Civil War artifacts

[dukeofearl1946]

I found these items around an old homeplace. I think it might have been used as shelter during the war, but has long since disappeared. Here's a pic of a few of the items found. And the land still belongs to private owners. One bullet looks as though someone had to bite the bullet.

 

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[Burdie]

Is that a medical instrument? Really nice finds. WTG HH Burdie

 

[trk5capt]

Cartridge Box Eagle Breast Plate & Bullet Mold. Congrats. trk5capt...

 

[Wetgreenie]

I don't think it's a Med Device. It looks like a round bullet mold to me.
The deal below the hinge would be used for cutting the "sprue" off off of the bullet.
Here is an example I Googled of an uncut bullet sprue.

 

[nhbenz]

Great finds! I especially like the breast plate. Its in great shape for being dug. Those generally had two small loops on the back to affix them. Are they still there?

 

[dukeofearl1946]

Yea ,here's a flip side of the medallion

 

[nhbenz]

Well, incase you were interested, the eBay price would probably be around $125 on the plate, more like $160 if the loops were still on it. Not that many of us sell any of our finds. But its worth more than anything I've ever found -gotta' hit that site some more!

 

[Monty]

I've seen several "breast plates" found on the forum and wonder what they look like on a uniform. Anybody got a pic of a uniform with them in place? Monty

 

[bakergeol]

Great Relics

Usually that distorted lead would be classified as a "carved" bullet. You can see hortizontal cuts on it. Perhaps someone tried to made a chess piece. Bullet looks like Enfield, however, need more specific data, length, diameter, weight interior of cone.

Nice Finds
George

 

[nhbenz]

Monty, here's a pic of where these were generally used: http://www.espd.com/oxhill/Artifacts/cartridgebox/cartridgebox.htm

 

[vrartist]

I found these items around an old homeplace. I think it might have been used as shelter during the war, but has long since disappeared. Here's a pic of a few of the items found. And the land still belongs to private owners. One bullet looks as though someone had to bite the bullet.

Hi, Great finds!

I found several hundred Civil War items in Winchester, Va back in 1971 metal detecting. The bullet you have was pulled out of a rifle with a rod that has what looks like a corkscrew on the end. I've seen many of them and my dad found an actual rod with extractor end (steel/iron).

Just to make you drool I once found a small 10 ft diameter hill that had 7 breastplates, and 4 U.S. belt buckles, all in excellent shape with wires and prongs (buckles). I have a photo of some of my finds in a box somewhere and I'll look for it to post here.

By the way, I am new here and want to get back into detecting. I will be posting an unknown tag I also found back then for id in the id forum.

Nice to meet everyone. - Jack (Tucson)

 

[Roadquest]

Jack, did you ever find the photo with all th buckles?

 

[vrartist]

Jack, did you ever find the photo with all th buckles?

No, not just yet ... (photo) One thing we used to speculate on, related to the Eagle breastplates was that it seems when they were new and polished they would have made a good "target" gleaming in the sun and right there on a soldier's chest ...

The mention of carved bullets is interesting ... once I found one carved like a tooth ... in the same hole I pulled out a clay pipe (the white type) with the thin stem broken off (common) ... and on the same hill (mountain actually) I had researched information about the Revolutionary period landowner who owned the hill and dowsed where he might have gone to look over his property. The information I had found said he rode up the hill on a horse and looked over his acreage ... so I found a rock ledge that had a clear view of his valley acreage and ran the detector over a small clump of grass and dirt between two rocks and voila! a reading ... rolled back the "turf" and there was a Revolutionary era brass shoebuckle! Several years later I saw the same identical buckle in the Peabody Museum, Boston! On the carved bullets ... you can spot the difference between carved bullets and the bullets pulled out of a misfire by the recessed spiral grooves on the bullet, it is very distinctive.

For those of you interested in that hill it was called "Round Hill" and is/was just east of Winchester, Va. just off route 50 (I think 50, anyway the main east/west route through Winchester. Back then 1971 you drove a dirt road to the base and hiked up an old military road (grown over) to the top, and at the top was a signal point camp during the civil war.

 

[trk5capt]

I've seen several "breast plates" found on the forum and wonder what they look like on a uniform. Anybody got a pic of a uniform with them in place? Monty

MONTY, Hope This Helps You Out. trk5capt...

 

[Roadquest]

Cool pics TRK.

 

[montepollock]

Extremely nice finds.comment to vrartist; i have read many references to just what you say,the gleam of hundredsd or thousands of polished acoutrements betraying troop movements to the enemy.
Francis? lord made a reference to the polished musket barrel even at twilight giving away when the uniforms would not be discernable.
Agree that is a round musket ball mold Probably confederate as US soldeirs generally used issued miniballs and had no need to cast bullets.
My only question is why am i sitting here when such magnifigant finds are still out there waiting to be found?
Happy hunting and save some for the rest of us.
Monte

 

[goldencoin]

Well, incase you were interested, the eBay price would probably be around $125 on the plate, more like $160 if the loops were still on it. Not that many of us sell any of our finds. But its worth more than anything I've ever found -gotta' hit that site some more!

I have only a few things worth more than that, but i would rather have found one of thoose. VERY Nice piece of history there.

-GC