- Joined
- Apr 24, 2010
- Messages
- 13,018
- Reaction score
- 28,158
- Golden Thread
- 1
- Location
- Upper Canada 🇨🇦
- 🥇 Banner finds
- 1
- Detector(s) used
- XP Deus, Lesche Piranha 35 Shovel & 'Garrett Carrot'
- Primary Interest:
- Relic Hunting
I realize it’s been a while since I last posted, and I do apologize. I’ve been waiting for the bean harvest here in Ontario so I could return to a couple of my old site permissions, I received permission to search this property about 13 years ago. I knew a house had stood here in the 1840s, but I couldn’t locate it at the time. The site is slated for residential development, and in the summer of 2025 I noticed archaeologists excavating it. After they finished this past spring, I searched the site’s perimeter for scattered finds—and I wasn’t disappointed. 
The house likely burned in the mid-1860s, as many finds were blackened and heat-damaged. The 1865 2-Cent coin was a nice surprise, as this is only the second U.S. 2-Cent Coin I’ve found in 20 years of detecting. The United States Mint produced this coin for circulation from 1864 to 1872, with an 1873 issue made exclusively for collectors. It was the first U.S. coin to feature the motto “IN GOD WE TRUST”, displayed on a banner above a shield. Introduced to ease a severe shortage of small change during the Civil War, when precious metals were being hoarded, it quickly lost popularity after the arrival of the 3-cent piece and 5-cent nickel and was discontinued in 1873.
I also recovered an 1820 Bust and Harp Lower Canada Halfpenny Token. This pre-Confederation merchant token circulated widely in Lower Canada (present-day Quebec) during the 19th century. Created in 1825, it was imitated and remained in circulation for at least 20 years. Other finds included a clay pipe fragment stamped 'Montreal', a brass wedding band, and what is likely a pig’s tooth or tusk. I also found a trowel left behind by the Arkies in the corn stalks next to the field, who knows, maybe they put it down and forgot it.
Hope everyone is doing well these days, thanks for looking!
Dave
The house likely burned in the mid-1860s, as many finds were blackened and heat-damaged. The 1865 2-Cent coin was a nice surprise, as this is only the second U.S. 2-Cent Coin I’ve found in 20 years of detecting. The United States Mint produced this coin for circulation from 1864 to 1872, with an 1873 issue made exclusively for collectors. It was the first U.S. coin to feature the motto “IN GOD WE TRUST”, displayed on a banner above a shield. Introduced to ease a severe shortage of small change during the Civil War, when precious metals were being hoarded, it quickly lost popularity after the arrival of the 3-cent piece and 5-cent nickel and was discontinued in 1873.
I also recovered an 1820 Bust and Harp Lower Canada Halfpenny Token. This pre-Confederation merchant token circulated widely in Lower Canada (present-day Quebec) during the 19th century. Created in 1825, it was imitated and remained in circulation for at least 20 years. Other finds included a clay pipe fragment stamped 'Montreal', a brass wedding band, and what is likely a pig’s tooth or tusk. I also found a trowel left behind by the Arkies in the corn stalks next to the field, who knows, maybe they put it down and forgot it.
Hope everyone is doing well these days, thanks for looking!
Dave
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