Cane Field Bandits Do It Again

[shanegalang]

Louisiana has a way of staying beautiful all week then bringing the rain when you want it least. But does that stop the Cane Field Bandits? NEVER! Did a little work Friday morning then picked up Buckle Boy for the trip down the river to seek goodies in the mud.
Was it Willie Nelson that wrote the song, "On The Rows Again"? We arrived at the site, jumped out the truck and began swinging. No longer than an hour past and the rain set in.
It was about lunch time so we packed back in the truck and grabbed some delicious South Louisiana smoked brisket sandwhiches. Checked the radar on my iphone, there was no end in site to the liquid sunshine. We refused to let it stop us. We waited and waited and waited closely watching the passing front. Finally with little more than an hour and half of daylight left we jumped back into the sticky, wet, silty clay and mud.
Wasnt more than 10 minutes Will found a nice silver guilded flat button. Then I pulled a 1700s era pewter button from the muck. BB was eye balling clay pipe stems left and right, I with my less than great eye site spotted one only amongst the broken cane sprigs.
We had been eye balling another close by spot so I decided to take a swing or two there as the light began to fade. BAM!!! A taco shell shaped silver, bent by a plow. My oldest coin yet, another Spanish half. 1777 Badly hopeing for another double wammy day, Will joined me and began swinging. There he spotted a colonial era "Russian blue" trade bead and a clay pipe bowl with really neat disigns on it. About that time I got a good signal and dug a more modern Buffalo Nickel surely dropped by some hard working farmer over the years.
So, all things considered it turned out to be a pretty decent two hour hunt. Thanks for reading and please enjoy the pictures.

 

[Hill Billy]

Great hunt guys except for the rain keeping you out of the fields.
Show us some more Taco pics please.
I have a hard time with a plow folding that spanish like that, maybe a disc rolled across it ?

HB

 

[shanegalang]

"I have a hard time with a plow folding that spanish like that, maybe a disc rolled across it ?"

I agree HB. How would a plow bend a small coin like that while it's in soft mud. I just dont see it. I wonder if someone purposely did it to make a half or quarter piece?? Will tells me we could possibly find one of those. I am open to suggestions on how to bend it back. We think maybe boil it then quickly press it down on a hard surface. Or maybe I will just leave it as it is.

 

[shanegalang]

Reverse view of bent Spanish half.

 

[Hill Billy]

Does the inside of the bend look to have been struck?
Does it look like it was folded equally in size?
Maybe it was going to be split to make change?
I can't think of any part on a plow that would be thin enough to fold it that close together. Plows are made of big iron to withstand the punishment.
As far as bending it back, I wouldn't, I'd leave it as is.
I like Taco's

 

[DirtMan1]

Nice Louisiana digs, taco-shaped or not , Spanish Silver is Spanish Silver! Nice digs

 

[tinpan]

Nice silver, How old are the pottery and pipe shards ?

tinpan

 

[shanegalang]

"Does the inside of the bend look to have been struck?
Does it look like it was folded equally in size?
Maybe it was going to be split to make change?
I can't think of any part on a plow that would be thin enough to fold it that close together. Plows are made of big iron to withstand the punishment.
As far as bending it back, I wouldn't, I'd leave it as is.
I like Taco's "

I'm not clear on what you mean by struck, it is very equally folded, if it had been completly folded the 2 ends would have met making a perfect half moon.
I think I will leave it as I found it.

"Nice Louisiana digs, taco-shaped or not , Spanish Silver is Spanish Silver! Nice digs"
Thanks dirtman.......exciting to find any coin from 1777!

"Nice silver, How old are the pottery and pipe shards ?"
Tinpan, most of what we find there are dated to the later 1700s thru 1830s. It's my understanding that the clay pipes date back to 1700s.

 

[nova treasure]

Very nice finds, for the half reale, it was bent in history and I would personally display it as the same.

Keep them comin, you all are doing Great, Bill

 

[lost hunter]

any silver is good silver bent or not, congrats on the find

 

[VOL1266-X]

Shane, as you know, it was snowing here and I was watching "Wagon Train"" on the Western Channel when the phone rang.
I hear BB tell me you guys are on a rain break and I hear another "AIEEE!!" in the background. I immediately knew you had dug a good 'un and you did. Nice coin. I'm beginning to think you guys have found an old bank or store. I like BB's trade bead. He's apparemtly mastered the visual recognition of those pipe stems in the canfields. For the time you spent dodging the rain, you guys did well. Nice post.
Are you sure it wasn't you instead of your brother on Swamp People Thursday night as you told BB to tell me-LOL. HH gentlemen, Q.

 

[BuckleBoy]

I'll get my chance to add another Spanish to the collection. Gonna break out the trusty 1266 on that fresh plowed and rowed stuff today.

Nice job on the Spanish! I was happy with the trade bead, and nice to pick up so many eyeball finds for such a short hunt.

Personally, I don't think it was bent to break it to make change. If you have seen cut pieces of half reales, there is never a bent one. They were all cut with a knife or axe rather than bent to make "sharp shins." For larger silvers (1R and especially 2R), it was impossible to bend them anyhow without a vise. Easier to put 'em on a stump and cut with a side axe.

I think that's plow damage. But could be a love token fold I guess.


-Buck

 

[BuckleBoy]

P.S.-- Six years earlier and that HR would've been a Pillar Type!

 

[Ifoundit69]

Awesome find on the silver wow that thing look exactly like the one I found which was a 1761 and personally I took two oak hammer handles and a seperate hammer placed the coin on the round part of the handle and placed the handle of the other hammer on the coin and then lightly hammered ontop of that hammer and kept hitting it till she started to straighten out and then I worked the coin up the handle to the flat spot a little at a time and then presto and nicely straightened out coin , its silver so you cant really hurt it with wood but just do it gentle if you do ... I would its alot nicer to look at when its flat ...

 

[jewelerguy]

mmmm.... tacos

 

[ModernMiner]

Way to go on that Spanish Taco silver Shane!!! 1777 ain't no spring chicken.
Some great finds out in those cane fields guys.
I have a feeling todays hunt is going to blow this one away!

"Was it Willie Nelson that wrote the song, "On The Rows Again"? "
Classic.

-MM-

 

[Kirk PA]

The Cane Field Bandits are killing it lately. I always knew that LA had the Colonial finds swarming in the fields. LA all the way! I am loving these posts from Southern LA.

Kirk

 

[BuckleBoy]

The Cane Field Bandits are killing it lately. I always knew that LA had the Colonial finds swarming in the fields. LA all the way! I am loving these posts from Southern LA.

Kirk

Unbelievable that we only had 2 hours to hunt and a Spanish was found. Great stuff. 1777 beats your oldest coin, Shane.

 

[Lanny in AB]

Sweet! Nicely done.

All the best,

Lanny

 

[HEAVYMETALNUT]

nice stuff guys!