189-Year Old Lady, Personalized Lead Knuckles and More

[BuckleBoy]

Hello All,



I went out yesterday with Rodeo Recon to track down an old homestead in a cornfield we had permission to hunt. As the spring window closes on us, I'm determined to hunt or rehunt all the field spots that I can. (Because I know that ticks, heat, and deadfall from the ice storm await us in the woods this summer )

So we got out in the field. It was a beautiful day. Here's a shot of Rodeo in the massive field:





Pretty soon I had a flat button, and was feeling pretty good about it, when some IH's started to come up. Here are some photos of two of them. (We ended up giving these coins and some other items to the property owner.)









Next thing I know I hear Rodeo yell "Coin!" and when I came over I saw this:









We hoped it would be Shield Nickel #8, but it was a "V." 1893.

Then I walked up on a cool little find. Normally I can expect to see an occasional shard of blue pottery or glass in a field, but this little beauty was a total surprise. I thought it was a robin's egg at first, the way it's perched on the corn stalks (was it somehow moved by a harvesting machine?). Here are some cool shots. It is a Bennington marble (glazed pottery)--late 1800s/early 1900s.















Rodeo also made a Very Cool surface find--it's a bird. I didn't get a photo of it in situ, but here it is before he cleaned it up. I think it is made of clay and hand painted.







Then I got the center portion of a pair of lead knuckles. We found some more buttons, lantern pieces, toe taps, harmonica reeds, and spoon pieces. I had a decent hit, dug the plug, and out flopped a BIG copper!









It seems like LC's have rained down on me in droves lately--but earlier this spring and during the late fall I had a bit of a LC drought. Funny how that works. Interesting thing is that every single copper has been a Matron Head this year--except for one Draped LC. Last year, every single LC was a Braided Hair.

Well this coin was likewise a Matron Head, dated 1820.


We hunted until signals were slim to none, then we packed up the gear and headed home. Here is a photo of all of our finds:






More Photos appear in the first reply below:

 

[DD-777]

Buck - congrats to you and Rodeo on the great digs. Looks like you two had some great diggin' weather as well. I hope you find some info about the knuckles - definitely my favorite of the finds today...

Ya, my favorite here as well. We had some wonderful weather here--but of course it is a double-edged sword. Each nice day means that more of the fields will have been planted, and each ray of sunshine and warm weather we get means that the woods will have more underbrush, poison ivy, and ticks in them waiting for us this summer.

I will have a bit of time to research the name after end-of-term. How's it going in your neck of the woods?



-Buckles

I hear ya about the woods - while I certainly enjoy the warmer weather, I'd rather be hunting in the cold. I'm not a big fan of insects. Things here have been crazy - as soon as I get everything straightened out, I'll be back in full force. Eventually I will post my finds from when Doug and I hunted.

 

[wyattrr]

Wow...You always have all the fun. As usual, Congrats and HH

Oh Yeah...Cool Pics Too...

 

[redlined]

Great finds, the knucks are very interesting; hope some information surfaces on their history. I do have a question, what method do you use to get those LCs so clean? I've noticed when you dig them, in the insitu pics they look really corroded, but they clean up remarkably. Great going on the finds.

 

[NKDigger]

Awesome finds! Congrats.

 

[STH69]

Very nice

 

[BuckleBoy]

Great finds, the knucks are very interesting; hope some information surfaces on their history. I do have a question, what method do you use to get those LCs so clean? I've noticed when you dig them, in the insitu pics they look really corroded, but they clean up remarkably. Great going on the finds.

Every one I clean is different. Some, if they are nice greenies, I only use water and a gentle toothpicking to get the dirt out of the crevices. (Toothbrushing can sometimes scrub the green patina off--and peroxide sometimes darkens it. I like the green, so I don't go overboard with cleaning those if they look good under the dirt.)

Usually my first step is with a wet Q-tip--rolling it over the coin. I go through lots of cotton swabs this way lol. But it allows me to see what is under the dirt, and it gives me a chance to get the date if there is any left visible.

Then if the coin is crusty, and the patina looks like it will hold up, I will use the peroxide method.

If I can see dark grey underneath the dirt, or red (in the case of this one above), and it looks like there is enough detail left, I sometimes scrub all the patina off with a toothbrush down to the grey or red and then I take a little oil from my skin and very lightly whisk my finger over the coin. What this does is it coats the high points in the design with oil--while leaving the low points in the design a different color. This contrast is the only chance I have at getting the date off of a shield nickel, for example. I always try this out on the back of a large cent first (the non-display side). If I scrub through the patina and can't see a danged thing, and the detail isn't high enough from the fields on the coin to take any oil for contrast, then I try to figure out another way to clean the front of the coin.


Best Wishes,




Buckles

 

[mlhudson]

WELL BUCKLES YOU DID IT AGAIN-

NICE FINDS YA'LL FOUND ON THE FIELD.

KEEPA DIGGIN
MLHUDSON

 

[ModernMiner]

BB,
Some super relics there. Way to go. As far as that "J.J. Snyd" piece, it must be my grandfathers. My last name is Snyder, and my money says that was the last name on that piece. My grandfather was so poor he couldn't afford the whole piece.
Great post guys.
-MM-

Hey, funny you should say that. I thought of you Immediately when I saw what the name was! Did you have a great grandfather who sat on fences waiting for unsuspecting passers-by that he could Maul?

-Buckles

Indeed I did BB. Grandpa James was so poor and po'd at his rough life that he would "tenderize" others and take their money as they passed by. That's how he earned the name "Jabbing Jim Snyder".
-MM-

ROFL at "Jabbing Jim."

BB,
It took me all night of searching through the trunks in the attic of our old family pictures, but I came through for you.
Here is my Grandfather J.J. Snyder guarding the fence row.
Notice how upset he looks after breaking his best pair of brass knuckles.
-MM-

 

[COUNTRY GIRL]

What a great hunt you guys had. I'd love to hear more about J J myself. (MM you're too funny!) The LC seem to be popping out everywhere, someday I'll catch one. Thanks for the lessons BB!

 

[DD-777]

BB,
Some super relics there. Way to go. As far as that "J.J. Snyd" piece, it must be my grandfathers. My last name is Snyder, and my money says that was the last name on that piece. My grandfather was so poor he couldn't afford the whole piece.
Great post guys.
-MM-

Hey, funny you should say that. I thought of you Immediately when I saw what the name was! Did you have a great grandfather who sat on fences waiting for unsuspecting passers-by that he could Maul?

-Buckles

Indeed I did BB. Grandpa James was so poor and po'd at his rough life that he would "tenderize" others and take their money as they passed by. That's how he earned the name "Jabbing Jim Snyder".
-MM-

ROFL at "Jabbing Jim."

BB,
It took me all night of searching through the trunks in the attic of our old family pictures, but I came through for you.
Here is my Grandfather J.J. Snyder guarding the fence row.
Notice how upset he looks after breaking his best pair of brass knuckles.
-MM-

He looks too tall to be related to you...

 

[BuckleBoy]

BB,
It took me all night of searching through the trunks in the attic of our old family pictures, but I came through for you.
Here is my Grandfather J.J. Snyder guarding the fence row.
Notice how upset he looks after breaking his best pair of brass knuckles.
-MM-

LMAO he does INDEED look Pissed Off.


I'll pack up the family relics and mail them to you immediately.

 

[ModernMiner]

BB,
Some super relics there. Way to go. As far as that "J.J. Snyd" piece, it must be my grandfathers. My last name is Snyder, and my money says that was the last name on that piece. My grandfather was so poor he couldn't afford the whole piece.
Great post guys.
-MM-

Hey, funny you should say that. I thought of you Immediately when I saw what the name was! Did you have a great grandfather who sat on fences waiting for unsuspecting passers-by that he could Maul?

-Buckles

Indeed I did BB. Grandpa James was so poor and po'd at his rough life that he would "tenderize" others and take their money as they passed by. That's how he earned the name "Jabbing Jim Snyder".
-MM-

ROFL at "Jabbing Jim."

BB,
It took me all night of searching through the trunks in the attic of our old family pictures, but I came through for you.
Here is my Grandfather J.J. Snyder guarding the fence row.
Notice how upset he looks after breaking his best pair of brass knuckles.
-MM-

He looks too tall to be related to you...

Thanks because he's standing on TOP of a hill smart guy.

BB,
It took me all night of searching through the trunks in the attic of our old family pictures, but I came through for you.
Here is my Grandfather J.J. Snyder guarding the fence row.
Notice how upset he looks after breaking his best pair of brass knuckles.
-MM-

LMAO he does INDEED look Pissed Off.

I'll pack up the family relics and mail them to you immediately.

Thanks BB.
My Grandma "Bashing Betty" will be glad to see them.
-Doug-

 

[dfxmatt]

that's one of the best posts i've seen on here......great pics and story play by play. BANNER

This is the way i wish all posts were.....simply awesome.

 

[Ed-NH]

Congrats, nice variety of finds there.

 

[{Sentinel}]

Some nice finds there Buck. I tell you what though, that piece of the lead knuckles with the personalized name inscribed on it is my favorite find by far That is such a cool thing to find any piece that has been personalized like that! Congrats to you and Recon for the nice LC and Nickel as well. Y'all deserve it as that field looks to be a MONSTER and I'm sure took alot of time to hunt thoroughly

 

[River Rat]

BB, you and Radio Recon's finds just make me green with envy. Totally awesome...CONGRATS!!

RR

 

[kycanine]

Well, here we go again, Buckleboy. Another summer of me slobbering all over my keyboard at your finds. Cool duck, too.

 

[vanoldschool]

simply awesome, i wonder what the odds are of anything like that here in washington state?

 

[John987]

Congrats on all your finds!
That field looks like it'll take months to detect it all.
Best of luck and Happy Hunting!!

John

 

[BuckleBoy]

that's one of the best posts i've seen on here......great pics and story play by play. BANNER

This is the way i wish all posts were.....simply awesome.

Thanks so much for the reply matt.  I like to share hunts like this because I enjoy reading posts that are done in this style. 

Some nice finds there Buck.  I tell you what though, that piece of the lead knuckles with the personalized name inscribed on it is my favorite find by far   That is such a cool thing to find any piece that has been personalized like that!  Congrats to you and Recon for the nice LC and Nickel as well.  Y'all deserve it as that field looks to be a MONSTER and I'm sure took alot of time to hunt thoroughly

Ya, when Diggergirl found the last set of lead knucks a month or two ago, I thought I'd never get a chance to recover a pair.  Even though I came back with two LC's and a seated half dime, I was brooding over the knuckles LOL.  But this piece just makes my week. 

We hunted out the housesite in that field.  No barn there, and hunted all day to get what we found.  The total area of the site was only an acre or so.  Small one. 

After it is planted in soybeans, then harvested in the fall, it will be easier to swing in.  So we'll likely rehunt it then. 

Well, here we go again, Buckleboy.  Another summer of me slobbering all over my keyboard at your finds.  Cool duck, too.

Well, if it's any consolation we do slow down a bit in the summers.  We have to.  There's a lot more we're up against then.  (ticks, snakes, 90 degree weather, dehydration, overgrown woods, and this summer we'll have all of the deadfall from the ice storms too.  )

simply awesome, i wonder what the odds are of anything like that here in washington state?

To be honest, I don't know...  But my advice is to Always hunt the oldest sites you can find--no matter what geographic area you live in.  Then you will find the best finds your area has to offer. 



Regards,



Buckleboy