthy. I appreciate it. I know I won't find another. I wondering if anybody else has.

See you Woody50, I get in the 8th.

Daryl
 

woody50

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Re: Surprise!!!

BioProfessor said:
Thanks for the Banner vote Woody50. It is one of those finds that probably comes along here once in a lifetime for sure. A solid gold hand-made button is pretty rare. The guy that takes me out says he's hunted for over 30 years in the area and has never seen one.
See you Woody50, I get in the 8th.
Daryl
Hi Daryl, you don't have to thank me, I just think myself that such a find is much better than finding a gold coin, it did belong to one person, so its personal, not like coins that everyone handles.

And I think that a fine gold button is Banner material!

I like to find artifacts much much better than coins; well maybe gold coins excepted... The 8th is on a Thursday. If you want me to pick you guys up let me know.
 

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BioProfessor

BioProfessor

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Re: Surprise!!!

I agree. I am now in the process of trying to identify who owned the plantation in the Early 1800's. As well as having the button authenticated to that time. If the plantation was in the same family as they usually were, I am going to try and find the current descendant and see if the button, since it is a personal item, would be something the family would cherish.

I like it all. But when you find something that personal it puts it in a different category. It is hard for me to take ownership of it. I see myself as a caretaker and my responsibility is to get it back to the family. They may not have anything from that far back. It's also a little different here in the south. Family heirlooms from the CW period and before are rare and mean a great deal to the family. I am glad this button is gold. Not for me to find gold but so that it could survive this long and still be in perfect condition.

See you in a few.

Daryl
 

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BioProfessor

BioProfessor

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Re: Surprise!!! - Update from a button Expert - Holy Cow!!

I just got the report from the expert. Hold the presses.

Daryl
 

CRUSADER

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Re: Surprise!!! - Update from a button Expert - Holy Cow!!

BioProfessor said:
I just got the report from the expert. Hold the presses.

Daryl

What did it say, I'm not convinced by Saxon, but its one of the best buttons I have seen, good craftmanship :icon_thumright:
 

Silver Searcher

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Re: Surprise!!! - Update from a button Expert - Holy Cow!!

:o

Stunning Button Daryl :o...but Anglo Saxon :laughing9: :laughing9:

I think your expert means the Ringlemere cup, that was from the Bronze age :wink:

SS
 

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BioProfessor

BioProfessor

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Re: Surprise!!! - Update from a button Expert - Holy Cow!!

Beats me. I just find 'em. I'm just as floored as you.

Daryl
 

JerV3

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Re: Surprise!!! - Update from a button Expert - Holy Cow!!

Wow,

That is a great button. Looks like pure gold to me. Probably early 1800's. That would have been on someone's clothes who had money.

HH Jer
 

dwayne sueno

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Re: Surprise!!! - Update from a button Expert - Holy Cow!!

hey, i've never seen a gold button. that's right up there with diamonds on the soles of her shoes.
banner!
 

Swingit

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Re: Surprise!!! - Update from a button Expert - Holy Cow!!

Sweeeet!!!!!!!!!! :headbang: :headbang: :headbang:
 

hammered

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Re: Surprise!!! - Update from a button Expert - Holy Cow!!

Thinking about this, solid gold button, not a common find. I'm voting BANNER :hello2:.

hammered
 

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