Todays Hunt... US Belt Plate!!! (New Photo Added)

[FoxHound0985]

Hi there everyone, Its been a long time since I had gotten out to do anything. I took a friend of mine with me to a couple of my sites in Utica, Indiana because he had never been before. He likes to dig, so I left the hard work to him . After about 20 minutes we got a questionable signal and started digging. He pulled a folded piece of metal out of the hole and tossed it aside and said "there's got to be something more in this hole" so he started digging some more. I started unfolding the piece of metal he tossed aside and soon saw the letters "US" come out of the crushed mass of metal! I just about dropped the detector when I realized that we had just found a Union Belt Plate! Its not in the best of shape, but its my first one and its a beauty to me! I also found a pocket watch back with "7-1901" and "J. Sims" inscribed in the metal. A spigot handle, 5 marbles, an iodine bottle (?) with applicator, and a bullet were among the other things we found at a different site. Also pictured is a RARE 4 inch Lost Lake point that I found a few days ago in the same area. Let me know what you think. Thanks and HH!

Fox

 

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[Ima Swinger]

Re: Todays Hunt... US Belt Plate!!!

Neato finds.
I like'em.

Ima

 

[history hunter]

Re: Todays Hunt... US Belt Plate!!!

It pays to inspect everything you find WTG

 

[Nana40]

Re: Todays Hunt... US Belt Plate!!!

I think I'd frame both of those and put 'em on display, Fox! Sounds like you two had a great time!

Congrats on all those finds.... Nana

 

[Bavaria Mike]

Re: Todays Hunt... US Belt Plate!!!

Nice CW find and that point looks awesome! HH, Mike

 

[RUDY2003]

Re: Todays Hunt... US Belt Plate!!!

What a suprise. A belt plate!!! Nice history there....

 

[timbuckII]

Re: Todays Hunt... US Belt Plate!!!

Plate looks like it has seen better days, still a neat find. I wonder what happened to it, just makes it more interesting.
How old id that point? Also how would it have been used, on a spear? I know nothing about them.

TC

 

[Ted Mac]

Re: Todays Hunt... US Belt Plate!!!

Any idea of the age of that arrow head? It is a really nice find

Ted

 

[FoxHound0985]

Re: Todays Hunt... US Belt Plate!!!

Plate looks like it has seen better days, still a neat find. I wonder what happened to it, just makes it more interesting.
How old id that point? Also how would it have been used, on a spear? I know nothing about them.

TC

The point is a Lost Lake type point that dates into the early Archaic period (about 8,000 years ago). This particular point would have probably been used as a knife. The beveled blade edge suggests that it was used as a knife and was resharpened.

 

[Ted Mac]

Re: Todays Hunt... US Belt Plate!!!

Though the base looks like it might have been used as a spear point. Anyway holding something that was last held by people of that time is amazing to me.

Ted

 

[Digginman]

Re: Todays Hunt... US Belt Plate!!!

Great finds. Looks like someone just pitched that plate. I'd be happy with it, though.

DM

 

[N.J.THer]

Re: Todays Hunt... US Belt Plate!!!

Great finds. I would love to find a plate in any condition. Must have been a thrill.

Awesome looking point.

NJ

 

[Dman]

Re: Todays Hunt... US Belt Plate!!!

Nice find

 

[LuisTH]

Re: Todays Hunt... US Belt Plate!!!

Cool finds, congrats.

 

[Gribnitz]

Re: Todays Hunt... US Belt Plate!!!

The lead backing deteriorated and crumbled away. Looks like you got the brass plating that survived the 140 years in the dirt. This is one of the reasons I just cry when I see areas off limits to metal detectors. Another 10 years in the ground, and even what you found may have been lost forever.

 

[FoxHound0985]

Re: Todays Hunt... US Belt Plate!!!

The lead backing deteriorated and crumbled away. Looks like you got the brass plating that survived the 140 years in the dirt. This is one of the reasons I just cry when I see areas off limits to metal detectors. Another 10 years in the ground, and even what you found may have been lost forever.

The plate is in a little better condition than what I thought, but it was still close to its end in the ground. In another year or so, that very spot will be nothing but roads and houses. It makes me sick to think of how many great sites will be lost to progress. The last time I went out there, there was a log cabin foundation that I used to metaldetect at and when I went back yesterday, it was gone. Thats 200 years of history bulldozed to the ground. I guess that just means that I need to hit all of those sites in the path of destruction as much as I can in the next year.

HH!

Fox

 

[FoxHound0985]

Hello again everyone, here is another picture of the belt plate after I have straightened it out and cleaned it up a bit. Enjoy!

HH!

Fox