Boer war Mother load found .......2nd trip pictures added....

[pgill]

Hi Guys and Gals,

Well, went detecting this field across the road from an old fort which is near my work. Finally found what I have been looking for. Some of this stuff was even laying on the surface, and was found without a detector. Both my friend and I was over the moon with this stuff. We have found so much in one day, and what I am showing you today is only my share of the booty.

I also want to say a very big thank you to all of you for the encouragement to stick it out, this has been a lot of patience. But I think the tide has now turned, and we will carry on finding.

1st Pic: Horse shoes, nails, spike, and mouth organ reed.
2nd Pic: Watch backs (one was gold plated), glass bottle tops, and sterling silver 92.5 whatzit with hall mark which I have found to have come from Birmingham, England, and was made in 1894.
3rd Pic: Bottle and pieces of glass.
4th Pic: Close up of bottle.
5th Pic: Kynochs No 2 Musket rounds and 2 Lee Metford rounds (the only British rounds).
6th Pic: Matini-Henry soft rounds which were from the 1st Boer war, and the first part of the 2nd (+- 1881). And 3 hard case Martini-Henry rounds which superceded the soft case.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boer_Wars

Enjoy the pics,

God bless
Peter.

 

[Michigan Badger]

Re: Boer war Mother load found .......Link added about Boer War (updated)

WOW! Peter! I don't know how I missed this post. I've been too careless in reading the Today's Finds. I get stuck in the upper posts like most everybody else.

Great historical finds! You must get a very big rush from holding such pieces in your hands. Just think back to those days!

Really great!

Badger

 

[pgill]

Re: Boer war Mother load found .......Link added about Boer War (updated)

Thanks Badger, it has been hard work, but we have finally cracked it. Most of the finds are Afrikaans (Boer) except for 1 round and also the silver piece.... but wow we was there again today and there are signals everywhere. It has been great fun.

Thanks for looking

God bless
Peter

 

[muddyknees]

Re: Boer war Mother load found .......Link added about Boer War (updated)

Hello Peter. oh I can rember you saying theres just no place to hunt here. guess youve proved that wrong huh. good luck in your future hunts Peter your friend Dennis.
muddyknees

 

[Paul in WA]

Re: Boer war Mother load found .......Link added about Boer War (updated)

Martini-Henry rifles are very rare, so I would imagine finding rounds & casings from one is even more rare....congrats!

Paul

 

[pgill]

Re: Boer war Mother load found .......Link added about Boer War (updated)

Thanks Muddyknees, umm have not heard from you for ages, hope and pray you are keeping well? Paul, it is funny but you cannot find pictures anywhere of the rounds, either soft or hard.... But my partners brother apparently has two perfect condition completer soft rounds, my partner is on his way there now to take photo's which we can post......

Keep your eyes open, in about 1 hour i will post pictures of yesterdays finds...

God bless
Peter

 

[pgill]

Re: Boer war Mother load found .......Link added about Boer War (updated)

Hi guys,

Went back to our site yesterday and found more stuff. It seems like this site could produce more for sometime to come. We was there for about 3 hours, and my partner and I had an incredible time together.

Bob found what looks like a flintlock hammer, the only problem with that is they never used flintlocks in that war as far as I know.

Below is the pictures of our stuff for the day:

1. My stuff for the day
2. My horse shoe problem (?)
3. Flintlock hammer (?)
4. Filntlock Hammer (?)
5. Bobs total finds for this site

Hope you enjoyed the pictures.

God bless
Peter

 

[pgill]

Re: Boer war Mother load found .......Link added about Boer War (updated)

For those interested in shells, here is what is written on the bottom of the Martini-Henry hard case and the No 2 Musket shells.

God bless
Peter

 

[Monty]

Re: Boer war Mother load found .......Link added about Boer War (updated)

The small "horseshoe" may be a heel tap for boots? Monty

 

[mxtswinger]

Re: Boer war Mother load found .......Link added about Boer War (updated)

I knew you had it in ya! I tickled pink for you. CONGRATS on finding your first jackpot!

 

[pgill]

Re: Boer war Mother load found .......Link added about Boer War (updated)

Monty, Thanks, I never even thought of that one I think you have solved my puzzle though. I thought it was a bit small for a horse shoe, then thought, did they use minature ponies or something

Have any ideas on the Hammer?

Mxtswinger, thanks very much... really appreciate all you guys and gals out there.

God bless
Peter

 

[Rusted_Iron]

Peter,

Nice haul!

That hammer could be from an older shotgun. Some of those had exposed hammers, even though they used cartridge rounds. The exposed hammer hit the firing pin to set off the round.

Could also be the chance that a few of the Boers didn't have modern rifles, so they used whatever they had?

 

[River Rat]

Peter,

Looking good, I'm so happy for you!!! I read Muddy Knees' post & I remember you saying the same thing..."no place to hunt here". Your research is paying off. Congratulations!!

Happy Hunting!!

RR

 

[pgill]

Thanks guys,

Yes I did speak before finding out..... What I mainly meant at the time of making that comment was that Britain has history going right back to the beginning of time America is pretty much the same. South Africa, especially around Johannesburg is less than 200 years old. Our currency started in about 1874 so that is only 132 years. The town where I live is only about 65 years old, before that it was only bush. So as such I am not going to find a coin of 200 - 300 years old, or jewlery from the iron age or the roman times.
Probably the Boer war stuff is the oldest I will find in this country, unless I find a roman coin that was bought across from England and lost here
But yes, I have surprised myself also

Thanks for the info Rusted_Iron on the hammer.... I am still not convinced that it is a hammer for a weapon What I will do is put it in the What is it and see what comes up from others also before making a final judgement...

God bless
Peter

 

[Gypsy Heart]

My apologies for not seeing this post sooner! What a great bunch of relics! Looks like you hit a jackpot !You may now join the "Elite Rusty Horseshoe Club" with some of the finer folks from TN

 

[pgill]

Thanks Gypsy,

There was no way that I could have a post without you writing too it You have been one of my main inspirations on this site, which has always been appreciated.

God bless
peter

 

[Wetgreenie]

This is why we/I think it may be an exposed hammer.
I'm trying to find more info from someone who knows more.

 

[Monty]

Just a guess but they look like flintlock hammers to me? There would have been another piece of metal that held the flint in place, but it being small could have rusted away. The flints should still be there though and I'll bet if so, they just looked like any other rock? Montyl

 

[Wetgreenie]

Just a guess but they look like flintlock hammers to me? There would have been another piece of metal that held the flint in place, but it being small could have rusted away. The flints should still be there though and I'll bet if so, they just looked like any other rock? Montyl

Hey Monty, Peter e-mailed me on this:

"Did you look at the link that Gypsy gave last night? It looks exact......
Also what I did not mention is that there is a threaded hole on top where a clamp for a flint would be." -Pgill

Now he wonders why it was found there and said something like;
If it were used in a Boer skirmish wouldn't it be like using a pea shooter?

I was on a different path I guess trying to find a match to some of the known arms used.
***as I Bow and slink away***

 

[Bavaria Mike]

Nice heal plate Peter! Did you see the finds from the Boer war hunt last week on the forum I gave you? Many nice relics were found including a gold military sports badge. HH, Mike

 

[The Seeker]

I see your getting in your share of Detecting and have found a super site......I like the old musket hammer! Sweet........!!! Looking forward to more finds and a great story to go with them.........Great to here from you.

John