CS Buckle from the Battle of Ebay

[JDug]

I dug this gem up with my PayPal set on all buckle mode.

 

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[capt-zero]

JDug,
If my humble opinion counts for anything, do whatever you need to make your hobby fulfilling and let the others do what they need. If one is a purist and only places value on those things wrested from the soil with sweat and toil, fine. However, if one's hobby places the value on the relics themselves and the history they represent any way that they can come by them, that's great too. The wonderful thing about a hobby is that it is the hobbyists themselves who define their own hobby, not others. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I'm obsessed by engravings, and yes, I get a greater thrill from finding a special piece on my own at a local sale, but if there is some artist's work I crave and I can only find it by "cheating" (ebay, ect. lol), then that's what I'll do. My obsession is for the art, not how I come by it.

 

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[JDug]

The patina on the buckle does NOT look artificial. To me it looks genuine. Fakers want the patina to look old old old, this one only looks old old. Definitly sat in the ground. I would say 100% authentic just from my little expierence, however don't use my determination, as I am by far no expert.

Nice find!

HH
MrSchulz

I see in your 2012 finds signature that you found a 1914 D. Congrats, what kind of shape was it in?

 

[JDug]

JDug,
If my humble opinion counts for anything, do whatever you need to make your hobby fulfilling and let the others do what they need. If one is a purist and only places value on those things wrested from the soil with sweat and toil, fine. However, if one's hobby places the value on the relics themselves and the history they represent any way that they can come by them, that's great too. The wonderful thing about a hobby is that it is the hobbyists themselves who define their own hobby, not others. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I'm obsessed by engravings, and yes, I get a greater thrill from finding a special piece on my own at a local sale, but if there is some artist's work I crave and I can only find it by "cheating" (ebay, ect. lol), then that's what I'll do. My obsession is for the art, not how I come by it.

I live and let live for the most part. I started out buying coins and when the price of gold and silver got too high I bought a metal detector to find my own coins. I fell in love with relic hunting along the way. Money is something I have a little of, and good places to hunt is not, so I'll lease a place if I have to or resort to eBay to get my fix.

 

[flintchip]

I bet there's a whole lot of people who travel to the UK who would disagree. Many people can't get on great sites for various reasons and if they have the money to buy their way on, why not do it. Back when I started detecting, and my friends and I were in full out addiction mode, we talked about how great it would be buying certain property just to be able to hunt it. If we could have just paid $100 to do it that's a whole lot easier!

JDUG and Iron Patch, I mean no disrespect to either of you when I say that what is going on in this hobby today turns my stomach. Ironpatch, one the reasons people can't get on great sites is certain "MD Hobbiest" have begun to pay for the privelege to hunt properties. It has gone on in my neck of the woods. There was a certain group of men going from property owner to property owner offering money to hunt. They were granted permission to alot of sites and you would see everything they found on EBAY. The funny thing about it was that all they would have needed to do was ask permission. Now, if farmer "A" accepts money to hunt his field and tells farmer "B" about it, then farmer "B" expects to be paid. Word travels fast. It reminds me of lease hunting. Pay $1500 and kill a deer. Pay $$$$ and get to MD on huge tracts in Virginia fo a weekend. There was a day when asking permission to hunt that deer was all that was required. Iron Patch, going to the UK, to MD, is a little different than going down the road from your own home. You're paying a company to take you to sites, in a foreign country, that you would probably have never had the chance to hunt for a lack of local knowledge of the area or just the fact you can't drive to England after work. Anyway, to each his own.

 

[creskol]

JDUG and Iron Patch, I mean no disrespect to either of you when I say that what is going on in this hobby today turns my stomach. Ironpatch, one the reasons people can't get on great sites is certain "MD Hobbiest" have begun to pay for the privelege to hunt properties. It has gone on in my neck of the woods. There was a certain group of men going from property owner to property owner offering money to hunt. They were granted permission to alot of sites and you would see everything they found on EBAY. The funny thing about it was that all they would have needed to do was ask permission. Now, if farmer "A" accepts money to hunt his field and tells farmer "B" about it, then farmer "B" expects to be paid. Word travels fast. It reminds me of lease hunting. Pay $1500 and kill a deer. Pay $$$$ and get to MD on huge tracts in Virginia fo a weekend. There was a day when asking permission to hunt that deer was all that was required. Iron Patch, going to the UK, to MD, is a little different than going down the road from your own home. You're paying a company to take you to sites, in a foreign country, that you would probably have never had the chance to hunt for a lack of local knowledge of the area or just the fact you can't drive to England after work. Anyway, to each his own.

I view it in the same light as I do mineral rights. The land owner, unless previously held by another entity, holds the rights to the minerals, oils, gasses, and anything else (except water) that lies below the earth's surface. Although some areas are "richer" than others, all are in finite amounts, and therefore can be depleted. Except for the history behind them, relics are pretty much the same way. Why should a landowner not be compensated for allowing a drilling crew, a quarry operation, or a relic hunter to enter their property and deplete their buried assets? Why, in this day and age, would one "expect" a landowner to give them a free pass? Granted, it is nice when they do, but having been at this game for over 40 years, the trend to want some sort of compensation has grown immeasurably. The compensation doesn't always have to be in dollars, either .. I once was granted permission to hunt a property in exchange for painting the landowner's barn..a deal good for him and a deal good for me..we both benefited. I am afraid the days of expecting something for nothing are just about over!

 

[JDug]

JDUG and Iron Patch, I mean no disrespect to either of you when I say that what is going on in this hobby today turns my stomach. Ironpatch, one the reasons people can't get on great sites is certain "MD Hobbiest" have begun to pay for the privelege to hunt properties. It has gone on in my neck of the woods. There was a certain group of men going from property owner to property owner offering money to hunt. They were granted permission to alot of sites and you would see everything they found on EBAY. The funny thing about it was that all they would have needed to do was ask permission. Now, if farmer "A" accepts money to hunt his field and tells farmer "B" about it, then farmer "B" expects to be paid. Word travels fast. It reminds me of lease hunting. Pay $1500 and kill a deer. Pay $$$$ and get to MD on huge tracts in Virginia fo a weekend. There was a day when asking permission to hunt that deer was all that was required. Iron Patch, going to the UK, to MD, is a little different than going down the road from your own home. You're paying a company to take you to sites, in a foreign country, that you would probably have never had the chance to hunt for a lack of local knowledge of the area or just the fact you can't drive to England after work. Anyway, to each his own.

It's the unstoppable future. Just look at deer hunting. The land leases for that have sky rocketed, and a payed Boone & Crocket hunt for a 200 inch plus buck is over 20k. AND THAT IS A RENEWABLE RESOURCE, CW RELICS AREN'T.
I say the landowner should be compensated, after all he's giving you a chance to pursue your passion and that's priceless.

 

[oldsalty19]

 

[flintchip]

It's the unstoppable future. Just look at deer hunting. The land leases for that have sky rocketed, and a payed Boone & Crocket hunt for a 200 inch plus buck is over 20k. AND THAT IS A RENEWABLE RESOURCE, CW RELICS AREN'T.
I say the landowner should be compensated, after all he's giving you a chance to pursue your passion and that's priceless.

JDUG and Creskol,


Both of you make good points. When I dug my first Minie Ball some 20+ years ago, it was a feeling that I can't describe.
Today, my son and I were forunate enough to dig 12 of them. He loves it as much as myself. The problem with the way things are going today is I'm afraid he and his someday children will be shutout of this hobby altogether, because they simply can't afford it. It's a shame what this world is coming to. But I know as well as y'all do that money talks and the not so wealthy walk. May sound funny but sometimes I wish that the things we find only had historical value. Good luck and God bless.

 

[JDug]

JDUG and Creskol,


Both of you make good points. When I dug my first Minie Ball some 20+ years ago, it was a feeling that I can't describe.
Today, my son and I were forunate enough to dig 12 of them. He loves it as much as myself. The problem with the way things are going today is I'm afraid he and his someday children will be shutout of this hobby altogether, because they simply can't afford it. It's a shame what this world is coming to. But I know as well as y'all do that money talks and the not so wealthy walk. May sound funny but sometimes I wish that the things we find only had historical value. Good luck and God bless.

What an amazing feeling it must be to pass on and share your passion with your son. You are turely more wealthy then most of us.

 

[hamiddetecting]

Sweet find!

 

[JohnnyRebCSA]

Wasn't 'throwing rocks' or downgrading his purchase....am just concerned about what he has. Notice the wreath has a different patina than the tongue, hence, I believe they are married. If out of the ground from two different spots with different mineralization then they will have unlike patinas. From the same hole then both pieces should have the same patina. Look at the pictures of the backside. Patina is totally different from the front. That scares me. Also, the green patina on the tongue is a much brighter tone than what you normally see. This is why I felt the 'salt' test would be in order. Look at the belt loop portion on the tongue. See how the patina on the top of the flat is green? Now look inside that same loop and it is....brown. Ouch! Looks fishy, extremely fishy, to me. You have forked out some good cash for it so I certainly would have it checked for chemicalization.

I'm not an expert on buckles.....I've just picked Larry Hicklen's brain as much as possible concerning these things. I hope everything works out but I see things that concern me. My best to you! I love the CSA, too.

 

[Hutch911]

I dig in that area ALLOT and Relics in that hot Culpeper ground come out all kinds of colors. Brown, dark green light green and even blueish green.. My relics case looks like a crayon box. you can dig two items 5 feet apart and they will not look the same. Cleaning relics in that red clay is tricky you try to get the red dirt off and remove 1/2 of the patina then you end up with a multi color relics. I know of MANY 2 piece CS buckles dug in that area and they all look very close to the item in question. Just my observation.

 

[JDug]

I'll take any opinion , good or bad. I still have 10 days to return it if necessary. Tomorrow night is our club meeting and there's a few dealers coming that are going to give me their opinion.

 

[capt-zero]

Jdug,

Just thought I'd mention this in case you weren't aware, which you probably are, but some here might not be. The notary seal on the coa just means that a Mr. Ronald W. Meadows did indeed sign the document and provided identification for that fact. In no way does it factualize the document. Not having any expertise in CW relics, though, I still think you made a great buy.

 

[JDug]

Jdug,

Just thought I'd mention this in case you weren't aware, which you probably are, but some here might not be. The notary seal on the coa just means that a Mr. Ronald W. Meadows did indeed sign the document and provided identification for that fact. In no way does it factualize the document. Not having any expertise in CW relics, though, I still think you made a great buy.

Not to mention it doesn't refer to this particular buckle with pictures but a group of buckles. I did find Ron Meadows on another detecting site, and his phone #. I'll call him tomorrow.

 

[JDug]

We had our relic club meeting tonight and everyone said it was at best a married piece. It was about 50 / 50 on its authenticity. I need to take it to Harry Ridgeway , I guess.

 

[JDug]

Good news, I found Ronald Meadows on another treasure site. He said he Dug the wreath and his digging buddy Randy McMahon dug the tonge 20 feet away. Ron did not clean his wreath but Randy cleaned the tonge. Ron traded for the tonge later and sold it to the gentlemen I bought it from.

 

[Bry]

I posted an article on Chinese counterfeits,,,they will copy anything they can make a buck on,,read it,,,I hope you didnt get the shaft!

 

[SCdigger]

If Ron Meadows is the digger/seller, then I have confidence the buckle is real.

 

[kuger]

I posted an article on Chinese counterfeits,,,they will copy anything they can make a buck on,,read it,,,I hope you didnt get the shaft!

These buckles are copied right here in the good ole US