1810 British Customs Button and more Relics from the Field

[West Jersey Detecting]

I finally made it back to the site where I found loads of coppers and the British Royal Regiment of Artillery buttons last year.

The first signal I got was a deep all metal signal with just a chirp from the discriminate channel of the V3. I scrubbed the ground with the coil and got a jumpy, but positive signal from the very mineralized soil. I dug a nice deep plug, but the target was still in the hole. I finally pinpointed it with my trusty Garrett Pro-pointer and out came a nice button. I knew there was some detail, but it was not until I got home and cleaned it that I could make out the inscriptions. The back mark "I. McGowan/Gerrard St. London dates this button to 1810.

I went on to find 7 more buttons today, and all were toast with common back marks such as "Treble Gilt/London", etc.

I have found well over 100 buttons at the site, and all are toast with the exception of the two circa 1812 Royal Regiment buttons and this one. I cannot understand why I am finding British Gov't issue buttons from the early 1800's at this site. It is one mystery I will never solve.

I got out last Sunday to a nearby site with very few finds with the exception of the large Rosette (?) and some other relics.

 

[Elad]

Nice button!!

Hopefully this weekend I will have time to post my recent findings from the same place.

Also.. that little suspender looking thing to the left of the spoon, I found one exactly like it!! We should contact the farmer immediately and let him know his search is over. Oh wait... he's probably dead.

 

[BuckleBoy]

Well that's the first one of those I've ever seen. Way to go!

 

[CMDiamonddawg]

Hey Neil , Great digs and rosette is a cool find !! Brit Customs button I never see those , down here CMDdawg

 

[Gonehunting]

nice button. Man you really cleaned up.

 

[vayank54]

A really cool button and some nice stuff. The one piece is a rosette. I believe all the solid brass ones like that are late 1800's

 

[FortBedfordbob]

Great Finds Neil, This is the first I've seen one of those buttons.

 

[umrgolf]

One heck of a sweet button you found Neil Never seen one before which is what most are saying.. Like you were saying, some sites just don't make sense.. seems like that one doesn't add up in a good way

 

[mainer]

Nice digs Neil. That button is sweeeeet!

 

[MaineRelic]

Neil those are some really interesting finds ! The 1810 British customs button and the royal regiment buttons you found at that site are probably take home keepsakes/ booty from a veteran of the war of 1812 . The British took control of the customs house and shipping on the Penobscot river near Bangor during the war of 1812 to stem the export of ship building lumber to the other colonies .There was even a small battle fought over this Port with the British even firing their cannon. A British button of that era turns up on land here once in a while. If I were in a battle /skirmish and had a chance to take home an enemy combatants button as a keepsake I most certainly would ! Buttons still had trade value especially with the Indians for fur and fish in this day ! The phoenix trade button I found this week in Bangor is evidence of this, This is my theory anyways ! MaineRelic

 

[West Jersey Detecting]

Neil those are some really interesting finds ! The 1810 British customs button and the royal regiment buttons you found at that site are probably take home keepsakes/ booty from a veteran of the war of 1812 . The British took control of the customs house and shipping on the Penobscot river near Bangor during the war of 1812 to stem the export of ship building lumber to the other colonies .There was even a small battle fought over this Port with the British even firing their cannon. A British button of that era turns up on land here once in a while. If I were in a battle /skirmish and had a chance to take home an enemy combatants button as a keepsake I most certainly would ! Buttons still had trade value especially with the Indians for fur and fish in this day ! The phoenix trade button I found this week in Bangor is evidence of this, This is my theory anyways ! MaineRelic

Due to the nature of the site I am detecting, I am not sure if it was a take home keepsake. It was a very heavily traveled site that had something to do with the trafficking of escaped slaves. I am looking into the role of the British regarding slave traffic in the early 19th century in this part of NJ.

 

[lennon631]

Hey Neil.......could be?
http://diglib.princeton.edu/ead/getEad?eadid=C1215&kw=

 

[MaineRelic]

Neil those are some really interesting finds ! The 1810 British customs button and the royal regiment buttons you found at that site are probably take home keepsakes/ booty from a veteran of the war of 1812 . The British took control of the customs house and shipping on the Penobscot river near Bangor during the war of 1812 to stem the export of ship building lumber to the other colonies .There was even a small battle fought over this Port with the British even firing their cannon. A British button of that era turns up on land here once in a while. If I were in a battle /skirmish and had a chance to take home an enemy combatants button as a keepsake I most certainly would ! Buttons still had trade value especially with the Indians for fur and fish in this day ! The phoenix trade button I found this week in Bangor is evidence of this, This is my theory anyways ! MaineRelic

Due to the nature of the site I am detecting, I am not sure if it was a take home keepsake. It was a very heavily traveled site that had something to do with the trafficking of escaped slaves. I am looking into the role of the British regarding slave traffic in the early 19th century in this part of NJ.

Aah ! You already have a theory of how the buttons came to be there ! Is the heavilly traveled site headed to a port ? The reason I ask is Maine's major role in the underground railroad was recieving slaves hidden on ships from the more southern states.Bangor boasts that it was the Lumber capital of the world and one of the bussiest ports in the Country in the early to late 1800's . We do have 1 Documented underground railroad House Site along the river in Brewer Maine, Just across the river from Bangor. Just a possible research angle for you . MaineRelic

 

[West Jersey Detecting]

Neil those are some really interesting finds ! The 1810 British customs button and the royal regiment buttons you found at that site are probably take home keepsakes/ booty from a veteran of the war of 1812 . The British took control of the customs house and shipping on the Penobscot river near Bangor during the war of 1812 to stem the export of ship building lumber to the other colonies .There was even a small battle fought over this Port with the British even firing their cannon. A British button of that era turns up on land here once in a while. If I were in a battle /skirmish and had a chance to take home an enemy combatants button as a keepsake I most certainly would ! Buttons still had trade value especially with the Indians for fur and fish in this day ! The phoenix trade button I found this week in Bangor is evidence of this, This is my theory anyways ! MaineRelic

Due to the nature of the site I am detecting, I am not sure if it was a take home keepsake. It was a very heavily traveled site that had something to do with the trafficking of escaped slaves. I am looking into the role of the British regarding slave traffic in the early 19th century in this part of NJ.

Aah ! You already have a theory of how the buttons came to be there ! Is the heavilly traveled site headed to a port ? The reason I ask is Maine's major role in the underground railroad was recieving slaves hidden on ships from the more southern states.Bangor boasts that it was the Lumber capital of the world and one of the bussiest ports in the Country in the early to late 1800's . We do have 1 Documented underground railroad House Site along the river in Brewer Maine, Just across the river from Bangor. Just a possible research angle for you . MaineRelic

Without going into too much detail, 8) the site is on the banks of what was once an important waterway. If one looks closely enough, the remains of an old narrow road leads up from the water's edge through the forest toward a spot that has been documented as a stop on the Underground Railroad. There are marker stones every 50 feet or so that may have been helpful for people to find there way in the dark.

 

[Sniffy]

That is a very awesome button!

 

[VERMONTPACKRAT]

The button is awsome !! That rosette is in nice shape


VPR

 

[HEAVYMETALNUT]

nice digs man! awesome button!

 

[Brian(upstateNY-Central Fla.)]

Nice cool button there Neil,good finds as well