Colonial Iron, a bit of a pit, and a LC

[OutdoorAdv]

Got out Sat for a half day and once again, the iron stole the show! The day started slow using my T2 w/5" coil to try and snipe iffy signals from the iron. After an hour I had all iron... lots of nails, the scissors\shears, and a buckle. I found an older section of the pit and decided to open up a 2" x 2" area. Out came the key and the 2 prong fork (too bad its broken), and a few rose head nails and a broken pewter spoon bowl. There was lots of pottery pieces in this section. Frustrated, I switched to me Deus and moved to another area and got a slamm'in signal, popped the plug and 6" down was the 1817 LC. I didnt find this coin because of the Deus, it was not masked and well withing the capabilities of all my other detectors. I had covered this area over and over, but somehow my swings left a gap where this coin was.

A few hours, lots of iron and a couple buttons (drilled shank spun tombac) later and I returned to the LC area to dig some iron and found some more of a pit with three broken bottles in it. I collected all the shards and isolated them in a separate section of my pack so I could glue a bit back together to display. I know NOTHING about bottles, but the bases have pontails and the shapes looked like early-mid 1800's snuff bottles??

The group shot






This iron was a big deal for me. I like iron if you cant tell by all my posts and electrolysis! I had always wanted to find one of these and finally did. It was (no joke) shoulder deep. With iron that deep I was pretty sure it was big and almost gave up after pulling a few big rocks out, but was really glad I didn't.


It was nice to get a LC that was somewhat presentable. This was one solid coin. I was very proud of myself since this was the first coin I was able to tell the variety on all by myself. I noticed an odd distance between the 1 and 8, and I was able to find that its a 1817 Newcomb-11 (1817 Large Cent - Newcomb 11) It's common, but cool that I could actually figure out a variety for once.



Has a nice green color too it too.



Like a true relic hunter, after cleaning it and taking pictures, I sprinkled it with the dirt dust I took off of it! Coin collectors might not like this, but I like displaying these looking like what they are... dug coins! No harm and the dust can wipe right back off. There's something about a green coin, with the dirt contrast, that I think looks incredible. So I was happy to dirty this one back up to toss into my case.



I have a couple more trips in my before the new years, so if things go well, there will be more posts.

Happy hunting and Merry Christmas everyone.

 

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[sutphin]

ODA ALWAYS SOMETHING DIFFRENT WHEN YOU FIND ITEMS FROM 1700S . NICE FINDS .....

 

[gwdigger]

Dude you find some amazing stuff and your presentation is first class.

 

[jwarner51]

That coin with the dirt dust looks amazing! I'm also very impressed with how well your iron relics turn out. I have an old hatchet that's rusted up pretty good but I was wondering if leaving it in cider would help. Any advice? Great post btw

 

[Carolina Tom]

Very nice post, as usual! That LC is just awesome, so smooth and green, and it looks just right with that dust on it. I also like the skeleton key.

I wish you continued success on making me jealous, you are doing a good job of it! Congrats sir.

 

[OutdoorAdv]

That coin with the dirt dust looks amazing! I'm also very impressed with how well your iron relics turn out. I have an old hatchet that's rusted up pretty good but I was wondering if leaving it in cider would help. Any advice? Great post btw

Thanks jwarner! Some people do cider or evaporust. I've tried both, but I didn't care for the look of the iron as much as I do with electrolysis. I do a lot of electrolysis... I use graphite anodes and some clamps I made to really speed up the process. I posted some of my techniques here http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/cleaning-preservation/481085-electrolysis-setup-modifications.html Its not a intro to electrolysis article, but just the modifications I made to a typical electrolysis setup. Small stuff like the buckles and nails, I tumble in a HF rock tumbler. Lastly, I do a boiling wax bath to dry and seal the iron.

 

[OutdoorAdv]

Dude you find some amazing stuff and your presentation is first class.

... says the guy whose posts\videos I've been drooling over for the last few months. haha Thanks man! And right back at ya with your incredible posts from this fall.

 

[OutdoorAdv]

ODA ALWAYS SOMETHING DIFFRENT WHEN YOU FIND ITEMS FROM 1700S . NICE FINDS .....

Thank you sutphin. You're right, its always something different and a great surprise.

Very nice post, as usual! That LC is just awesome, so smooth and green, and it looks just right with that dust on it. I also like the skeleton key.

I wish you continued success on making me jealous, you are doing a good job of it! Congrats sir.

Thanks Tom! That key is pretty sweet. I like the brass ones the most, but I was pretty thrilled to pull that iron one out with the intact loop. Here it is next to the other complete one I got from the same pit.



I've been getting toasty coppers lately, so that LC was a really nice surprise. I've been on a silver drought since I dug the pistareen in the spring, so its actually you that's making me jealous with all your silver! I'm still silverless with the Deus... although its found me lots of awesome colonial relics... I'm dying for a piece of silver with it. ha

 

[Bill D. (VA)]

Brad - your site is turning out to be quite prolific for iron artifacts, and you've added a number of fine examples to your fast-growing collection. I love those shears and key, and congrats on finally getting your flat iron. And that is a very ingenious way to enhance the look of your LC with that dirt trick, but it doesn't surprise me as you seem to be quite the innovator. And those glass frags do indeed look like they're from an early 1800s snuff or utility jar. Hope you got enough pieces to do a nice reconstruct. Those are always fun projects, and it will add yet another great display piece. BTW - have you gotten approval yet from the boss to start construction of your next (and badly needed) display cabinet?? Good luck digging over the holidays, and Merry Christmas to you and your family.

 

[OutdoorAdv]

Brad - your site is turning out to be quite prolific for iron artifacts, and you've added a number of fine examples to your fast-growing collection. I love those shears and key, and congrats on finally getting your flat iron. And that is a very ingenious way to enhance the look of your LC with that dirt trick, but it doesn't surprise me as you seem to be quite the innovator. And those glass frags do indeed look like they're from an early 1800s snuff or utility jar. Hope you got enough pieces to do a nice reconstruct. Those are always fun projects, and it will add yet another great display piece. BTW - have you gotten approval yet from the boss to start construction of your next (and badly needed) display cabinet?? Good luck digging over the holidays, and Merry Christmas to you and your family.

Thanks a ton Bill! I did the same thing with the dirt to one of my US Bit Bosses... it was all clean and green, and I realized it lost all the contrast... so I put the dirt back on it. Looked awesome after that. No marking on the shears or the flat iron. Both were in pretty solid condition under the oxidation, but there was still some pitting, so if there were ever markings, they are long gone. I do enjoy digging the iron, but just not as much as the non-ferrous... unfortunately I have slim pickings left at this place.

Funny you mention the cabinet, because the one I just built is beyond full and this morning I mentioned to "the boss" that I need to build another and I received "the look" in response.

 

[Vino]

Looks like were going to need a BIGGER BOAT!! Haha.
Nice hunt Brad. Glad you were able to finally get your clothes iron. . It cleaned up well.
And I love them shears.
Thats a great Idea to put some dirt back on the LC. Glad you got one with alot of detail left.
Merry Christmas to you and your family.

 

[jwarner51]

Thanks jwarner! Some people do cider or evaporust. I've tried both, but I didn't care for the look of the iron as much as I do with electrolysis. I do a lot of electrolysis... I use graphite anodes and some clamps I made to really speed up the process. I posted some of my techniques here http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/cleaning-preservation/481085-electrolysis-setup-modifications.html Its not a intro to electrolysis article, but just the modifications I made to a typical electrolysis setup. Small stuff like the buckles and nails, I tumble in a HF rock tumbler. Lastly, I do a boiling wax bath to dry and seal the iron.

Thanks I'll read that and give it a go!

 

[OutdoorAdv]

Thanks I'll read that and give it a go!

Cool, good luck man.. Some of my best finds ever have been iron. My electrolysis post is more of an "electrolysis 401" to modify an existing setup. I started with something much more simple. Lots of YouTube videos on how to get started in case you don't already have a setup. Simple iron or stainless steel anodes are easier to come by.

Brad

 

[OutdoorAdv]

Looks like were going to need a BIGGER BOAT!! Haha.
Nice hunt Brad. Glad you were able to finally get your clothes iron. . It cleaned up well.
And I love them shears.
Thats a great Idea to put some dirt back on the LC. Glad you got one with alot of detail left.
Merry Christmas to you and your family.

Hahaha. You know "the look" when you need another display case...

Thanks man. I uncovered the blade tip of the shears in my plug, got excited and opened a side plug... Luckily I didn't just pull on them and break the handles off. The only things I ever reapplied dirt to was this LC and one of my bit bosses... I wonder what that key would look like with some dirt back on it... It has a lot of detail you can't see too well.

Thanks again man and Merry Christmas to you and your family as well.

 

[Scrappy]

Great iron finds. I never knew how awesome they were until Bill showed me his collection. Yours are no exception and look great. Nice LC too. Congrats!

Steve

 

[Gridwalker306]

Nice group of finds, and that 1817 is just ridiculous!

 

[HomeGuardDan]

Very nice man...love the iron and the glass...keep at it.

 

[pepperj]

Nice assortment of finds and I'm really liking the copper and how it turned out.
I kind of forgot to post as I got wrapped up in the other post on the electrolysis set-up. Very nice!

 

[OutdoorAdv]

Great iron finds. I never knew how awesome they were until Bill showed me his collection. Yours are no exception and look great. Nice LC too. Congrats!

Steve

Thanks Steve! It's been weird this year because my favorite\best finds have been iron... bayonets. Some great relics and coins have surfaced, but my favorites are the bayonets. I always liked iron, but never this much... finding those keeper finds motivate me to keep digging it. Just about 30 more years of hunting and maybe the coolness factor of my iron collection will be half of what Bills is. haha

Nice group of finds, and that 1817 is just ridiculous!

Thanks J.Cache!

It put a huge simile on my face when I saw how nice it was.



Now, I just have to dig 10 more toasted ones and I'll find my next nice one like this. ha

Very nice man...love the iron and the glass...keep at it.

Thanks Dan! Unfortunately my PTO days don't control the weather, so I'm heading back out there in the rain right now. I would love to find one of those bottles close to complete... they're paper thin in spots, so I'm sure that doesn't happen too often. Another goal is to find a close-to-complete cauldron pot. I have 100's of fragments, but it'd be cool to find a whole one... maybe it'll be full of silver when I do find it.

Nice assortment of finds and I'm really liking the copper and how it turned out.
I kind of forgot to post as I got wrapped up in the other post on the electrolysis set-up. Very nice!

Thanks Jim! My setup has been evolving over the years to an electrolysis factory. ha I know that area doesn't get much traffic, so hopefully someone will see it and get an idea for modifying their current setup. It sure takes most of the annoying parts of electrolysis away.

 

[pa plateau hiker]

There's absolutely, positively nothing wrong with digging iron. Iron describes a persons lifestyle generations ago, more then coins can.