Etched Brass Pistol Butt Cap, Watch Winder, Ugly Flying Eagle

[Ahab8]

Went out for a few hours in the 90 degree sun yesterday. I didn't last too long. Find of the day was another first. A really nice brass pistol butt cap. It's pretty bent and I'm not sure if I will try to straighten it. Opinions are welcome. Also found a watch winder and my first Flying Eagle. It's absolutely hideous!

 

[against the wind]

Excellent finds Ahab.
The pistol button is not a very common find. An engraved pistol button is even less common.
The Flying Eagle Cent is a most Excellent Find.
Congratulations.

 

[Ahab8]

Or he could have been in a fight with a big mammajamma lobsta' bub! I hear stories that in colonial Maine lobstas used to eat peoples dogs.

Eat more Lobsta' and cheers Ahab

Haha you and I would get along good. One of my good friends is a lobster dealer and owns a wharf on Bailey Island here in midcoast Maine. So I eat plenty of lobster as Scrappy well knows cause he's had some on his visits to Maine. I also worked on Vinalhaven for a year building a huge log cabin for a lobsterman. He had a lobster claw the size of a damn air conditioner. Apparently that's all this lobster could fit in the trap. When they pulled it to the boat it ripped his claw off and that's what came up. It was proudly displayed on his wall with several other interesting ocean treasures. He had 2 massive saws from the strange sawfish as well. But that lobster would have been absolutely enormous.

 

[Ahab8]

Congrats on your finds.

Thanks buddy

 

[Ahab8]

My vote is 'no' for straightening that butt cap. If you heated it, the amazing patina would be destroyed. The story is how did that sucker get bent? Having the privileged info of knowing where it was found, I highly doubt it was bent after the drop. I imagine it was bent pistol whipping a savage or perhaps a bear. Dunno - **** like that can make ya think. Nice find man - a pistol butt cap is on my list. Cheers bud

Yeah I agree with leaving it as is. That way the piece makes you create your own visions of how it became so mangled. That is thick brass too. It didn't get that way easily. It wasn't all that far away from the old brass pistol barrel. These people liked they're brass firearms apparently

 

[Ahab8]

Great finds! I'd love to find a pistol butt cap. Looks like a great hunt! [emoji106]

HH, RN

Hope you get one some day buddy

 

[Ahab8]

Nice finds there Captain Ahab!. I love the pistol butt cap...a very unique find. I'm also jealous of your toasty flying eagle cent. Have never found one myself, but hopefully one day.

Ha toasty is right! It's crazy that I can find a beautiful gilted Militia button 20 feet away that's perfect and this ugly ass coin that I almost couldn't id

 

[Ahab8]

Abe--LOL--I thought the pistol cap was a door knob! Oh dear. Very pretty design. Congrats on a cool hunt. -Lisa & John

Haha you crack me up. Between your colonial time frame and this funny identification you keep me smiling. That's why you guys need to continue posting your finds. You may dig up the holy grail and need us to id it lol

 

[Ahab8]

Very nice finds congrats

Thanks Art

 

[Ahab8]

That is a FUGLY Flyer Nice watch key, I'd bet its Gooooold

Yes this is one of the ugliest you'll ever see. Hopefully my next is not this damn ugly

 

[Ahab8]

View attachment 1461471

Thanks Casper. You been in the water much? Finally getting some hot weather

 

[Ahab8]

FANTASTIC butt cap!!!! You seldom see designed ones!

Thanks man. You have the nicest one I've ever seen

 

[treblehunter]

Nice finds Abe, I'd straighten that butt plate back, most of the patina would remain if you do it right, just me, little OCD. I need things just right. Nice FE Cent, some of our greater Banner hunters have never even found one of those, so any FE is better than no FE in my book.

 

[Scrappy]

Nice finds Abe, I'd straighten that butt plate back, most of the patina would remain if you do it right, just me, little OCD. I need things just right. Nice FE Cent, some of our greater Banner hunters have never even found one of those, so any FE is better than no FE in my book.

I feel bad for those hunters. Hopefully all their friends don't rub it in their faces.

 

[OutdoorAdv]

Another killer hunt man. That buttcap is awesome. If you want it straight, send it off to one of the restoration guys... they will make it look incredible. I've annealed and straightened a couple pieces of brass and it does ruin the patina. Congrats on the FE as well

 

[bonepicker]

Nice hunt. Love that butt cap, and the design at the base. Definitely a keeper.

 

[gwdigger]

Wow bud that pistol butt cap is SICK. Now there's something I haven't found. Its gorgeous!

 

[Ahab8]

Nice

Thanks B

 

[Ahab8]

What a smashing find that is, one for the show case.
Just wanted to add that looking at the other finds and the effects of what the soil acidity has done to them, the butt cap is in amazing condition. Love the patina look to the piece. For straightening it-well I'd think about that one for a bit as it adds a question of how it got that way, and makes for a better story.

You're right about the story. Half the enjoyment t of looking at a find

 

[Ahab8]

Man that pistol butt is very cool.
Any ideas of age
Great find
I'm holed up till the heat breaks
Hh gl

Thanks bud. I'm guessing late 1700s early 1800s. But it's hard to be sure

 

[Ahab8]

love the pistol butt cap, to have been decorated like that meant that it wasn't bottom of the line. not quite as nice as a silver one would have been but still not cheap. they are all pretty awesome finds

Thanks dl. I checked out some early silver ones online and I'd REALLY like to find one of those babies