1781 Lucky number 7 Frenchie Coat button dug today and a mystery item

[Devonrex]

Well for someone who usually knows what they have always dug .....THIS find has me totally stumpted so I neeed everyone's help. The French coat 7 (Champagne / Bourbonnois) Regimental button was found today 3 feet away from this mystery item. The item in question is solid pewter and actually has traces of red paint on it. It looks like a spoon handle but I have a feeling is something entirely different. It has elaborate designs and etchings over its entirity and these etchings and the red paint give it a "regal" look. Several musket balls were also found within feet of this object. Is it within the realm of possibility that paint could still be on an item lost by a French soldier in 1781? Is this part of a plume holder as others have already told me? Or is this some sort of presentation piece designating a specific regiment? I know each regiment had specific flags. What have I got here? Also pictured are finds from a few days ago. At the same spot I found my early English hallmarked spoon, similar to the two Ahab found that made banner, I also found an early 1670 to 1690 "doublet" blowhole button and an early pewter rosette. I also found a drag to a Confederate sword scabbard that still has gold gilting on it, several musket balls, and a carved picket bullet. Any suggestions as to what this might be will be very much appreciated! Bill Dancy.....I'm calling you out! What do you think this is? HH Devonrex

 

[Devonrex]

Also saw the biggest snakes I have ever seen on a relic hunting outing. One of the black snakes was over 7 feet long, easily dwarfing my Nautilus metal detector, and another had a half eaten green snake protruding from its mouth!

 

[Devonrex]

In situ pic of French coat button

 

[Patriot Relics]

Can't beat Rev War buttons, outstanding find.

 

[BuckleBoy]

Absolutely stunning button! Congrats on all your finds!

-Buck

 

[Ahab8]

DRex im zero help with the mystery item but that button is absolutely incredible. Love it. Can you post a pic of the entire spoon please. Is it silver, latten or pewter? That could be a very special find if its a 1600s marked spoon. You dig some killer stuff man Thanks bud and congrats

 

[pepperj]

Really great looking button, congrats on the recovery and the other finds. Fantastic shot of the Black Rat Snake having dinner on the green one, we have built a couple of BRS habitants for them to hatch their eggs in as the season is so short here.

 

[The Patriot]

Great button to add to the collection and fantastic shape too!!!

 

[ironhorse]

Good hunt!
The 7th button is a winner!

 

[Devonrex]

DRex im zero help with the mystery item but that button is absolutely incredible. Love it. Can you post a pic of the entire spoon please. Is it silver, latten or pewter? That could be a very special find if its a 1600s marked spoon. You dig some killer stuff man Thanks bud and congrats

Thanks Ahab for your nice words! Yes the spoon is indeed from the late 1600's and French. Bill Dancy gave me lots of good info on it and let me know it was the best example of a latten spoon he had seen dug from this area. If you scroll to that post you can read all the other valuable info he and others gave me. Now if I could only figure out who RS was! I got extremely lucky in 2012 and discovered an untouched French hospital site in my area. I dug 56 French turret back buttons from 16 different regiments which is unheard of these days. I am getting ready to write an article for American Digger describing this dig. My article on the discovery of my CS "egg" buckle should be coming out in the next edition and Butch asked me to write another article on my French button site. I went back just to get some pictures of the camp and found another little pocket of relics I had missed before. Just goes to show you you can never get it all!

 

[Ahab8]

Thanks Ahab for your nice words! Yes the spoon is indeed from the late 1600's and French. Bill Dancy gave me lots of good info on it and let me know it was the best example of a latten spoon he had seen dug from this area. If you scroll to that post you can read all the other valuable info he and others gave me. Now if I could only figure out who RS was! I got extremely lucky in 2012 and discovered an untouched French hospital site in my area. I dug 56 French turret back buttons from 16 different regiments which is unheard of these days. I am getting ready to write an article for American Digger describing this dig. My article on the discovery of my CS "egg" buckle should be coming out in the next edition and Butch asked me to write another article on my French button site. I went back just to get some pictures of the camp and found another little pocket of relics I had missed before. Just goes to show you you can never get it all!

Wow great job getting on the early stuff bud. You make some incredible finds. I look forward to reading your articles. My first was just published in the Silver&Gold edition of Western&Eastern about finding the pine tree Shilling. I loved the experience of writing about a find and its nice to have that forever and be able to display it with the find. Keep up the great hunts