CaneField Bandits Dig Spanish #13 for the Year!

BuckleBoy

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Moonlight and Magnolias
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Fisher F75, Whites DualField PI, Fisher 1266-X and Tesoro Silver uMax
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All Treasure Hunting
Hello All,

Shanegalang and I got out for a hunt, and we started out by investing a little time trying to find a site I have been after for a year now. We did some big grids on some new property trying to narrow down the search area from a mile square to something more manageable. As many of you know, it is very flat down here, and no geography to rule out a patch of ground. Every acre of ground looks like every single other acre.

Well, we were unsuccessful at that, but it's just a matter of time 'till we find what we're looking for.

Then we went to a new spot and located a small antebellum site. Finds were thin, but Shane soon yelled that he had a shield nickel (1868), so things were looking up. I dug some trache, then some crappe with my new Fisher F75. Finally got a candlestick thumb-ring, piece of a heel plate, and a keyhole cover from an old smokehouse lock that was stamped with "U.S." I have not seen this before (most have either VR, GR, or "PATENT" on them). If anyone has more information about this, please share. Well, I was rolling the camera from time to time, hoping for something good. I got several nice dime signals that didn't pan out. Here's one example:



At any rate, I got down a row, wondering if I'd manage to dig something nice at all, and got a nice little high brass signal. Unfortunately I don't film the brass signals, because they are usually nothing to great. But when I popped open a plug, I saw a silver disc in the dirt! At this point I started the camera rolling!




After that discovery, I was stoked!

Here is a photo of the half real in my hand. I knew it'd likely be dateless, but any day a 1700s spanish silver comes up is a great day!

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Well, we dug and dug and Dug, and not much else noteworthy came to light so we called it a day. Now, I know that the harvest is over already in the north, but we are still waiting for the sugar cane to be cut on some of our best sites.

When I cleaned up the finds, tossed out the crap aluminum and junk, and disposed of 100lbs of scrap iron, this is what I was left with:

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Here is a close-up of the worn-down half real:

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I'm still thrilled to dig another spanish. This year will be practically impossible to top in terms of quantity, but it has been one hell of a fun ride.

When I got home, we had a celebration, complete with a stuffed chicken, a persimmon pie, and "adult beverages." :wink: :laughing9:

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Best Wishes,

The CaneField Bandits

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Very cool keyhole cover...I have not seen that one either!The lead stopper...I have dug those in later 19th Cent sites and was under the impression they were to large Black Powder kegs
 

Very cool keyhole cover...I have not seen that one either!The lead stopper...I have dug those in later 19th Cent sites and was under the impression they were to large Black Powder kegs

Now that's interesting. I was going to ask you about that very piece. I have now dug two of them, and kept them around because I had a hunch they were period relics, not modern farm junk. I made a post in What Is It with those two. The photos in that post are close-ups.

So, we are talking about large powder cans made out of tin?

Thank you for your reply Kuger, with this useful information!
 

Now that's interesting. I was going to ask you about that very piece. I have now dug two of them, and kept them around because I had a hunch they were period relics, not modern farm junk. I made a post in What Is It with those two. The photos in that post are close-ups.

So, we are talking about large powder cans made out of tin?

Thank you for your reply Kuger, with this useful information!

Yep,that what I have heard.....I will verify with Ironman,he has dug a bunch of them.Heck of a chunk of lead huh?!!
 

Yep,that what I have heard.....I will verify with Ironman,he has dug a bunch of them.Heck of a chunk of lead huh?!!

Excellent. I would love to see a photo of Ironman's ones he dug. It's so maddening here to be digging in sites that are full of 200 years of stuff, and try to identify it. In Kentucky or Virginia I would just get the occasional piece of farm junk or something that doesn't belong. Here it takes a careful eye to set aside anything that might be something good.

Cheers,


Buck
 

I had some fantastic pics of them,but lost all of my photos with a recent puter fail.......I somewhere have the top of one of these cans(I believe they are 5 lbers?)with the stopper still installed.......note sent to Ironman though,I know he has a few of them :thumbsup:
 

P.S.--Kuger, I've been meaning to ask you... The horse bit in this photo is a much newer style, correct? Not mid-19th c. or anything?

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Yesterday & had a small piece of broken silver coin & thought finally my first Spanish Silver, nope a Will III....

CONGRATS
 

I may be able to narrow the date range on your 1/2R. The assayer's initials (R-R) appear on your coin. That assayer was not on 1/2R coins of Carlos IV (1788-1808). You need to go back another reign to Carlos III ((1759-1788) to find the assayer on 1/2 R coins. Even then, the mark is found on only 1/2 Rs of 1772 (rare) and 1778-1784; the most probably range of dates for your coin--IMO.
Don.....
 

I may be able to narrow the date range on your 1/2R. The assayer's initials (R-R) appear on your coin. That assayer was not on 1/2R coins of Carlos IV (1788-1808). You need to go back another reign to Carlos III ((1759-1788) to find the assayer on 1/2 R coins. Even then, the mark is found on only 1/2 Rs of 1772 (rare) and 1778-1784; the most probably range of dates for your coin--IMO.
Don.....

Great information! I never thought to look at the assayer initials. I was straining my eyes trying to determine if I could see a II or III after "Carolus." I appreciate your taking the time to check. It's great to be able to narrow it down a bit.

Cheers,


Buckles
 

B.B,I did see that the other day....heck of a wreck there!!!I am at a loss there bud?
 

B.B,I did see that the other day....heck of a wreck there!!!I am at a loss there bud?

No problem. My gut feeling is late 19th/early 20th c., but of course I will keep it in the case and someday will know for sure.

Cheers,

Buck
 

Nice Silver, it does'nt matter about the condition, but the fact it was there.....more to follow I suspect from the cane fields.:icon_thumright: Will does your area have any water supply nearby.:icon_scratch:

SS
 

A silver "Smoothie" looks good to me. I'm still amazed by the finds from that field. HH, Q.
 

Nice Silver, it does'nt matter about the condition, but the fact it was there.....more to follow I suspect from the cane fields.:icon_thumright: Will does your area have any water supply nearby.:icon_scratch:

SS

There is water just about everywhere in Southern Louisiana. If you dug down 3 feet or so you'd hit it. We are at very low elevation here, so there is the Mississippi which is the main water close by, then there are networks of bayous, coulees, and drainage ditches and canals.

None of the water is anything you'd want to drink, but it was at least free of pollution centuries ago (even though it is slow moving). In terms of the Mississippi and major bayous, the early inhabitants here would simply draw off water for drinking, then wait until the sediment had settled and drink the top of it and discard the mud from the bottom of the glass, according to contemporary accounts. Sort of like drinking Turkish Coffee. :D
 

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Great finds! I don't know what looked better the silver or the pie? Congrats on the Spanish!!!:thumbsup:
 

Good videos and Reale! :icon_thumright: ... I return to the kitchen ... your post ​​me hungry! :laughing7:
 

WTG on ur silver BB!! Them r sum givin sites u hav. How r u likin the F75 so far? It seems to b workin for u quite well.. Good luck on ur scoutin and once again CONGRATS.. HH
 

Nice finds Will. You guys are having some fun exploring these large historic sites and saving some interesting history. Good luck you ya'll.
HH
TnMtns
 

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