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Michael Silverman calls his favorite relic site "Old Faithful." In over five years of hunting, it's given him a lot of good finds, and certainly none more unusual or impressive than the one shown here-two rare Confederate States Navy coat buttons backmarked "Firmin & Sons," joined on a pinback bar to form what is believed to be a Civil War "sweetheart pin."
"It had been about three months since my last visit there, and I decided to scout it out for any changes. As soon as I drove by, I saw a big one: a bulldozer-almost always a good omen for metal detecting. In a small field that had been covered with trees and weeds there was now virgin turf... but not for long!
"There were signals everywhere... fragments of brass, pistol bullets, small buckles. As I continued detecting, I noticed some casualties of 'dozer warfare. Two dead snakes and a crushed snapping turtle, now distinctly 'aromatic,' caused a major detour in my search pattern.
"Then I started thinking, 'What if there's something good over there?' It was hunch versus stench. Finally, holding my detector with one hand and my nose with the other, I moved in.
"Right next to the late Mr. Turtle, I got a good signal and carefully worked the target out of the soft sand. As I was dusting it off, I noticed an anchor. 'Great,' I thought, 'another addition to my Navy button collection.' But then the crossed cannons caught my eye, and three of the best letters any relic hunter could ask for: C S N!
"I jumped up so fast that I yanked the headphones off my head! Was I seeing things? No way. I'd found not one, but two "CSN" coat buttons, and someone had joined them in the back with a single brass bar, probably to create a 'sweetheart pin.' I couldn't believe it. Right then, I was so excited and happy that I could have kissed that turtle!
"I tried to settle back into the hunt, but it was no use. I knew I had to share my find with someone. So, I headed over to a nearby flea market where Charles Engman is one of the vendors. "Now, a few years ago, Charles was a winner in W&ET's "Ten Best Finds" contest, too, and he'd found a "CSN" coat button. Earlier in the day, I'd told him I was going detecting and just might bring home one of those buttons myself. We'd both snickered at that, but when I returned to show him my find... well, I won't repeat his exact words, but I think they were meant as a compliment!
"I've been to a few Civil War shows, met a lot of relic hunters, and seen some nice finds. However, Confederate Navy items are pretty scarce, and I've never come across anything quite like this one. These little gems have made a lot of other hunters envious, and I've received a couple of top-dollar offers from collectors, but for now I'm not planning to sell. After all, it's the most exciting thing I've ever dug... so far!"
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