4 Dandies and a Draped Bust (UPDATED: not a Liberty Cap)!

brianc053

Bronze Member
Jan 27, 2015
1,000
3,581
Sussex County, DE
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
3
Detector(s) used
Minelab Equinox 800
XP Deus 2
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Updated 12/3/24: an expert looked at the coin shown below and believes it is a Draped Bust (and not a Liberty Cap). I've updated the title to reflect this belief - in truth, we'll never know for sure.)

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Hi everyone. Today I finally could return to the field that I detected a few weeks ago (https://www.treasurenet.com/threads/back-to-detecting-after-1-year.703809/); it was unavailable due to Delaware's week-long "any gun you want" deer hunting season.
I was hopeful that the early indications of a Colonial era homesite would be true, and based on today's results I'm confident I've found that homesite.

Last time (which was the first time at the site) I detected for a while in the area of the 1900s house; today I didn't spend any time over there (the wheat pennies can wait). I spent all of my 3.5 hours today in and around the area where I found those older buttons and shoe buckle piece. (more on my approach later.)

And what a day! At regular intervals the site produced a total of 11 buttons:
  • four (4) dandies, including a tombac one with shank and two with fancy hand-etchings
  • a complete "puffback" button with shank
  • a beautiful gold gilt button from the 1820-1850 range based on this post (https://www.treasurenet.com/threads...a-fraction-too-buckle-and-watch-cover.534611/). My button has the same exact number "9429" along with Hammond Turner & Sons.
  • two other English buttons (based on "Treble gilt super fine quality" type back marks) and two small cuff buttons.
But in the last hole of the day I finally found a coin - and what a coin!
It's pretty slick, but there's a wreath on the back and a right-facing bust on the front. I posted it on ID.me (Facebook group) and the experts there were divided between a Liberty Cap and a Draped Bust. I followed up with an expert who feels the coin is a Draped Bust Large Cent (1796-1807)!.

Original inaccurate text: I've found myself a Liberty Cap Large Cent! I'll never know the year, but - who cares! It's either 1794 or 1795, and that's good enough for me!

(Comments with the last 3 pictures on what is visible on the coin.)

As for the approach I took today: I was very systematic about it. I brought four wooden skewers (the kind you use for kabobs) with red tape on them, and I started by marking the edges of where I could hear the iron grunts of what I think is the home site. And then I lawn-mowered the place (not literally): I walked back and forth along roughly 75-100 yard tracks. In 3.5 hours I covered maybe 1/3 to 1/2 of the "homesite" I think, so there's still a lot to go. And then I'll turn 90 degrees and do it all again. And then I'll change settings on my Deus 2 and do it again.
I suspect I'll be working this field until the plant in the spring - and that's totally fine with me! I can't wait to get back!

- Brian

IMG_5483.jpg



In the image below you can see the wreath just above my thumb nail:
IMG_5480.jpg


In this very green image you can barely see the bust facing right, and if you use your imagination you can see the cap on the left:
IMG_5482.jpg


The dimensions match a Liberty Cap Large Cent (29mm, but after almost 250 years you can excuse the coin for losing half a millimeter):
IMG_5481.jpg
 

Last edited:
Upvote 35
Hi everyone. Today I finally could return to the field that I detected a few weeks ago (https://www.treasurenet.com/threads/back-to-detecting-after-1-year.703809/); it was unavailable due to Delaware's week-long "any gun you want" deer hunting season.
I was hopeful that the early indications of a Colonial era homesite would be true, and based on today's results I'm confident I've found that homesite.

Last time (which was the first time at the site) I detected for a while in the area of the 1900s house; today I didn't spend any time over there (the wheat pennies can wait). I spent all of my 3.5 hours today in and around the area where I found those older buttons and shoe buckle piece. (more on my approach later.)

And what a day! At regular intervals the site produced a total of 11 buttons:
  • four (4) dandies, including a tombac one with shank and two with fancy hand-etchings
  • a complete "puffback" button with shank
  • a beautiful gold gilt button from the 1820-1850 range based on this post (https://www.treasurenet.com/threads...a-fraction-too-buckle-and-watch-cover.534611/). My button has the same exact number "9429" along with Hammond Turner & Sons.
  • two other English buttons (based on "Treble gilt super fine quality" type back marks) and two small cuff buttons.
But in the last hole of the day I finally found a coin - and what a coin!
It's pretty slick, but there's a wreath on the back and a right-facing bust on the front. I posted it on ID.me (Facebook group) and the experts there agreed: I've found myself a Liberty Cap Large Cent! I'll never know the year, but - who cares! It's either 1794 or 1795, and that's good enough for me! (Comments with the last 3 pictures on what is visible on the coin.)

As for the approach I took today: I was very systematic about it. I brought four wooden skewers (the kind you use for kabobs) with red tape on them, and I started by marking the edges of where I could hear the iron grunts of what I think is the home site. And then I lawn-mowered the place (not literally): I walked back and forth along roughly 75-100 yard tracks. In 3.5 hours I covered maybe 1/3 to 1/2 of the "homesite" I think, so there's still a lot to go. And then I'll turn 90 degrees and do it all again. And then I'll change settings on my Deus 2 and do it again.
I suspect I'll be working this field until the plant in the spring - and that's totally fine with me! I can't wait to get back!

- Brian

View attachment 2180951


In the image below you can see the wreath just above my thumb nail:
View attachment 2180952

In this very green image you can barely see the bust facing right, and if you use your imagination you can see the cap on the left:
View attachment 2180953

The dimensions match a Liberty Cap Large Cent (29mm, but after almost 250 years you can excuse the coin for losing half a millimeter):
View attachment 2180954
great saves all around, thanks and Happy Thanksgiving
 

That was time well spent at the site.
Liking the buttons 👌
Congratulations on the LC, certainly an oldie.
Best of luck on the return hunts.

May a better copper example show up, and possibly a silver to Cap the year off.
 

Hi everyone. Today I finally could return to the field that I detected a few weeks ago (https://www.treasurenet.com/threads/back-to-detecting-after-1-year.703809/); it was unavailable due to Delaware's week-long "any gun you want" deer hunting season.
I was hopeful that the early indications of a Colonial era homesite would be true, and based on today's results I'm confident I've found that homesite.

Last time (which was the first time at the site) I detected for a while in the area of the 1900s house; today I didn't spend any time over there (the wheat pennies can wait). I spent all of my 3.5 hours today in and around the area where I found those older buttons and shoe buckle piece. (more on my approach later.)

And what a day! At regular intervals the site produced a total of 11 buttons:
  • four (4) dandies, including a tombac one with shank and two with fancy hand-etchings
  • a complete "puffback" button with shank
  • a beautiful gold gilt button from the 1820-1850 range based on this post (https://www.treasurenet.com/threads...a-fraction-too-buckle-and-watch-cover.534611/). My button has the same exact number "9429" along with Hammond Turner & Sons.
  • two other English buttons (based on "Treble gilt super fine quality" type back marks) and two small cuff buttons.
But in the last hole of the day I finally found a coin - and what a coin!
It's pretty slick, but there's a wreath on the back and a right-facing bust on the front. I posted it on ID.me (Facebook group) and the experts there agreed: I've found myself a Liberty Cap Large Cent! I'll never know the year, but - who cares! It's either 1794 or 1795, and that's good enough for me! (Comments with the last 3 pictures on what is visible on the coin.)

As for the approach I took today: I was very systematic about it. I brought four wooden skewers (the kind you use for kabobs) with red tape on them, and I started by marking the edges of where I could hear the iron grunts of what I think is the home site. And then I lawn-mowered the place (not literally): I walked back and forth along roughly 75-100 yard tracks. In 3.5 hours I covered maybe 1/3 to 1/2 of the "homesite" I think, so there's still a lot to go. And then I'll turn 90 degrees and do it all again. And then I'll change settings on my Deus 2 and do it again.
I suspect I'll be working this field until the plant in the spring - and that's totally fine with me! I can't wait to get back!

- Brian

View attachment 2180951


In the image below you can see the wreath just above my thumb nail:
View attachment 2180952

In this very green image you can barely see the bust facing right, and if you use your imagination you can see the cap on the left:
View attachment 2180953

The dimensions match a Liberty Cap Large Cent (29mm, but after almost 250 years you can excuse the coin for losing half a millimeter):
View attachment 2180954
Nice quality finds
 

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