Colonial gold...

[cti4sw]

...but I didn't find it

Two friends and I went to a new spot (new for 2 of us, anyway) that once had a hotel used as a Rev. War Colonist encampment. Our host's first dig produced a broken gold ring with the initials "RJ" (or "RL", or "RS" depending on your interpretation).



While I awaited their arrival, I made my first find - this scale faceplate, which was on a nearby hillside that was likely used as a dump. It's inscribed with "Warranted & Made by Morton & Bremner New York". From what I can find, M&B made all manner of scales between the 1840s - 1860s.



Once they showed up, our host took us to the encampment site, where he promptly found the gold ring. Shortly after, I found this perfectly round musket ball, my third ever:



Sorry about the lack of size reference. I can't seem to find my calipers. My best guess is a .68 or .69. I do have a Brown Bess ball that I found once which measures over .70 and this one is not quite as big when put side by side. It is definitely bigger than .50.

Near the musket ball was the front piece to my first eagle button Any info would be appreciated. I know so little about military buttons. It's about the size of a dime or penny.



Finds after the ring, ball, and button were scarce so we migrated downhill where there was once an amusement park. We wandered through the recently-cleared woods, finding nothing but a small trolley rail spike, so we headed back towards the encampment area. On my way out of the former park area I scored my first print plate:



On the left is the original pic, on the right is the flipped pic so you can read it. Not sure what the design is supposed to be, exactly, but it says "Decoration Day." It's about 2" square.

Before we called it quits we hit the encampment one last time, and I found what I believe to be the back half of my button, maybe 25 feet from the front's original hole.



Again, comments or confirmation (that they're 2 halves) would be appreciated.

Thanks for looking & HH

 

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[doninbrewster]

I'm really a coin guy, but you found a nice assortment of relics. Way to go!

 

[treblehunter]

I'd love to see a couple more shots of the ring, were there any marks inside?

Nice finds.

 

[park pirate]

Nice finds...

 

[g-olden years]

Nice variety of finds for you & your pals! Merry Christmas! Andi

 

[pepperj]

Nice looking gold ring, any marks on the inside?

 

[sandchip]

All great finds!

 

[beez0404]

Very nice finds. It was a fun hunt for you guys. I love the print plate.

 

[F75PAHUNTER]

NICE JOB, GREAT STUFF, COOL SCALE PLATE, THERES PROBABLY MORE THERE,,

 

[cti4sw]

I'd love to see a couple more shots of the ring, were there any marks inside?

Nice finds.

That was the only pic I took. There were no marks on the inside, presumably they would have been on the chunk that was missing. What you see is what you get.

 

[cti4sw]

I'm really a coin guy, but you found a nice assortment of relics. Way to go!

Lol Don I'm a coin guy too, and was incredibly disappointed that none of us could tap into the seated/barber hoard from the former amusement park site.

 

[villagenut]

That gold ring is awesome, I would bet that the rest of it is close by. Decoration Day was the former name of what we know as Memorial Day, but how the printing plate was used in connection , no idea.

 

[cti4sw]

That gold ring is awesome, I would bet that the rest of it is close by. Decoration Day was the former name of what we know as Memorial Day, but how the printing plate was used in connection , no idea.

Interesting. I know the plate dates to the 1890 - 1920 period bc that's roughly when the park existed. I suspected that the round thing in the plate may have been a globe, that would correspond to a Memorial Day theme.

 

[MikeDiG]

That ring is gorgeous. The relics are cool also. Thanks for sharing!

 

[cti4sw]

Thanks! Anyone got any ideas about the button(s)?

 

[villagenut]

Interesting. I know the plate dates to the 1890 - 1920 period bc that's roughly when the park existed. I suspected that the round thing in the plate may have been a globe, that would correspond to a Memorial Day theme.

Looks like there are flag/patriotic symbolism on it as well, so it makes sense.

 

[Rich in Central PA]

That looks like a "signet" ring. I believe there are 2 initials/letters written in some type of script. There are all varieties of script, however, I can't nail it down right now, perhaps you can with some checking. Nice find................Rich

 

[cti4sw]

I've seen (although never dug) a signet ring, so I know what they are. We're pretty sure it says RJ, RL, or RS.

No one has any ideas about the button? I should add that the shield on the front resembles that on the reverse of an Indian Head, striped rather than with a unit number. Dunno if that makes a difference or not.

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Because you requested the info... your button is the 1854-1874 version of a US Army "general service" uniform button for Enlisted-men's ranks (non-officers). Going by the photos you posted, it looks like it has its original back in it, and the separate button-back you found is from another button. If you'd found just the front, you'd be able to see a reverse-image of the eagle emblem inside the button's front.

Although the specific type of button you found was issued from 1854 through 1874 (the design of the eagle changed slightly in 1875 - see the different versions in the photo below), yours is most probably from the civil war era. Not many were needed when the US Army was very small during the 1850s, and even fewer needed to be manufactured when the army shrank back to its pre-war size after 1865, because there were millions of leftover ones after the war's end.

 

[Scrappy]

Because you requested the info... your button is the 1854-1874 version of a US Army "general service" uniform button for Enlisted-men's ranks (non-officers). Going by the photos you posted, it looks like it has its original back in it, and the separate button-back you found is from another button. If you'd found just the front, you'd be able to see a reverse-image of the eagle emblem inside the button's front. Although the specific type of button you found was issued from 1854 through 1874 (the design of the eagle changed slightly in 1875 - see the different versions in the photo below), yours is most probably from the civil war era. Not many were needed when the US Army was very small during the 1850s, and even fewer needed to be manufactured when the army shrank back to its pre-war size after 1865, because there were millions of leftover ones after the war's end.

Always a pleasure to hear from you CannonballGuy. I appreciate the history lesson and not just the dates.

Great find with the buttons. I haven't had the pleasure of finding many CW era buttons.