Early Western Frontier Site with epic finds!

[Cal_Cobra]

I was able to get a little detecting road-trip in with TomCA for some relic hunting at some early western frontier sites, and ended up having a great hunt!

I ended up going sasquach through super heavy brush in search of the goods and it didn't disappoint! It may have been an all time record for me for buttons, not only in quantity but I also ended up digging some rarities! Although not the best find of the trip, I dug a super old 1600's-1700's SILVER decorative button! I've seen these found at Colonial cellar hole sites on the east coast and over seas, but never seen one dug out here. I absolutely LOVE IT!!

This heavy cast suspender buckle was a fun find as well. No idea what the back story is on it, but it appears to have an iron cross or it's been suggested that perhaps it's a Knights Templar insignia (?).

The prize of the trip is this No. 28 large Phoenix button, and it turns out that of the 94 various types of Phoenix buttons this particular one is one of the rarest! Tom recently did a research project to ascertain the rarity of the 94 different types of Phoenix buttons, I've linked his excellent article here: Phoenix Button Rarity

All told I ended up digging eight period buttons, and possibly nine with a potential large Phoenix button dug that's in a coin or button cookie soaking loosen up the crud. I documented the cleaning of this artifact to reveal it's true identity here:

The Great "Coin Cookie" Relic Recovery Experiment - Trash or Treasure??​

I dug this octagon shaped "dodad" depicting a person kneeling, possibly holding a rifle. No idea what it is, it's 3cm wide.

Here's the period scrapies, green blacksmith'd copper bits, the obligatory rim-fire, etc. Any idea what the item on the far left is? I'm thinking perhaps part of a Chinese lock or something? I added another photo showing another view of it. Tom thinks it's a gun part, I still think it's some kind of Chinese lock or something similar.

I haven't cleaned anything yet really, was thinking it would be fun to order a set of Andre's cleaning pencils to restore some of these items and see how they work.

Perhaps Tom will post his finds too.

2021 isn't over yet!!

GL&HH,
Cal

 

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[Silvermonkey]

What a stellar hunt Cal _Cobra! Great finds all around, but I' really enjoying the Phoenix button. Wow!

 

[Digger RJ]

I was able to get a little detecting road-trip in with TomCA for some relic hunting at some early western frontier sites, and ended up having a great hunt!

I ended up going sasquach through super heavy brush in search of the goods and it didn't disappoint! It may have been an all time record for me for buttons, not only in quantity but I also ended up digging some rarities! Although not the best find of the trip, I dug a super old 1600's-1700's SILVER decorative button! I've seen these found at Colonial cellar hole sites on the east coast and over seas, but never seen one dug out here. I absolutely LOVE IT!!

This heavy cast suspender buckle was a fun find as well. No idea what the back story is on it, but it appears to have an iron cross or it's been suggested that perhaps it's a Knights Templar insignia (?).

The prize of the trip is this No. 28 large Phoenix button, and it turns out that of the 94 various types of Phoenix buttons this particular one is one of the rarest! Tom recently did a research project to ascertain the rarity of the 94 different types of Phoenix buttons, I've linked his excellent article here: Phoenix Button Rarity

All told I ended up digging eight period buttons, and possibly nine with a potential large Phoenix button dug that's in a coin or button cookie soaking loosen up the crud. I documented the cleaning of this artifact to reveal it's true identity here:

The Great "Coin Cookie" Relic Recovery Experiment - Trash or Treasure??​

I dug this octagon shaped "dodad" depicting a person kneeling, possibly holding a rifle. No idea what it is, it's 3cm wide.

Here's the period scrapies, green blacksmith'd copper bits, the obligatory rim-fire, etc. Any idea what the item on the far left is? I'm thinking perhaps part of a Chinese lock or something? I added another photo showing another view of it. Tom thinks it's a gun part, I still think it's some kind of Chinese lock or something similar.

I haven't cleaned anything yet really, was thinking it would be fun to order a set of Andre's cleaning pencils to restore some of these items and see how they work.

Perhaps Tom will post his finds too.

2021 isn't over yet!!

GL&HH,
Cal

Very Nice!! Congrats!!

 

[crashbandicoot]

Great top notch buttons. sasquatching paid off for you.

 

[Red_desert]

Southwestern buttons can be in such excellent condition.

 

[pepperj]

Top shelf quality finds, congrats on the recoveries.

 

[CRUSADER]

Great trip & nice finds - congrats.

The silver button (not sure if one half of a cufflink[they normally are], but doesn't look quite right) has me stumped. Why do you think 17th C?
It has an off-centre shank, but doesn't look drilled?
I've not seen this type, so maybe not British?
I would have placed it in the 18th C.
Look forward to the source of the attribution, so I can learn more?

 

[dognose]

very nice finds. Like the buttons

 

[jewelerguy]

the silver button is cool, but I tend to lean more towards it being part of a cuff link. I think the maltese cross on the suspender buckle is just for decorative design. Personally I'd date it around 1880-ish. Maltese cross design elements seemed to be pretty popular around that period as seen in some cast iron items and tin ceiling tiles and whatnot

 

[JeffInMass]

Guess you certainly proved you don't have to be on the east coast to find amazing things- Huge Congrats!!

 

[oldmxrat]

Amazing bunch of finds for the left coast, congrats!

 

[Yang Hao]

I was able to get a little detecting road-trip in with TomCA for some relic hunting at some early western frontier sites, and ended up having a great hunt!

I ended up going sasquach through super heavy brush in search of the goods and it didn't disappoint! It may have been an all time record for me for buttons, not only in quantity but I also ended up digging some rarities! Although not the best find of the trip, I dug a super old 1600's-1700's SILVER decorative button! I've seen these found at Colonial cellar hole sites on the east coast and over seas, but never seen one dug out here. I absolutely LOVE IT!!

This heavy cast suspender buckle was a fun find as well. No idea what the back story is on it, but it appears to have an iron cross or it's been suggested that perhaps it's a Knights Templar insignia (?).

The prize of the trip is this No. 28 large Phoenix button, and it turns out that of the 94 various types of Phoenix buttons this particular one is one of the rarest! Tom recently did a research project to ascertain the rarity of the 94 different types of Phoenix buttons, I've linked his excellent article here: Phoenix Button Rarity

All told I ended up digging eight period buttons, and possibly nine with a potential large Phoenix button dug that's in a coin or button cookie soaking loosen up the crud. I documented the cleaning of this artifact to reveal it's true identity here:

The Great "Coin Cookie" Relic Recovery Experiment - Trash or Treasure??​

I dug this octagon shaped "dodad" depicting a person kneeling, possibly holding a rifle. No idea what it is, it's 3cm wide.

Here's the period scrapies, green blacksmith'd copper bits, the obligatory rim-fire, etc. Any idea what the item on the far left is? I'm thinking perhaps part of a Chinese lock or something? I added another photo showing another view of it. Tom thinks it's a gun part, I still think it's some kind of Chinese lock or something similar.

I haven't cleaned anything yet really, was thinking it would be fun to order a set of Andre's cleaning pencils to restore some of these items and see how they work.

Perhaps Tom will post his finds too.

2021 isn't over yet!!

GL&HH,
Cal

My guess... it's not a Chinese lock.

 

[E-Trac-Ohio]

Great finds !

 

[CC Hunter]

The little silver “button” is likely one half of an 18th Century cufflink, being originally connected to another identical one with a silver link. Similar ones have turned up at Colonial sites in the Eastern US. The shank is unusually chunky though compared to the styles of early cufflinks generally recovered from Colonial sites that I have seen. Possibly could be early Mexican manufacture. I have noted in study on 18th and early 19th Century Mexican buttons that the shanks and manufacturing styles differ somewhat from most early American and European buttons.

The little brass mystery item is indeed the inside end portion of a Chinese lock (a portion of the top bar is broken off - see attached photo).

Warm hydrogen peroxide works wonders on cleaning brass and copper, usually without damaging the patina. A small microwave safe dish with enough hydrogen peroxide to cover the object, placed in the microwave for a minute or so (minus the relic of course, unless you want a fun show of sparks), is all that is needed. The metal object placed in the H2O2 bath will fizzle like Alka Seltzer tablets for a few minutes. Sometimes you can actually see the crust fizzle right off! Periodic toothpick and light toothbrush work helps, then repeat with the bath. When the fizzle begins to slow, heat it up again.

 

[crashbandicoot]

The little silver “button” is likely one half of an 18th Century cufflink, being originally connected to another identical one with a silver link. Similar ones have turned up at Colonial sites in the Eastern US. The shank is unusually chunky though compared to the styles of early cufflinks generally recovered from Colonial sites that I have seen. Possibly could be early Mexican manufacture. I have noted in study on 18th and early 19th Century Mexican buttons that the shanks and manufacturing styles differ somewhat from most early American and European buttons.

The little brass mystery item is indeed the inside end portion of a Chinese lock (a portion of the top bar is broken off - see attached photo).

Warm hydrogen peroxide works wonders on cleaning brass and copper, usually without damaging the patina. A small microwave safe dish with enough hydrogen peroxide to cover the object, placed in the microwave for a minute or so (minus the relic of course, unless you want a fun show of sparks), is all that is needed. The metal object placed in the H2O2 bath will fizzle like Alka Seltzer tablets for a few minutes. Sometimes you can actually see the crust fizzle right off! Periodic toothpick and light toothbrush work helps, then repeat with the bath. When the fizzle begins to slow, heat it up again.

Thanks for that little tip on cleaning,I,ll file that one away for future reference.Nice history bit on the cufflinks too.I enjoy those.

 

[Cal_Cobra]

Great trip & nice finds - congrats.

The silver button (not sure if one half of a cufflink[they normally are], but doesn't look quite right) has me stumped. Why do you think 17th C?
It has an off-centre shank, but doesn't look drilled?
I've not seen this type, so maybe not British?
I would have placed it in the 18th C.
Look forward to the source of the attribution, so I can learn more?

Thanks Crusader! We dated the silver button based on the shank style dating chart in the Tice button book. It could well be a cuff-link, which would be great because in theory the other part shouldn't be too far away.

 

[CRUSADER]

Thanks Crusader! We dated the silver button based on the shank style dating chart in the Tice button book. It could well be a cuff-link, which would be great because in theory the other part shouldn't be too far away.

OK, but I think I like CC Hunters idea that its an 18th C Mexican Cuff-link, or at least not of British manufacture. One more thing to add to it's oddity for the period is how deeply they have incised the decoration on the front face.

 

[Cal_Cobra]

The little silver “button” is likely one half of an 18th Century cufflink, being originally connected to another identical one with a silver link. Similar ones have turned up at Colonial sites in the Eastern US. The shank is unusually chunky though compared to the styles of early cufflinks generally recovered from Colonial sites that I have seen. Possibly could be early Mexican manufacture. I have noted in study on 18th and early 19th Century Mexican buttons that the shanks and manufacturing styles differ somewhat from most early American and European buttons.

The little brass mystery item is indeed the inside end portion of a Chinese lock (a portion of the top bar is broken off - see attached photo).

Warm hydrogen peroxide works wonders on cleaning brass and copper, usually without damaging the patina. A small microwave safe dish with enough hydrogen peroxide to cover the object, placed in the microwave for a minute or so (minus the relic of course, unless you want a fun show of sparks), is all that is needed. The metal object placed in the H2O2 bath will fizzle like Alka Seltzer tablets for a few minutes. Sometimes you can actually see the crust fizzle right off! Periodic toothpick and light toothbrush work helps, then repeat with the bath. When the fizzle begins to slow, heat it up again.

Thanks CC, I always appreciate you sharing your insightful expertise on these relics we cherish so much. I agree with you and Crusader that the silver "button" is very likely a cuff-link. Given the history of the site, it's very possible the silver piece was either of Spanish, other European, or possibly very early Mexican (New Spain) manufacture. To me it's a super early Nueva California find. I'll definitely see if I can find the other half to it on my return, that would be a great reunion. This site has produced everything from reales, to gold rush era buckles.

 

[Cal_Cobra]

OK, but I think I like CC Hunters idea that its an 18th C Mexican Cuff-link, or at least not of British manufacture. One more thing to add to it's oddity for the period is how deeply they have incised the decoration on the front face.

Interestingly, and probably not obvious from my photo, but on the bottom of the incised parts of the decoration, it's further hand decorated with fields of little dots, and the parameter rim originally had an engraved pattern to give it the appearance of rope [?], but it's a bit worn and/or didn't pick up well in the photo.

 

[Scrappy]

Looks like you got into a little old button stock, and that silver button is certainly a beaut. It may be difficult to date that to the 17th century but perhaps the 18th. Many drilled buttons were cast as one piece, then drilled, so perhaps it’s not quite as old as a traditional drilled shank. However, judging from the thickness perhaps it was a repurposed reale or other coin? Maybe the backside could shed some clues. Either way, stellar find!!!