Engraved Colonial Patch Box Plate, US Calvary bit boss, 1803 LC

[OutdoorAdv]

I was able to spend another 9 hours in the field today with my Deus. I wasn't easy hunting as all these finds made me work pretty hard with another 30lbs+ of iron. This was my second trip out with the Deus. This time I tried some of the factory preset programs and managed to pick the DB LC and the Bit Boss from an area I have personally pounded with two other machines. Neither were deep (6 inches), but both were masked. The Deus Fast program made both of them show up with a smooth signal in two directions... pretty awesome but I still have a lot to learn with this new machine.

This is my second US Bit Boss and second 1803 LC from this same area. I also got the usual tombac and pewter buttons.



What made the hunt for me today was this musket patch box plate that I couldn't identify and posted a "what is it" with some great feedback. (Thank you OWK and deepsecrets for the ID) Its hand engraved with some arrows tied together with a bow (I thought it was a snake at first) and a design around the border. This thing was deep... so deep pinpointing was off by about 6 inches and I am very lucky I didn't nick it. This thing is awesome. What I like the most is that its done by hand and clearly a unique piece.



*Edit: after a little more tooth picking


I was lucky to get a date off the LC. Actually they only part I can clearly see is the "03".



Here are the two bit bosses together... the other bit boss I dug close by a few months ago. Different styles, perhaps there are a couple more there somewhere. (The other relics in this picture were also dug in the same area)






Not shown are a couple nice iron relics I dug... in queue to get into the electrolysis tank. A couple knives and a nice early-mid 1800's fork. But the best is an iron boot heal plate that I think will clean up nice.

 

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[curbdiggercarl57]

Hate writing this cause I hate reading it when I post, no useful info to tell you, except what you might be gathering.
That box is Real nice, and without a doubt knowledgeable people will be chiming in.
Can you post more photos, preferably washed at least to show more detail.
Also pretty sure that it will be Banner material!
Can't wait to find out what make, model, and time period that baby came from.
Congrates!
Carl

 

[Whatdayagot]

Awesome finds!!

 

[OutdoorAdv]

Hate writing this cause I hate reading it when I post, no useful info to tell you, except what you might be gathering.
That box is Real nice, and without a doubt knowledgeable people will be chiming in.
Can you post more photos, preferably washed at least to show more detail.
Also pretty sure that it will be Banner material!
Can't wait to find out what make, model, and time period that baby came from.
Congrates!
Carl

Thank you Carl! I should have posted it at the beginning, but this is the solved "what is it" that I created earlier today. There is some great info on the path box plate in there from some other members. http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/what/478745-colonial-hand-engraved-snake-arrows-copper.html

I'm actually done cleaning it for the time being. It has a delicate light green patina on it that is already flaking off on the right side of it. I dried this one out and then slowly broke up the dirt with a toothpick, then very lightly dry brushed it. I wont wash this one because it will wash all the patina off it and I'll be left with a reddish copper plate without much contrast on the engraving. However, I do still have more toothpicking to do on it... which I will hopefully get around to tomorrow and put a couple more pictures up in better light.

Thanks again Carl,
Brad

 

[curbdiggercarl57]

I'm glad you know more about cleaning than I do, and thanks, just read the other posting.
Once it's preserved better, I'd be hanging that on the wall.
Still think more info should be coming.
Kudos!
Carl

 

[CASPER-2]

 

[johnnyblaze]

Sweet plate man

~Blaze~

 

[pepperj]

Congrats on the plate what a cool relic, liking the bit boss as well it's looking great in the display.

 

[OutdoorAdv]

I did a bit more picking at it and I think I have it to a point I'm going to leave it for a while. The edges are a little sharper and I removed some more of the caked dirt from the engravings.

 

[OutdoorAdv]

Awesome finds!!

Thank you Whatdayagot!

I'm glad you know more about cleaning than I do, and thanks, just read the other posting.
Once it's preserved better, I'd be hanging that on the wall.
Still think more info should be coming.
Kudos!
Carl

Thanks again Carl! I got a better picture of the engraving up with a little more cleaned out.

The cleaning thing can be tricky and I've made most of the cleaning mistakes already. ha I like a "dug" look too, so when its an old relic, I like to leave dirt on it for contrast and make it look dug.

View attachment 1221532

Thank you Casper!

 

[OutdoorAdv]

Sweet plate man

~Blaze~

Thanks Blaze! It wasn't far from the trigger guard so now I'm wondering if part of a musket stock with hardware might have been disgarded. Once the grass dies down some more I'll grid that area super slow and see if the Deus or T2 can't pick up any whispers.

Congrats on the plate what a cool relic, liking the bit boss as well it's looking great in the display.

Thank you pepperj! I flipped the plug and the boss was face down and stuck to the bottom of the plug. I knew just what it was, but since I had a US one from the same site, I was hoping it would be a different variety boss and not a US one. So I enjoyed it for a couple minutes before flipping it over... so for those few minutes it was a different variety in my head. haha

 

[HomeGuardDan]

nice hunt man...and killer collection of finds.

I have to say, I am skeptical of that being a patch case cover to a musket stock. the construction just seems off but i cant offer any other ideas of what it could be. I certainly think that it could be, just a little skeptical due to the hinge and lack of indention/lip. It absolutely is hand engraved and awesome at that! killer!

 

[villagenut]

Does the hinge end have a hollow tubed hole for accepting a pin to hinge it open and closed?

 

[IAMZIM]

Um , that plate is AMAZING! ! !

 

[OutdoorAdv]

nice hunt man...and killer collection of finds.

I have to say, I am skeptical of that being a patch case cover to a musket stock. the construction just seems off but i cant offer any other ideas of what it could be. I certainly think that it could be, just a little skeptical due to the hinge and lack of indention/lip. It absolutely is hand engraved and awesome at that! killer!

Thanks a ton Dan! You and Bill were out for the same amount of time and got a LOT more finds. It was pretty boring at times, but I'm trying to get the hours under my belt with the Deus so I can be more proficient. So far, I am really liking the machine and look forward to a smaller coil on it.

Check this clip out... If this is a patch box cover, then I think it would have had a similar clipping mechanism as this one with just a post on it to keep it closed. The one end is beveled that would fit closely with the contour of the butt of a musket stock.

 

[OutdoorAdv]

Does the hinge end have a hollow tubed hole for accepting a pin to hinge it open and closed?

Villagenut, I took a few more pictures to show the "hinge" off a little better. It appears that the copper is folded over and soldered onto itself on the back side. It appears that the hinge tube was hollow, but that the pin is still in there... it looks iron too since the piece sticking out on one end is oxidized.

 

[OutdoorAdv]

Um , that plate is AMAZING! ! !

Thank you IAMZIM! It definitely made the long day in the field worth it.

 

[sutphin]

PATCH BOX COVER FROM 1700S ERA ? DAMN SWEET DESIGN SCAWLED ON THE FACE OF IT . ADV THAT MUST BE A HECK OF A SPOT YOU ARE EXCAVATING , YOUR ONE LUCKY FELLA .

 

[Vino]

Looks Like OWK nailed it for you. When you sent me that pic yesterday, we knew it was old and hand engraved.
Bet that goes with the other gun parts you found..
You definitely find the coolest stuff.

 

[Gridwalker306]

That patch box plate is really great, as well as the rest of your digs from that site!