1820s ARTILLERY, Colonial Silver...IMPERIAL CROSS!

Patriot Relics

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Feb 6, 2014
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Hey guys,

While you all up in the frigid north hunker down for the winter, the lowcountry has been in the high 60s over the last couple days. Needless to say amazing weather in combination with Xmas leave ensured I'm not quite ready to throw in the towel on my 2016 season. Hit 2 very different sites over the last 2 days, both ended up producing some killer relics. First permission has the remains of a homestead deep in the woods, the structure is long since gone. It's the kind of site where random swinging in the forest lands you on a huge iron patch and assorted surface brick. Earlier this year it gave up a Light Artillery and a domed eagle button. My hopes were high to score another early military button before the close of 2016.

Weapon of choice today was the trusty CTX- about 10 minutes into the iron I started walking in a circular pattern to help vary my conventional grid. Employing this method and digging questionable signals, I managed 3 nice heavy flat buttons.

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I've pounded this site so finding any non-ferrous among the iron was a great sign. Next up was the remains of an old pewter spoon and small tacks.

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The CTX's final target was also my main objective of the day, 1 piece domed L. H. & SCOVILL Artillery Eagle button, manufactured by the partnership of Leavenworth, Hayden and Scovill, in the 1820's. This partnership is the earliest of the Scovill backmarks. She's toasty but the eagle with A on the shield is still there.

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Here's a better example from Ridgeway's website

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Satisfied with my CTX, I returned to the truck to prove to my DEUS that my trusty minelab had gotten it all...or so I thought

Working the same perimeter, all that remained were the faintest whispers, the vast majority deep bent nails. That being said, I did pull a few small deep buttons that were missed on the first pass.

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Also recovered a tiny buckle- any ideas as to its use?

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As the site went quiet, I expanded the search area away from the iron patch. After another hour without so much as a chirp I started heading back in to the truck, excited to clean up the artillery button. While following the path out the Deus screamed on an 81...had to be clad. Reached down, flipped the plug and saw this beauty-

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I've dug a number copper of thimbles in the past put never solid silver. Similar to a present-day tailor’s thimble, these sewing rings were designed to apply the pressure sideways. They are also known as open-top or ring-type thimbles, and have complemented their more conventional counterparts from the earliest times.

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Sadly no makers mark but acid test did confirm solid silver- suspect this one is late 1700s to early 1800s.

Here's another I dug nearby...clearly the investment in silver in the 1700s was a good call

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Now I'm going to share the pictures of last weekends recovery before the story and let you make your own conclusions

What you do think you've got when this is at the bottom of the plug??

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If you guessed 1960s anti-establishment surfer hardware you must have worn one as a kid :laughing7: After digging it and seeing 1813-1914 with the typical imperial german iron cross I though for sure it was a WWI trophy. Never in my widest dreams did I think it was a re-purposed 1960s symbol created by famous custom car designer Ed "Big Daddy" Roth.

This one is an early variation, but you can definitely see the surfer soldered to the back of a 1914 Iron Cross Badge Imperial German 1st Class WWI badge.

Among the other finds was this decorative stamped copper rosette :dontknow: and another mystery piece.

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Heading up to Richmond for the holiday so that lowcountry dirt will have to wait until after the Christmas. All in all a couple outstanding hunts in some uncharacteristically warm weather. Thanks for reading and Merry Xmas!

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dts52

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Charleston is great over the holidays, sadly I'm on the road heading north to visit family...may need to invest in warmer clothes lol

Stay warm and have a merry Christmas.
HH
dts
 

DownNDirty

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It's times like these when we can really appreciate living in the South. That silver thimble is a beauty and the modified iron cross is definitely unique. Safe travels and Merry Christmas
 

BTV Digger

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Jul 24, 2014
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Great hunt and love that thimble. Found several older copper/brass varieties from the same time period but alas a silver one still eludes me. Way to go getting an ID on the "surfer - cross". It's so unique and weird - but cool nonetheless.

John
 

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Patriot Relics

Patriot Relics

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It's times like these when we can really appreciate living in the South. That silver thimble is a beauty and the modified iron cross is definitely unique. Safe travels and Merry Christmas

Thanks Glenn, merry Christmas to you as well. See you back in the SC dirt next weekend
 

DirtStalker

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Sep 26, 2014
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I told my wife I was going to put it on a nice chain and gift it for Xmas to her :laughing7: did not go over well

See Capt Dude you should have added that you'd throw in the thimble to sew up any holes in the tye dyed T-shirt you'll be making and you'll get everyone to call her Capt Dudess Ma'am.
 

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Patriot Relics

Patriot Relics

Silver Member
Feb 6, 2014
3,708
5,562
Lowcountry, South Carolina / Richmond, Virginia
🥇 Banner finds
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Detector(s) used
CTX-3030, Deus XP II
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
Great hunt and love that thimble. Found several older copper/brass varieties from the same time period but alas a silver one still eludes me. Way to go getting an ID on the "surfer - cross". It's so unique and weird - but cool nonetheless.

John

Always happy recoveries the copper and brass varieties but was floored when I saw silver in the plug. Such a unique personal item of the period
 

Ahab8

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Great hunt man! I've never pulled a silver thimble up. My grandmother left me a couple but I'd love to dig one. Great button as well. I'm considering taking the GPX to an early site on the saltwater shoreline. I can't go 3-4 months without digging a hole
 

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Patriot Relics

Patriot Relics

Silver Member
Feb 6, 2014
3,708
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Lowcountry, South Carolina / Richmond, Virginia
🥇 Banner finds
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CTX-3030, Deus XP II
Primary Interest:
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Great hunt man! I've never pulled a silver thimble up. My grandmother left me a couple but I'd love to dig one. Great button as well. I'm considering taking the GPX to an early site on the saltwater shoreline. I can't go 3-4 months without digging a hole

I hear ya, anything longer than 2 weeks and I really get the itch to dig lol
 

CASPER-2

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bonepicker

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Congrats on some nice finds.
I have dug a few of those one piece eagle buttons from one particular site.
3 were dragoons and one was artillery.
All four had the 2 rings on the back with the stars. No writing. Hard to tell, but i think yours is the same backmark pattern as mine.

You are always killing it on the buttons, seems like every hunt you end up with buttons.
Well done.
 

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Patriot Relics

Patriot Relics

Silver Member
Feb 6, 2014
3,708
5,562
Lowcountry, South Carolina / Richmond, Virginia
🥇 Banner finds
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Detector(s) used
CTX-3030, Deus XP II
Primary Interest:
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Congrats on some nice finds.
I have dug a few of those one piece eagle buttons from one particular site.
3 were dragoons and one was artillery.
All four had the 2 rings on the back with the stars. No writing. Hard to tell, but i think yours is the same backmark pattern as mine.

You are always killing it on the buttons, seems like every hunt you end up with buttons.
Well done.

Thanks buddy, I consider myself a button guy so I really try and zero in on those deep mid tones. More than half the battle is site selection which I've been fortunate to get right
 

alabama11

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Great finds. Hope to find some of those one day.
Earlier this year someone posted a tiny buckle like the one you have and said they thought it was from a bra.
 

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