Drats - the gnats! Assorted relics, junque, and cool button

Mayo South Elgin

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Location
South Elgin IL
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MineLab
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Tim was the navigator today and he guided me to drive in and around alleys and back roads of places that haven't seen civilization since man was civilized. We made so many turns and checked out so many places that I have no idea where we were (and I think Tim planned it like that so I could never get back there) but he knew exactly where we were and what the history of the place was.

We wound up in a neighborhood that had signs posted about everything that you could not do. Shortly after we first arrived and started swinging our coils gingerly in the wood chip mulch along the bushes, a clenched cheek khaki pants wearing corporate/bureaucrat/salaried employee type of desk job guy pulled up and got out of his vehicle and took a leisurely stroll past us on the guise that he was inspecting the river's edge or the geese of the height of the grass or the out gassing of the rotting vegetation at the water's edge. But I suspect one of the neighbors probably called someone at some agency at some village office who promptly dispatched Reginald VanCleave III (or whatever his name was) to check us out and make sure we weren't destroying NATURE.

The inspector did his inspecting and evidently didn't find anything out of place and so he made his way casually out of the park, eyeballing us as he left. It's nice to know that we measured up to expectations. My pinpointing is now getting down to basketball sized holes and as long as people don't look down they would never have known I was there.

OK so that was the "just slightly embellished" part of the story to make a slim pickins kind of morning hunt sound a little more interesting. I did manage to get a real nice button. I'm debating the lemon juice treatment since there is some crud on the face but I'm reluctant to do it in case it changes the sheen - I kind of like how it is now but I think there is lettering on the ribbon ends that the eagle is holding and it's obscured by the mineral crud. The wording on the back is
The Austin Co, Providence R.I. Any ideas on the age?

Other things found there and at another site are identified in the group photo - the plastic dime being a surface find and the funny part of that is it has COPY in raised letters across it as if you wouldn't realize it was fake.
The ID Bracelet has part of another chain - small, fine links attached to it as if maybe a girl had attached her boyfriend's ID Bracelet to her neck chain and it broke and fell off.

I think the lighter may have been part of an ashtray but that's the only part of it I found.
Got one wheatie, 1945

The Dude Abides, the silver eludes.
 

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Another fine cladventure indeed. Fishing folk, sweet young things with car trouble, city cleanup crews with portable wind tunnels, etc.. 10 quarters were my highlight!

Sent you the best backmark link I have though it doesn't list the Austin Co. Providence R.I. so go look around the buttons forum and you might get some better info. Tomorrow we hit the low ground, where ever that is. Weather permitting.
 

I like your style Dude... :icon_pirat:
 

REAL NICE BUTTON AND ALOT OF UNIQUE ITEMS!
 

Arrrrgggg... heavy rain again. Nice hunt however. Tomorrow may be a mud bowl.
 

Cool diggins Mayo. Maybe Mr.Khaki pants needed a hand shake after you've dug your finds. Had some eyes watching me today also.
 

Your button is a Great Seal button. The US army started using that type of button in 1902. I can't find any info on The Austin Co making any buttons. I believe your button dates about WWI though.
 

Great story, Mayo. Really enjoyed reading the tales and I'm glad you took us along.
 

You'll be getting to the "good layer" (the Bust's & Seated's) any
time now since you've cleared out all the riff-raff :wink:

Still cool stuff though :)
 

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