First land hunt of the year...400 year old Apostle Spoon and other goodies

[HomeGuardDan]

Got out today and swapped my webbed feet for my boots as Bill D and I got together for our first land hunt of the year.

This day was an odd one as we were super excited to get to a specific area that yielded some very early stuff a year earlier. Bill made the comment "We must be better than we thought as we left hardly anything behind." We gave it a good few hours with little to show (fired .70 musket ball, buckle pieces, tack, and a lead tag that has a nail pushed through it) and decided to head to another part of the county to find a new place to spend the remainder of the day and boy am I glad that we did. First, we realized that a new part of a current area we already have permission for will now be open to dig (an area previously off limits to us) and we feel good about it. Second, we scored some relics.

Working an area of iron and debris, I managed to first dig a two piece button and then a 1876 Indian Head cent out...it was odd as the debris showed a site from the 1600's & 1700's. Then finally a tombac showed up and followed quickly by another. With the day we were having, three buttons and a late IH actually would have made me happy. After some odds and ends (musket/pistol balls) misc. brass, etc. a nice treat surfaced when I unearthed an 1859 Indian Head "fatty." It is in nice shape and I was fairly content...that was until My loop was touched by Christ.

After digging another button and some other odds and ends, I came across a ratty but mixed-good signal. 12" later, the end to a copper Apostle Spoon surfaced (the Master or Christ). These date from the 1400s-1600's and this one (found it on UKFD) seems to date 1500s-1600s. This site dates to the 1630's so it is safe to say, this one is old. I was very pleased to find it, and was ready to head back, until...

As I worked a small slope and after digging another button, a nice solid cast 1600's nipple button surfaced and shortly after that, the trifecta happened when I dug a nice early 1-piece convex navy cuff button. This made 8 buttons for the day and all came in the final 2 hours at a new location...not a bad way to salvage the trip!

1859 IH fatty
Early US Navy
1500-1600's Apostle Spoon End

It was a successful start for the season indeed. For those who wonder why we call the 1859-1862 IH "fatties" I included a photo to show the difference.

Looking forward to some silver, but I will take this start any day!

HH

Dan

 

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[cjon455]

great start dan!, I always love looking at yours and Bill D's posts this time of year as I know its going to be chock full of colonial greatness

looking forward to more, great finds!!!

 

[Ahab8]

Dan that apostle knop is simply awesome! Such a cool symbol of colonial history. Congrats on a great one bud. Glad you and my buddy Bill are back at it

 

[OutdoorAdv]

Great hunt Dan and glad you guys salvaged your trip. That spoon handle and navy button are incredible. Can't wait to see what you two dig up this year.
-Brad

 

[Old Dude]

I was going to ask what a nipple button was, but I saw the pic...and what else COULD you call it? That is a great start for your digging season. If it's any indication, your autumn will be a memorable one.

 

[HomeGuardDan]

I was going to ask what a nipple button was, but I saw the pic...and what else COULD you call it? That is a great start for your digging season. If it's any indication, your autumn will be a memorable one.

HA HA, you know I pause every time I find one and post them, but then again, that is what they are called even in the books.

 

[Loco-Digger]

Looks like a great start for your autumn hunting season. You sure dug plenty of targets in that area.

 

[Bill D. (VA)]

Wow Dan - I'm still excited about that awesome apostle knop spoon handle! Even though we were finding a few 1600s relics at that spot, I think that recovery caught both of us by surprise. What a great way to start the new season, and hopefully it'll be the first of many early colonial artifacts that will find their way into our pouches over the next few months. It was great to get out on a gorgeous fall-like day after all these months, and I enjoyed the comradery as usual.

 

[against the wind]

Sweet hunt,, never saw an apostle spoon handle before,,
Really cool

 

[parsonwalker]

Great stuff man. Hope I'll be nippin' at your heels soon. keep it up!

 

[GioTheGreek]

Incredible stuff, Dan.

 

[Bill D. (VA)]

Dan - here's an excerpt out of one of my books showing what a whole apostle spoon would look like. And below that is part of one of those handles I found a few years ago, but obviously yours is a much better specimen.

 

[qaela4]

Great stuff, if I ever found a place like that my family would have to call out the rescue squad thinking I fell off the face of the earth.

 

[Scrappy]

That's an awesome dig Dan. In reference to Bill's book, do you see any evidence that the spoon had a silver wash originally? Also loving the buttons. Congrats

Steve

 

[CRUSADER]

Pretty sure we haven't had one yet - good find.

 

[HomeGuardDan]

That's an awesome dig Dan. In reference to Bill's book, do you see any evidence that the spoon had a silver wash originally? Also loving the buttons. Congrats

Steve

Thanks Steve - yes it was silver washed (or it appears to have once been).

 

[HomeGuardDan]

Pretty sure we haven't had one yet - good find.

Thanks Cru - I am very pleased with it and I agree, you don't see them dug very often. This was my first, and to be honest when I dug it, I knew what it was, but could not even recall the proper name (I was thinking saint something). See them in books, this is the first I personally saw dug, though i've seen a few dug examples. Heck the UKFD has only 4 on it.

 

[HomeGuardDan]

Dan - here's an excerpt out of one of my books showing what a whole apostle spoon would look like. And below that is part of one of those handles I found a few years ago, but obviously yours is a much better specimen.

View attachment 1211046

View attachment 1211047

View attachment 1211048

Excellent Bill - same specimen as well!

 

[CRUSADER]

Thanks Cru - I am very pleased with it and I agree, you don't see them dug very often. This was my first, and to be honest when I dug it, I knew what it was, but could not even recall the proper name (I was thinking saint something). See them in books, this is the first I personally saw dug, though i've seen a few dug examples. Heck the UKFD has only 4 on it.

I have a theory. That the odds in an early US site are increased because many who fled there where doing so under Religious persecution.

 

[HomeGuardDan]

I have a theory. That the odds in an early US site are increased because many who fled there where doing so under Religious persecution.

That is a great observation. Never thought of that, this site is extremely early (1500's coins have come from it) so it would have been a very influential family during the infancy of america.