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Colonial Finds Made Last Sunday @ Mr Brants

Derek752

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Greetings All ...Last Sunday I returned to a very old site I have hunted in the past. It's the site of a very famous Mohawk Indian chiefs home who was prominent during the American Revolution. Now , sadly the owner of the house and property died last May. But his brother has graciously let me indulge myself. Fade back to around 1985. There was an archaeological dig where Indian chiefs home was. What was found was kept by the college that did the dig. NOW ...before the owner passed away the college returned everything to the rightful land owner along with the finds and their complete files concerning the entire history of the area. The brother was kind enough to give me copies of all the files which I read through in one evening. There was more detailed information in the files then I could have dreamed of. I pieced together a few clues and went to a recently harvested field and fired up the Whites. It wasn't long before I started hitting square nails and broken pipe stems. My first good find was the 1785 Nova Constellatio. It is the 2nd one I've found on the property. Next was the Connecticut copper. I believe the date is 1786. Been soaking it in olive oil and more detail is starting to appear. I also dug a small cuff link along with a rusty Jews Harp and several musketballs. Then came the biggie ...the screamer that stayed in the 50 cent piece range ! I half expected a squashed Pepsi can but when I flipped the dirt out popped what I thought was a buckle. Apparently, after brushing off the dirt, it was no buckle. Got it home washed it off with soap and water. I had a notion it was a sword guard and after a quick search on the internet I found an oyster guard on a French officers "epee" very similar to the one I found except the motif is different. I've included photos of the one I found online which shows the entire sword and close ups of the guard. Swords of this type range between 1750's to around 1800. The guard I found depicts 4 different men. Two sitting , one sitting next to a dog , and one man I guess is dancing. It was a great day and the finds were awesome. BTW the brass hook type thing I was told is a belt hook used to hold a flintlock pistol. Has anyone ever seen this type of hook ? This weekend is supposed to be sunny and close to 50 so can you guess where I'll be ? Thanks for looking at my post and HH.
 

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Upvote 8
GREAT finds! The hook thing is a bayonet frog!
 
Ohhhhhh, Maaaaannnnn! Welcome back, D. Man! It is nice to see you back in full Colonial stride. What an amazing array of Colonial digs you found there. I am passion pumped now! Kyle and I have not been out as much this year. We will be back though in full stride soon. Just some family stuff now and the digging will come next in all of it's Colonial PA glory. Welcome back, D.!

Kirk
 
Nice finds, it will always make you smile when you find relics like the ones you found. This site sounds like it had some history, written material on the old sites are a welcome read.:occasion14:
 
What you think is a belt hook looks like a sand casting that hasn't been finished. I don't think it's a belt hook and here are some pictures why I don't think so. Note that that the belt hooks are iron, which doesn't mean there weren't any brass ones, just that I've never seen one. They are attached by a screw or screws. They are mounted on the gun opposite of the lock, and probably more than 90% of the pictures of flintlocks show the lock side only. Look at the pictures and make up your own mind on what you think it is. flintlock belt hook 1.webpflintlock belt hook.webpflintlock belt hook 3.webpflintlock belt hook 2.webpThe first two photos show the hook mounted on the gun, the third picture show a close up of the finial and how the hook is attached to the gun, and the last is looking down from the top of the gun, showing the belt hook at the top of the photo. All four pictures are different guns, the first is an English Sea Service pistol, the second an 1830 US pistol, the fourth is an unknown gun, and the last is Spanish.
 
Now that's a killer site right there! Stunning early sword guard.
 
AWESOME FINDS
 
I've gotta agree with romeo, the hook looks like an early Brown Bess scabbard hook to me.

That guard is great!
 
Way to come back, D. Outstanding.
Chris
 
From Don Troiani's book...bayonet frog.

img2796.webp
 
Really nice! I will be watching for more great finds from that site.
 
Great to be back Kirk'dude.
 
Thanks Iron Patch. How ya been ?
 
Thanks Iron Patch. How ya been ?


I'm good. This post makes me think back to the days with you and Rock digging those cellar holes. You reposted those pics fairly recently right? And I wouldn't be surprise if it was by my request!
 
I haven't put any pix on TNet other then the knife blade I dug several weeks back. And I hate to say it but Rock passed on September 2011. Going out relic hunting just isn't the same anymore. He was the best friend I've ever had.
 
sword belt  clip.webpBrass sword belt clip.
 
I haven't put any pix on TNet other then the knife blade I dug several weeks back. And I hate to say it but Rock passed on September 2011. Going out relic hunting just isn't the same anymore. He was the best friend I've ever had.


Jeeze, that's very surprising as I recall him being a fairly young guy. It's too bad, and must make those digs in the cellar hole memories even more special now.
 

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