A last dip at the riverside

[McCDig]

A last dip at the riverside

June 30, 2015 was the last day to detect in Baltimore city parks until Sept 1st.

I left after work and did the drive from Westminster - 140 to 795 to 695 to 83 and got in the slow moving traffic on Lombard over to Light and then smooth sailing down into So. Baltimore. Parking was tight since the O's were playing at Camden yards, so I ended up 4 blocks east of Riverside Park to start a 2 hour hunt.

After a slow start I found a '41 wheat, then an old 30 cal. bullet. Around to the other side of a tree and then a buffalo nickel. Two feet from the first, a second buffalo. Not far away came up a snap button closure by Waterbury Button Co. Now I'm just focusing on this 10 x 10 foot area and staying there for the rest of the time. The other notable finds were a piece of jewelry that may have been a pin, a beautiful three-quarter inch marble that came out with a target, and then there was the brown encrusted glob that looked like it could be a button...

The 'glob' was covered by a tenacious thick layer of oxidized metal and stone grit. I chose to put it through electrolysis. It took about six ten-minute sessions with cleaning to get most of the buildup off. It wasn't long into this process that the eagle and the maker's mark appeared. I have done some research and think this is a match to a Scovill.650 coat button, a general Federal service button ca. 1850 (see Albert GI94 and Tice GEN215A30). It measures between 19 and 20 mm in diameter.

I plan to return to this same area when allowed back in the park at the end of the summer.

 

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[Carolina Tom]

Good show! Nice finds. I know it will tough to wait until the park reopens. GL&HH.


PS: Both the Buffalos have dates too...nice.

 

[McCDig]

Thanks, Tom. Just 62 days to go and other places in Baltimore County that I'd like to check out between now and then.

 

[cjon455]

Good hunt, nice to get such an old button along with the wheats and buffs with dates, im curious though, why do the parks close for 2 months like that?

 

[sutphin]

UH OH I SEE YOU GOT A MARYLAND MARBLE ALSO. AS FOR THE REST, NICE....

 

[McCDig]

cjon,

I don't know why, but the July/August months are when the parks get the most use for picnics/swimming/recreation, but then there never are many detectorists in a park at one time and we respect people's space, so I don't put much stock is that reasoning. Another thought would be to protect the turf, since it gets hot and dry and at some point and that makes it difficult to dig and harder for the grass to recover; that, I think, is the most compelling reason to close them down for detecting, though I think we should be allowed year round in wooded areas.

 

[I-DIG-IT]

Nice digs.

 

[BFR]

Looks like a good day!

BFR

 

[McCDig]

Agreed, BFR. Anytime I can come away with some 'oldies', particularly military 19th century...it's 'a good day', as you said.

 

[highnam]

It was the final hour....clutch

 

[McCDig]

Not that I didn't feel any pressure. Let's see what happens in Sept. when I head back to the 'sweet spot'.

 

[Garrett424]

Nice bunch of finds.

As a fellow MD'r, I feel your pain. There's a beach I wanted to hit before the deadline but never made it. Hopefully lots of good treasure will be dropped over the next couple o' months.

I've never actually detected in the city before but I was down there about two weeks ago and saw a particular old school that my gut tells me has potential.
the problem is, it's in a terrible neighborhood. Then again, I am half crazy and that usually keeps would be attackers away.

 

[McCDig]

"Don't go near the crazy dude!" He's got to be "nuts" to be detecting here!
Would like to get together for a "sketchy" B'more hunt when you have time...let me know.