Glen's Loyalists
Full Member
Hello Everybody, after about 5 years away I am back with a new username and lots of finds for you.
Located in Nova Scotia, there is a lot of history here going back over 400 years. Of course, there is a lot older native finds to be had, but I will leave those well alone, not that I have ever found any myself.
My big news since I was last here is that I bought an old farm, dating back to the 1760's to 1780's, and boy is it loaded with Militia history, right back to the start. The farm had been heavily mined by others for about a decade, but I have started clearing out alders and other obstructions and the finds are coming. Plus there's still lots to be found in the accessible fields and orchards. In fact, most of my finds to date have been from those areas. As you know, you never get it all.
I was planning to start with a review of the coins found to date but the first day out with my son in the New Year had a couple really nice finds, so I'll start with that and do the coins, buttons, military etc. in future posts.
Here is what we found in a 2 hour hunt the other day:
So when my son and I headed out to an area that has some really interesting old stonework, and produced a very nice find a few months ago, we decided to dig some iron signals, literally in the hopes of finding gun parts other than the usual brass furniture. My son quickly found the hoop to the right, and being round and hollow it sounded great. When he showed it to me I said, "you know, I think that could be a gun hoop", but wasn't sure.
Within 10 minutes I found the second hoop, in better shape and with the sling loop, confirming we were onto gun parts.
Minutes later he got the hammer mechanism and we were stunned, we have always found bits, never anything so complete. Here is how it looked coming from the ground:
As you can see I have cleaned it up and done some electrolysis, but not too much, as I am worried about damaging it. As it cleaned up we were surprised to see the Eagle and US stamp. Apart from one really wonderful find and some coins I'll show you another time, we just don't find a lot of pre 1850 American things here.
A bit of research has confirmed it to be from a 1842 Model Springfield 69 caliber smooth bore musket, and a government issued one at that. A true civil war gun. This really surprises me as this is a very very heavily Loyalist area where all men aged 16 to 60 had to, by law, train 4 times per year with the militia. The clapboards on the ocean facing side of the house next door are twice as thick as the other sides of the house, apparently to stop musket balls, as people were worried of an American attack by sea, or so I have been told. Anyway, we tend to find Brown Bess and Endfield gun parts, not Springfields. Although the militia was still active here by the time of the US civil war there certainly was less animosity, and some Nova Scotians did travel to and fight with the Union, so maybe it came back that way. In fact, my 5X Great Grandfather, a shipwright, was travelling in the south at the start of the war and was arrested and press ganged into building ships for the Confederacy.
Now the hunt is on for the rest of that gun. It's there somewhere.
While walking to the spot my son found this 1787 - 1812 British Naval Officers button, in just wonderful shape, one of the nicest we have found. The ground at the top of the hill is very well drained and like potting soil so items preserve well, much better than the bottom which tends to be wet and clay and is murder on coins.
Not far from this area, is a fairly large area so full of windfalls and alders and saplings that is is almost impossible (and dangerous) to move thru. But the edges tend to produce a lot of pre 1800 coins. I did manage to pick out this very worn William III halfpenny (the hairstyle is unmistakable), which would date to 1695 - 1702. Note the lack of corrosion, this is just how it went into the ground. Cleaning that area up is this years project, I can't wait.
Other items to come out were this interesting silver thing with a brass back, a button or catch of some sort, it looks like it would take a small key. It is marked patented, but the date is covered. I have no idea what it is, if anybody knows I would appreciate your input.
I only include the 1928 penny in the first picture in that we rarely find these first issue Canadian small cents, 1920 - 1936. Maybe half a dozen, and in every other case they have been dated 1920. Also the small front of a two piece button, likely Victorian.
On the way back to car we passed a hole I had opened about 2 or 3 months ago, when I didn't have a pin pointer with me, and completely forgot about. This time I found the signal, a little 5 cent, 1907. Common and in poor shape, but silver is silver and we don't find many Eddies.
Next time I'll do some coins. All the best to everyone with their hunts in 2024, I am keen to see what you find.
Located in Nova Scotia, there is a lot of history here going back over 400 years. Of course, there is a lot older native finds to be had, but I will leave those well alone, not that I have ever found any myself.
My big news since I was last here is that I bought an old farm, dating back to the 1760's to 1780's, and boy is it loaded with Militia history, right back to the start. The farm had been heavily mined by others for about a decade, but I have started clearing out alders and other obstructions and the finds are coming. Plus there's still lots to be found in the accessible fields and orchards. In fact, most of my finds to date have been from those areas. As you know, you never get it all.
I was planning to start with a review of the coins found to date but the first day out with my son in the New Year had a couple really nice finds, so I'll start with that and do the coins, buttons, military etc. in future posts.
Here is what we found in a 2 hour hunt the other day:
So when my son and I headed out to an area that has some really interesting old stonework, and produced a very nice find a few months ago, we decided to dig some iron signals, literally in the hopes of finding gun parts other than the usual brass furniture. My son quickly found the hoop to the right, and being round and hollow it sounded great. When he showed it to me I said, "you know, I think that could be a gun hoop", but wasn't sure.
Within 10 minutes I found the second hoop, in better shape and with the sling loop, confirming we were onto gun parts.
Minutes later he got the hammer mechanism and we were stunned, we have always found bits, never anything so complete. Here is how it looked coming from the ground:
As you can see I have cleaned it up and done some electrolysis, but not too much, as I am worried about damaging it. As it cleaned up we were surprised to see the Eagle and US stamp. Apart from one really wonderful find and some coins I'll show you another time, we just don't find a lot of pre 1850 American things here.
A bit of research has confirmed it to be from a 1842 Model Springfield 69 caliber smooth bore musket, and a government issued one at that. A true civil war gun. This really surprises me as this is a very very heavily Loyalist area where all men aged 16 to 60 had to, by law, train 4 times per year with the militia. The clapboards on the ocean facing side of the house next door are twice as thick as the other sides of the house, apparently to stop musket balls, as people were worried of an American attack by sea, or so I have been told. Anyway, we tend to find Brown Bess and Endfield gun parts, not Springfields. Although the militia was still active here by the time of the US civil war there certainly was less animosity, and some Nova Scotians did travel to and fight with the Union, so maybe it came back that way. In fact, my 5X Great Grandfather, a shipwright, was travelling in the south at the start of the war and was arrested and press ganged into building ships for the Confederacy.
Now the hunt is on for the rest of that gun. It's there somewhere.
While walking to the spot my son found this 1787 - 1812 British Naval Officers button, in just wonderful shape, one of the nicest we have found. The ground at the top of the hill is very well drained and like potting soil so items preserve well, much better than the bottom which tends to be wet and clay and is murder on coins.
Not far from this area, is a fairly large area so full of windfalls and alders and saplings that is is almost impossible (and dangerous) to move thru. But the edges tend to produce a lot of pre 1800 coins. I did manage to pick out this very worn William III halfpenny (the hairstyle is unmistakable), which would date to 1695 - 1702. Note the lack of corrosion, this is just how it went into the ground. Cleaning that area up is this years project, I can't wait.
Other items to come out were this interesting silver thing with a brass back, a button or catch of some sort, it looks like it would take a small key. It is marked patented, but the date is covered. I have no idea what it is, if anybody knows I would appreciate your input.
I only include the 1928 penny in the first picture in that we rarely find these first issue Canadian small cents, 1920 - 1936. Maybe half a dozen, and in every other case they have been dated 1920. Also the small front of a two piece button, likely Victorian.
On the way back to car we passed a hole I had opened about 2 or 3 months ago, when I didn't have a pin pointer with me, and completely forgot about. This time I found the signal, a little 5 cent, 1907. Common and in poor shape, but silver is silver and we don't find many Eddies.
Next time I'll do some coins. All the best to everyone with their hunts in 2024, I am keen to see what you find.
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