Virgin SITE- Colonial Wharf...Privateers?

Patriot Relics

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Hey guys,

Despite another weekend of 100 degree hunt, I decided to venture out into the pluff mud in search of a colonial wharf...as well as take advantage of an extremely low tide. This particular site is unassuming in normal conditions, however I had eyeballed submerged palmetto logs and brick on the yak previously. The site's history is a bit sketchy although I do have a few accounts referencing loyalist financed privateers that docked/provisioned in the area. Given the dozens of copper ship nails we had clearly landed on a ship building site/wharf.

These copper hand forged nails are...everywhere. Pictured are a few of my favorites, although I do have a bag full of the smaller ones. Unfortunate these hit on the CTX everywhere from 12-12 to 12-30 so you can't walk past the signals. Two of these are rosehead with square shanks

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While it will take a few weeks to clear out all the copper ship nails, there are a few other targets. Picking through copper as if it were iron, I did manage to recover a few flat buttons.

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The easier targets to pick out were the musket balls and colonial fishing weights. Must of the round balls were of a smaller caliber than the brown bess I've dug in the past. These appear to have been cast and lost, most possessing casting seams...perhaps provisions for an out going privateer :laughing7:

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The sheer number of these was nuts. Some of the more interesting lead targets was a poker chip and a set of bar shot...recovered in the same plug but no longer attached. Hopefully a few experts will chime in on these

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The best target I dug was deep in the muck. While I've recovered the bronze stems in the past, this is the first intact...draw pull :dontknow:...I've dug. I always thought the stems were clothing hangers, until this one came out of the dirt. The openwork is stunning

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Inland from the surf I did recover a few iron buckles and partial reaper, fresh out of electrolysis.

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The reaper is stamped M U

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At an alternate site I also dug a Southern Railroad lead seal.

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All in all another productive weekend in the mud, enjoy the pictures and good luck out there!

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Steve in PA

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rreahard

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Great finds! looks like a killer spot to me!
 

CRUSADER

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Nice assortment, looks like you are onto something there. Those two lead balls were not bar shot, but just musketballs without the casting sprue trimmed.

Agreed
 

WildWildBill

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Man, now that is a nice hoard of history! Killer fatty square nails! Those are just as good as money/coins. The value isn't there, but they were thought of as highly as money back in the day. Great finds!
 

Gridwalker306

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Another great load of finds! I've never seen such beautiful nails before. I wish the nails around here were that cool.
 

Bill D. (VA)

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That site definitely has the appearance of a possible wharf, especially with all those copper nails. And that lead disk could also be a token as many of the early ones had lines etched into them similar to yours. But a poker chip is a possibility too.
 

OP
OP
Patriot Relics

Patriot Relics

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That site definitely has the appearance of a possible wharf, especially with all those copper nails. And that lead disk could also be a token as many of the early ones had lines etched into them similar to yours. But a poker chip is a possibility too.

Always a wealth of information Bill, had not considered the token possibility. Will need to research a bit more on the lead piece
 

cambria09

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Hello VMI Digger. Cool finds with a great bit of research and back story. Goo Luck. C9
 

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