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First scouting mission into a promising area. Cool Victorian doorbell!

Danimal

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Aug 16, 2006
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Location
Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio
Detector(s) used
duh...duh... DFX
I recently received exclusive permission to metal detect an area of State owned property that I knew had a few foundations on it. More extensive research using maps from 1906 revealed that at that time there were over 30 homes in about a 10 sq. mile area...all now open to me! More research showed that this area has history going back to the mustering of troops for the war of 1812, so the true age of some of these homes is yet unknown. I believe they MAY have been inhabited up to the early 1960s though...so modern trash would be present but the cross-mix of coins might make the sites very productive.
Saturday, after my son Spencer played in a double header (in the second game he struck out 13 of 17 batters he faced!) he and I headed over to explore a bit of the area. It was almost 4pm by the time we arrived so we knew we had little time.
After parking in an area where hunters (the kind that shoot animals...not coins) park we geared up to head out.
trip1.webp
I picked a spot where there should have been 3 homes in close proximity to each other. I arrange my maps with the original first with details circled and numbered. Subsequent pages have sat. photos showing closeups of each detail area to help ID key large trees, trails, etc.
trip2.webp
At the second site we did find a cellarhole and TONS of ferrous. After about the 12th sq. nail we moved on. Not being impatient...just trying to find a less-dense area to hunt for the last hour or so of decent light. Here's Spencer checking around some foundation stones.
trip3.webp
In the end I found some cool stuff and Spencer found some bottles.
trip4.webp
There was a fired musketball with a thick white patina indicating to me some age.
firedball.webp
A small broach with small berries and two leaves and the only coin of the short hunt, a 1937 wheatie.
broachpenny.webp
closeup of my favorite find, a Victorian cast brass doorbell.
doorbell.webp
Mystery item..corroded copper with hinge and spring on one end. Looks like it used to be some type of oval cover at one time.
mysteryitem.webp
Here's the doorbell cleaned up. Looks like maybe there were stones in the eyes at one time.
bellcleaned.webp

Darkness fell TOO quickly. I think this is an area I could hunt for years to come. Certainly with over 30 cellarholes, a few should hit bigtime for some nice coinage.

HH all!
 
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Dan,
That bell looks cool. My mom had one of those in her 1853 home only hers didn't have any design on it. While growing up one of my very found memories was of people coming to the back door and turning that bell crank.

Bob

PS - your treasure map looks good.
 
That's a really nice relic Dan.

Glad to here Spencer, is doing well with his pitching. He's gonna go some where one day.

Your doing the right thing. You got the maps out and looking for untouched sites. Things are still really grown in for this time of yr.

Take care,

Jeremy
 
That door bell is the kind of thing I love digging up! Nice!
 
romeo-1 said:
That door bell is the kind of thing I love digging up! Nice!

Me too!...Spencer didn't understand why I was so thrilled with it..."Dad...you didn't even dig a single silver coin!"......."it's just some old doorknob or something"

Kids.

I'd rather have dug that bell than another Merc. (not to sound jaded...I LOVE the sight of a Merc in the hole...but since I have started this hobby I have dug hundreds of Mercs and only one snake in the grass bell!! :D)

I have the feeling ther'll be plenty of coins there...somewhere.
 
Hi dan, nice door bell.The Victorian period was from 1837 to 1901.Most Victorian period front doors had door knockers made of brass.your maps are from Edwardian period [1906] nice find and never seen any door bells of this nature.if you can post a pic of the founditions or some bricks or shards of pottery or glass, might be a help in dating your bell

t.p HH
 
Wow! What more can anyone say? Enjoyed the presentation, enjoyed the pictures and wish I could be out there with you . I know that the area will produce and we are all looking forward to more post from this site....great job!
 
Awesome site Dan! Good luck detecting it. HH, Mike
 
that doorbell is really cool! ive never seen one like it.
 
;D ;D sweeet finds there,, all the best on the return !!
looks real promising..... ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
 
That's a fantastic door bell! That looks like it will be a killer spot for some great finds.
 

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