A few Buttons and Relics from last couple hunts (mostly late 1700s)

Don in SJ · Apr 19, 2009

Went back to a few of my heavily hunted sites and went into super slow motion detecting mode and the results were great for spots that have been hit rather hard by me previously. I was hoping to get a Half Real at the sites, but to no avail this time. No coins to be had at all. (must mention these sites produced quite a bit of copper and silver over the years).

So, I was pleasantly surprised with the high number of buttons and few relics that had eluded me previously, nothing special but a high number of Tombacs and only two buttons have any backmarks, one is a late 1790s button marked PLATED, but it is in a cartouche so I am certain it is 1790s most likely. The other backmarked button only had the quality words of BEST GILT, and that was found yesterday at the Tallyo site that has produced numerous early 1800 artifacts.

Of interest is the suspender clip I found on Friday, it is still in working order, and not quite sure of the age, but it is in excellent condition. The other novelty from that old site is the very large 36mm design button that was purposely folded into a funnel like shape, purpose?? who knows, but not done by accident.

The 3 pronged item, not sure if from old suspenders or shoe or other clothing fastener, it most likely was suspender clip part but just not sure. Overall some good digging, and more buttons from worked sites than I expected. My son was with me yesterday and he got 6 buttons and some pewter spoon parts.

Don

allen · Apr 19, 2009

those are some really nice relics !!!! :thumbsup:

Iron Patch · Apr 19, 2009

You definitely dug enough targets to have a shot at a good keeper. I hope to see finds in that range my first new found site.

Jerry1NJ · Apr 19, 2009

Nice finds!!!!!!!!!!!!! :thumbsup:

VERMONTPACKRAT · Apr 19, 2009

Wow !! Those spots are worth hitting again and again........

VPR

PBK · Apr 19, 2009

Could the three-tined piece be part of a neck stock buckle? Actual size of the one shown below is 1" x 1-1/2", but of course they vary.

Don in SJ · Apr 19, 2009

PBK said:
Could the three-tined piece be part of a neck stock buckle? Actual size of the one shown below is 1" x 1-1/2", but of course they vary.

Well, I just happen to have one of those stock buckles, it is inside a shadow box on display but should be able to compare.

OK, I compared and it is at least a half inch bigger than my stock buckle and I also measured it agains all my suspender type clips that have prongs and it is bigger (wider) than all of those also. (2 1/4" wide)

Don

HomesteadHunter · Apr 19, 2009

Beautiful relics as always Don, especially the suspender buckle. Any one of those old buttons would have made my day. As for the funnel shaped button, maybe it was used as a decoration on a garment?, or possibly as a hair piece ornament?.

James.
HomesteadHunter.

Captn SE · Apr 19, 2009

Nice finds, Don, for a heavily hunted site! :thumbsup:

Question for you......Do you and your son dig up a lot of the iron at your sites in hopes of finding some nice relics/coins hiding near/under it, or do you dig the iron only when you get fooled by iffy sounding pieces?

HH,
CAPTN SE
Dan

Don in SJ · Apr 19, 2009

Captn_SE said:
Nice finds, Don, for a heavily hunted site!

Question for you......Do you and your son dig up a lot of the iron at your sites in hopes of finding some nice relics/coins hiding near/under it, or do you dig the iron only when you get fooled by iffy sounding pieces?

HH,
CAPTN SE
Dan

For the most part we do not encounter the great number of diggable iron pieces like Buckleboy and his group dig, guess the difference is not hunting old farm sites, but anyway, we usually only dig iffy iron signals that might be a coin or relic next to the iron. If an iron object is a good close solid reading, I will dig, that is how you get things like irons, iron trivets, cooking pots, horeseshoes, axe heads, etc. Most of our "iron hits" that we talk about are the constant one direction only non diggable hits, which after all these years not sure what causes such readings, they are not nails, since nails in all metal mode are diggable readings, and these iron hits for the most part are evidently just tiny, minute pieces of iron and they always indicate past human activity at the site.

Most of these buttons were "iffy" good readings amongst those constant one way iron hits.

Don

BuckleBoy · Apr 19, 2009

Well said, Don. We of course dig lots of big iron because the iron masking here is so horrific, and the sites so iron-infested. It is usually worse in the woods than the plowed fields--since the plow seems to break up a halo somewhat, coupled with the fact that farmers frequently picked up big iron and tossed it out of their fields long ago.

Those are some great finds, Don. That many targets coming from well-worked sites is wonderful. Any one of those could've been a small silver half dime or half real.

Best Wishes,

Buckles

STH69 · Apr 19, 2009

nice finds

West Jersey Detecting · Apr 19, 2009

Those are some great finds, Don, and it is always great to dig a lot of old buttons! That suspender buckle looks to be 1860-1880's by the design, but I was unable to find a picture of one similar to compare it to. You failed to report on the local tick population from your latest hunts, but we will let that slide this time! :wink: