Virgin SITE- Colonial Wharf...Privateers?

Patriot Relics

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Feb 6, 2014
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Lowcountry, South Carolina / Richmond, Virginia
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CTX-3030, Deus XP II
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Relic Hunting
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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Last edited:
Upvote 35
Great finds! looks like a killer spot to me!
 

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
 

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!
 

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

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.
 

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
 

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

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