5 whats its

Kieth-Tx · Jul 2, 2011

A couple friends called and wanted to go on a water hunt....uhh...showed up at the beach and overloaded with people at 7 am this morning! go to plan "B"....hit an old part of the original town that is no longer there...now in the water. So we just picked a spot and waded out. Within minutes my buddy got a Minie and so everybody slowed down and the finds started popping out. I found a few Minies and the normal Whatsits then my first plate shows up in my scoop...it was kinda hard doing the chicken dance in the water but I tried!

Here are the pics of everything I pulled out today....except the 40 fishing weights. One is what appears to be a toy musket, a brass bracket of some sort, a plate style brass bracket with a hole for pivoting I guess, a plug and a brass

. Thanks for looking and any help is appreciated.

Kieth-Tx · Jul 2, 2011

Re: A truly exciting day for me!

The large bullets on left are WWII 50 Cals....bombing and strafeing area during WWII.

Monty · Jul 2, 2011

Re: A truly exciting day for me!

The US item is possibly a CW era breast plate? Here we go again, but I am not seeing any 50 caliber bullets. Looks more like jacketed .30 calibers to me? Need something in the pic to give a size reference.No clue what that other stuff might be. Monty

Kieth-Tx · Jul 2, 2011

Re: A truly exciting day for me!

This area saw large encampments by both the South then the North. Here is your pic Monty.

kuger · Jul 3, 2011

Very nice box plate!!!I have dug those brackets as well,and I cant recall exactly what they went to.You have a nice spigot valve too!

Bigcypresshunter · Jul 3, 2011

You have some really cool finds. If you used a solid colored tablecloth, your pictures wouldnt be so dark. Some cameras cannot adjust to a white background. Pic #1 is especially hard to see.

Kieth-Tx · Jul 3, 2011

Sorry BigCy...just not much of a Photographer...hope this is better. Can get close ups of the other pieces but this piece is just cool. It looks like a fish on the front part of it in the pics but it is not...it is like part of a fleur-de-lis. Thanks again, Kieth

Breezie · Jul 3, 2011

The item in pic #7 & 8 with the 2 holes is a round slide bolt door lock; it's the part that received the bolt.

The item in the last 3 pics, right above my post looks like part of a miniature toy flintlock gun.

Nice finds, Breezie

Kieth-Tx · Jul 3, 2011

I knew i had seen that slide piece before...thanks Breezie!

CC Hunter · Jul 4, 2011

The US plate is most likely a waist belt plate, and certainly not a "breast plate" as suggested. The "breast plates" or cross-belt plates of the era, were actually for the most part round, and carried the eagle design. During the mid-19th Century, there were two distinct types of US accoutrement plates in use by American enlisted men, the waist belt plate, as well as the cartridge box plate. Both were stamped brass, oval in shape, with lead solder filled back. However, the waist belt plate employed three hooks (or two studs and one hook) attachment devices. The cartridge box plate, on the other hand, had two small wire loops. The US belt plates also generally have a slight curvature, while the cartridge box plates, are nearly entirely flat. The side edge views of this particular US plate, shows the slight curvature, and it also appears that there are the larger hooks or studs on the back, rather than small simple wire loops (that would likely not survive in water). A photo of the back of the plate will confirm the exact function, and I will wager there will be evidence of hooks, rather than loops.

The one "what is it", is the suspension bracket for a roll-up window blind.

The small toy gun piece (lead or lead alloy), is actually from a small toy pistol, that was a 19th Century water gun. This toy water pistol had a large rubber bulb that could be filled with water, that was attached at the back, where the hand grip would be on a pistol. Squeezing the bulb, caused water to expel through the hollow frame, and out the barrel. The style of the toy gun hammer, is actually "percussion", rather than "flintlock". A flintlock gun hammer, employs a small vise device, to clamp a stone flint, for causing spark. Whereas, a percussion gun hammer, simply falls upon a cap, to cause the spark.

CC Hunter

taz42o · Jul 4, 2011

The T shaped handle is likely part of a barrel tap.

Kieth-Tx · Jul 4, 2011

Thanks CC & Taz! Awesome info CC....here are some pics of the back. I can see three points where there use to be something attached. The two points at one end have an oyster shell that you can see has grown around them.

kuger · Jul 4, 2011

kuger said:
Very nice box plate!!!I have dug those brackets as well,and I cant recall exactly what they went to.You have a nice spigot valve too!

I guess I should have been more clear about the "valve" :dontknow:

Kieth-Tx · Jul 4, 2011

My bad Kuger....yep...you nailed it! It will be a few weeks before i can get back to that spot...hope the finds still keep popping out! ;-)

kuger · Jul 4, 2011

DirtDigler · Jul 6, 2011

Taz, you're right. The photo leaves no doubt, nice barrel tap valve. I've got one just like it from an early 19th century site.

Monty · Jul 6, 2011

I'm pretty sure those bullets are .30 caliber or 7.62mm if you prefer. A fifty calber would be about half an inch in diameter. And I am also pretty sure they are soft nose bullets that would rule out military and they are probably recent hunting bullets. Nice finds. Monty

Kieth-Tx · Jul 6, 2011

Have to disagree Monty with these being hunting bullets.....pretty sure they are fifty cals. Don't have a set of calipers on me but just measured them and they are 1/2" diameter by 2 1/4" long.
This is info I just pulled off the net.

weight: 750 grains (49 grams)
length: 2.2575"
caliber: .5109"
Copper Jacketed FMJ
Lead Core
Boat Tail

If you look at the pics I posted for you...they also match those dimensions.

kuger · Jul 6, 2011

Kieth-Tx said:
Have to disagree Monty with these being hunting bullets.....pretty sure they are fifty cals. Don't have a set of calipers on me but just measured them and they are 1/2" diameter by 2 1/4" long.
This is info I just pulled off the net.

weight: 750 grains (49 grams)
length: 2.2575"
caliber: .5109"
Copper Jacketed FMJ
Lead Core
Boat Tail

If you look at the pics I posted for you...they also match those dimensions.

I thought the same thing,just wasnt going to say anything :thumbsup:

Breezie · Jul 6, 2011

Kieth, the piece with the 2 round eyelet feet and hook looks like some type of rod holder, and since it's so small, I'd say single curtain rod. Breezie