Early Eagle Button, Pewter Spoon, Knee Buckle and much more...

[OutdoorAdv]

After some more research, I decided to spend the weekend hitting some hard hit sites. There were no obvious signals left, so I resorted to working the iron and trying to swing where I typically wouldn't... with the hopes that a coil might have not passed over that soil before. Over the course of Saturday and Sunday, my GPS had me hiking 12 miles which doesn't include the miles I walked while detecting! On Saturday I hiked out with about 40lbs of iron in my pack and on Sunday, about 10lbs. It's hard work, but I was rewarded with a few really nice keepers. Most importantly, I got to spend the weekend outdoors and enjoy some cooler weather.

The group shot! Some of my favorites are the early one piece eagle button, the pewter spoon, knee (hat?) buckle frame, crotal bell, brass wedding ring and early suspender buckles. Whats not pictured is most of the iron keepers that I will work through electrolysis. Somehow a couple rose heads made it into my keeper pouch, but I have a whole mess more that I will tumble.



This is perhaps my favorite button yet and I still have no clue what it is! Its a flat, one piece brass cuff button, cast with an applied shank. I currently have a post open in the "what is it" forum (http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/what/515931-button-experts-early-military-1-piece-brass-cuff.html) so if I get a proper ID on it, I will update this thread. I believe it might be a very early "US Officials Diplomatic Service Button" or something similar.



The backmark is a circle of stars much like the front. You can clearly see the mold seam across the middle



I dig a lot of pewter spoon parts. Bowls, handles, bowls with partial handles... but this is my first complete early pewter spoon from end to end. Still on the lookout for a rattail spoon, but I'm getting closer.



I was very happy with this knee buckle frame. Pins are lengthwise with a nice floral pattern.



This is only my second crotal bell and its huge! Unfortunately its cracked and missing the ball, so there is no ring left in it. When I dug my first one the property owners liked it so much I gave it to them.



A very toasty 1804 DBLC turned up and a beat up CW era coat sized 2 piece General Service button. To the right is a very early brass (wedding) band. It has a solder seam where it was connected together. I've dug 3 or 4 of these brass ones at early sites in the past.







Thanks for looking and happy hunting everyone!

 

[Tommy G]

Really nice finds! Hitting the iron spots really paid off; and you must be in great shape to pack out all of that iron! Congrats, and well done!

 

[Scrappy]

Thanks man! I REALLY appreciate the banner vote, but as with all my finds, I wish to respectively opt any of my finds out of the Banner Process. I don't like to participate in the politics of the whole process and I seem much happier when I just enjoy my finds and the stories that they represent... rather than wondering why something did or didn't make it up top.

I gave you props in the What-Is-It post for the button on the 14 stars part. Thanks for pointing that out. I counted 13 when I was in the field, but I was so excited my vision was probably blurred. ha I didn't realize there was 14 until you pointed it out later in the evening. I sure hope we can get an ID on that button. Half of the things I find I have no clue what they are... typically its a piece of brass something or another. But this button I really want to learn its story and find out what sort person wore it... a patriot? a politician? a soldier? a diplomat?

I have a theory. I'll text u!

 

[OutdoorAdv]

Really nice finds! Hitting the iron spots really paid off; and you must be in great shape to pack out all of that iron! Congrats, and well done!

Thanks Tommy! I do a lot of multi-day backpacking\camping trips... but the ultralight gear I have for backpacking cant stand up to the abuse of metal detecting. Just a couple week's ago I got a new detecting pack. My last detecting pack was the tecknetics backpack and I destroyed it in about two years. Both the shoulder strap buckles blew off while packing out iron. I had the lower strap webbing tied in knots around the upper straps. I decided that I needed to upgrade packs to a very durable one that can stand some abuse. This is kind of the opposite of any pack I own because its heavy and made to be abused. So I had it loaded with iron and it did pretty well.... however I know after a few years I will be replacing the shoulder strap buckles... no matter what, long hikes with lots of iron will take its toll on those plastic parts.

This is the new pack loaded with gear.

 

[Patriot Relics]

Impressive haul of relics Brad, glad to see all the hiking paid off. Being a button guy the diplomatic pewter eagle takes the cake...hopefully the 14 star count might someday lend itself to a definitive ID. Regardless looks great as your avatar

 

[Steve in PA]

Brad, that is a killer button! Looks good in your avatar too. Digging an intact pewter spoon is no easy task. I have only ever found one rat tail, and it is a wonder I didn't hit it with my shovel. It was very deep among roots and rocks.

 

[Rubka888]

Man all this from pounded sites? That is quite an assortment and a lot of nice finds! Congrats on a hard earned hunt!

 

[OutdoorAdv]

Impressive haul of relics Brad, glad to see all the hiking paid off. Being a button guy the diplomatic pewter eagle takes the cake...hopefully the 14 star count might someday lend itself to a definitive ID. Regardless looks great as your avatar

Thanks Jon! Its hard to tell from my pictures, but I'm nearly positive that eagle is brass... its got a dark brown\black patina on it, but a few very small (pin head sized) spots on the patina are missing and it clearly looks brass under there. It sure looks pewter in some of the pictures though. I'm too scared to mess with cleaning it at all. The eagle came out of the dirt just as it is in the pictures, but the back had some caked on dirt. I lightly toothpicked the back and dry brushed it. I'm sure it could stand a little more very light picking, but I'm not messing with it until I know what is it. ha

Brad, that is a killer button! Looks good in your avatar too. Digging an intact pewter spoon is no easy task. I have only ever found one rat tail, and it is a wonder I didn't hit it with my shovel. It was very deep among roots and rocks.

Thanks Steve! I cropped the button from the picture of it from this post and then screen printed the tnet site to ink drop the tnet background color so I could make the button look like its transparent in my avatar! It came out AWESOME I am very lucky with that spoon... it was deep and I also had to move softball sized rocks to get at it. 99% of the time its a big piece of iron when it reads so loud and I get that deep. If it wasnt so thick and durable I am sure it would have broken when I got it out of there.

Man all this from pounded sites? That is quite an assortment and a lot of nice finds! Congrats on a hard earned hunt!

Thanks Rubka888! One of my favorite things is to hit hard hit sites and see whats left. I work the iron slow and take breaks swinging outside the patch since all the grunts are mentally fatiguing to listen to. About three years ago I read this article Dankowski: Behind The Mask Experiment and it changed the way I look at every site. We leave behind WAY more than we take from any site when the "good" tones dry up. I have proven those masking results time and time again at many sites. I just buckle down and dig iron and before you know it, you'll get a surprise! Of course eventually a site will reach diminishing returns where the amount of iron you have to remove for a couple buttons is no longer as enjoyable, but its still the challenge that I really enjoy.

 

[CRUSADER]

First one I've seen posted, so better than a GW.

Big congrats, you got the hardest of combinations - rarity & condition!

Might turn out to be banner time.....watch this space....

 

[BARKER]

HI OA; AWESOME BUTTON.!!! SWEET. I love it. There are 14 Stars on the Button. That means the 14th State was Vermont in 1791. The 15th State was Kentucky in 1792. I believe that puts your Button Squarely made in 1791. I searched the Gutenberg Project with no luck. Here is a FASCINATING Link about the entire Mohawk Valley Campaigns, Uniforms, Battles, Skirmishes, People, Settlements etc.
Here is that Link: Three Rivers, Hudson, Mohawk, Schoharie

I'm still searching. I'll find that button if it kills me.!!! PEACE:RONB

 

[KELLYCO*SCUBA*CHRIS]

Awesome Finds!! Keep us posted when you dig some more!

 

[Gridwalker306]

Damn that is a sexy button! That deserves a place up top, so I am voting banner.

Over the years my appreciation for buttons has grown, and a button like that really gets the juices flowing.

Great job recovering all those finds!

 

[DownNDirty]

Man it sounds like you worked your a** off Brad, but you really found some good stuff in a "hunted out" area. Of course that button is king but some of the other buttons aren't half bad. I really like the knee buckle and the complete pewter spoon. Great job!

 

[Iron Patch]

I see you finally got the guts to clean the dirt off it. Good choice.

 

[Gaspipe]

wow nice haul

 

[DirtStalker]

 

[Randyg12]

I'm green with Envy I love you setup! Think I'm going to pull the trigger on a Deus! Super finds!

 

[BARKER]

Hi OA; Given the fact that non one can ID the button I believe that that makes the button Ultra Rare. It is by far one of the Sweetest buttons I have seen to date. I spent 4 solid hours trying to find it with no luck YET.!!! Thus I hereby Vote for BANNER for it as an 1791 Vermont 14 Star Pewter Eagle Button. I believe a find of this caliber deserves such a Vote. My Vote is in NOW. CONGRATS.!!! PEACE:RONB

 

[DirtStalker]

Damn that is a sexy button! That deserves a place up top, so I am voting banner.

Over the years my appreciation for buttons has grown, and a button like that really gets the juices flowing.

Great job recovering all those finds!

I totally agree with J Cache. Awesome find. Vote in.

 

[Pacivilwarluke]

Love these finds! I also see something in the bottom right that reminds me of a tintype photograph, with the clipped corners. I dug an 1/8th plate one from a civil war site, perhaps if you measure it you would get dimensions that would match the set plate sizes of the period! I will try to get nack to you on that button, but that looks really good to me! I'm thinking diplomatic also, though I suppose it could be militia. Killer finds!

 

[OutdoorAdv]

First one I've seen posted, so better than a GW.

Big congrats, you got the hardest of combinations - rarity & condition!

Might turn out to be banner time.....watch this space....

Thanks a ton Cru! Means a lot hearing you say its the first one you've seen posted man. Of all the buttons I've dug in this soil, this one was hands down in the best condition. I've started to reach out to some other resources, so hopefully we can get an ID on this thing.

HI OA; AWESOME BUTTON.!!! SWEET. I love it. There are 14 Stars on the Button. That means the 14th State was Vermont in 1791. The 15th State was Kentucky in 1792. I believe that puts your Button Squarely made in 1791. I searched the Gutenberg Project with no luck. Here is a FASCINATING Link about the entire Mohawk Valley Campaigns, Uniforms, Battles, Skirmishes, People, Settlements etc.
Here is that Link: Three Rivers, Hudson, Mohawk, Schoharie

I'm still searching. I'll find that button if it kills me.!!! PEACE:RONB

Thank you Barker! I really appreciate you taking the time to look into this button man. I think it will end up being a variation on the US Diplomatic Buttons, however perhaps its an earlier version that what is in the Alberts book. Interesting link with a wealth of information there.

Awesome Finds!! Keep us posted when you dig some more!

Thanks Scuba Chris! I will absolutely keep everyone here posted when I get back out there.