Flat Buttons, a Mini Horseshoe & an 1820 Token from the Soybean Field

[ANTIQUARIAN]

I've been driving by this field almost daily waiting for the soybeans to be harvested; these two paddocks are located just to the west of an abandoned 1870 farmhouse. There were also archeological excavations of an unknown structure on the edge of the paddock last year. I took a picture of the spot the archeologists were working in, so I felt this site held potential for some interesting finds. I was only able to hunt here for 2hrs yesterday as the farmer arrived to seed the field with wheat for next year. He told me that, "he didn't have a problem with me detecting the 'seeded field' as long as I did it carefully". I had a tough time swinging here as the cut soybean stems were still sticking 4 - 6" out of the ground. I've included BT – before tumbling & AT – after tumbling pics of the finds. I'll be back here again on Sunday morning, that is if the thunderstorms hold off!

Lower Canada - 1820 Half Penny Token

Country: Canadian Provinces (Lower Canada)
Year of Issue: 1837
Value: 1/2 Penny
Metal: Brass
Obverse: Laureate head, which supposedly depicts King George IV.
Reverse: A harp and the date 1820.

This coin was actually *antedated (*to put a date on that is earlier than the actual date) to get around the ban on importing currency tokens into the Canadian colonies.

Thanks very much for looking,
Dave

 

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[TNGUNS]

Awesome stuff. Those cut fields are tough. Been hunting a field that was just allowed to grow up for 3 years and then cut and the stobs that stick up are a real pain. Same in the corn yesterday. Congrats.

 

[Greylock]

Good stuff! That mini shoe is very cool. I've found a few mini oxen shoes but not a horse. Clean it up.

 

[nsdq]

nice finds

 

[pepperj]

Nice going on the Half Penny token, and the buttons. Those little horse shoes are a cute find as there's not a whole lot of them around it seems. I'm seriously not liking the no till just drill type of planting that's getting more popular now. Spray, die, drill, stubble, much prefer at least a disc and roll to the fields, but anything is better than nothing.

I dug a 1837 Un Sou Half Penny Token yesterday the first coin off the site I've been looking for, just a quick one hour spotting hunt.

 

[vpnavy]

Nice ANTIQUARIAN. Thanks for sharing...

 

[highnam]

Great pics, great site! The mini horseshoe, were they for miniature ponies?

 

[ANTIQUARIAN]

Awesome stuff. Those cut fields are tough. Been hunting a field that was just allowed to grow up for 3 years and then cut and the stubs that stick up are a real pain. Same in the corn yesterday. Congrats.

I hear you TNGUNS, the stubs are a pain in the wrist!
But as I like to say, "sometimes a bit of pain is worth it for what we might find"!
Thanks for your post,
Dave

Good stuff! That mini shoe is very cool. I've found a few mini oxen shoes but not a horse. Clean it up.

I've got the "mini shoe" in the tumbler right now along with the ox-shoe, the iron strap thingy (I'm going to post it in the 'What is it' forum when it's cleaned up) and the small iron buckle. I'll post pics of it all tomorrow after it's been in the tumbler for 48hrs!
Thanks,
Dave

nice finds

Thanks!

Nice going on the Half Penny token, and the buttons. Those little horse shoes are a cute find as there's not a whole lot of them around it seems. I'm seriously not liking the no till just drill type of planting that's getting more popular now. Spray, die, drill, stubble, much prefer at least a disc and roll to the fields, but anything is better than nothing.

I dug a 1837 Un Sou Half Penny Token yesterday the first coin off the site I've been looking for, just a quick one hour spotting hunt.

Glad to hear you found the site J!
Hopefully the 'Un Sou' is just the tip of the iceberg!
Dave

Nice ANTIQUARIAN. Thanks for sharing...

Thank you sir!

Great pics, great site! The mini horseshoe, were they for miniature ponies?

Thanks very much for your post highnam! That's exactly what I thought when I first saw it, "dawg, this must've been one small horse"!

This was decoration on the side of a plow horse blinder, also known as blinkers or winkers. Blinkers are a piece of horse tack that prevents the horse seeing to the rear and in some cases to the side. They're usually made of leather and are placed on either side of the eyes, attached either to a bridle or to an independent hood. The term "blinder" form is used metaphorically to refer to people with an overly narrow focus or inability to see the larger picture.
Best of luck to you,
Dave

 

[Michiganne]

Excellent relics and coins. Congrats! I know the feeling of checking those fields to be harvested...can't happen soon enough! Corn stubble is the worse IMO, especially when it's knee deep+.

HH

 

[gman17]

Pretty sure the mini horse shoe is a boot or shoe heel plate, sweet finds!!

 

[ANTIQUARIAN]

Excellent relics and coins. Congrats! I know the feeling of checking those fields to be harvested...can't happen soon enough! Corn stubble is the worse IMO, especially when it's knee deep+.

HH

Thanks very much for your post Anne, my only wish is that the finds were in better condition! In speaking with the farmer, he told me that he grew up in the area and he'd always know this property as a horse farm. This explains the poor condition of the metal due to exposure to horse manure for years!

Pretty sure the mini horse shoe is a boot or shoe heel plate, sweet finds!!

Thanks very much for your suggestion gman that this mini horse shoe might be a heel plate. I've been doing some research online and have found some examples of iron heel plates, that could very well be what this is. I always felt it was too big to be decoration on a plow horse blinder.

Let me know what you all think!
Dave

 

[HutSiteDigger]

Like the buttons!! I agree with GMan that is a heel plate..

 

[ANTIQUARIAN]

Like the buttons!! I agree with GMan that is a heel plate..

Thanks for your post HSD and for the confirmation.

Here are some updated pics of the finds after tumbling for 36hrs! If anyone knows what the last item pictured is I'd appreciate it if you could let me know!

Thanks,
Dave

 

[pepperj]

Thanks for your post HSD and for the confirmation.

I'm totally not convinced that it's a heel plate, but not totally convinced it's off a pony/miniature horse either. I'll ask a owner of 20+ miniatures if they ever get shoed or if it was a practice in the past.

If you clean the shoe up post up the picture as there's a few things that question either theory. Thickness, or if there's a nail still attached in the shoe, or any of the following parts

-the toe clips (usually on front feet, stop shoes slipping back)
-the quarter clips (usually on hind feet, stops shoes form twisting)
-the fullered groove (the groove on the bottom of the shoe) some shoes have a wedge, which is a raised piece on the heel.

 

[ANTIQUARIAN]

I'm totally not convinced that it's a heel plate, but not totally convinced it's off a pony/miniature horse either. I'll ask a owner of 20+ miniatures if they ever get shoed or if it was a practice in the past.

If you clean the shoe up post up the picture as there's a few things that question either theory. Thickness, or if there's a nail still attached in the shoe, or any of the following parts

-the toe clips (usually on front feet, stop shoes slipping back)
-the quarter clips (usually on hind feet, stops shoes form twisting)
-the fullered groove (the groove on the bottom of the shoe) some shoes have a wedge, which is a raised piece on the heel.

Not sure I want to clean the shoe up much more than I already have J, I don't want to over clean it if you know what I mean. It measures a 1/4" in thickness and 2 1/4" across at it's widest point. I'd be interested in knowing what the "owner of 20+ miniatures" thinks about it.
I'll show it to you if we ever meet up,
Dave

 

[FreeBirdTim]

I found a small horseshoe last week, but it's definitely not from a miniature horse or a shoe plate. What farm animal would require a 3 3/4" shoe (measured from top center to bottom)? I have attached a pic, which compares it to a normal horseshoe.

 

[highnam]

I found a small horseshoe last week, but it's definitely not from a miniature horse or a shoe plate. What farm animal would require a 3 3/4" shoe (measured from top center to bottom)? I have attached a pic, which compares it to a normal horseshoe.

View attachment 876383

I didnt know they shoe'd any other farm animals other than horses or mules. I found one in a logging camp, I just assumed it was a really small horse. Do you have a suggestion for what it came from?

 

[ANTIQUARIAN]

I found a small horseshoe last week, but it's definitely not from a miniature horse or a shoe plate. What farm animal would require a 3 3/4" shoe (measured from top center to bottom)? I have attached a pic, which compares it to a normal horseshoe.

Thanks for your post Tim!
Your shoe is larger than the one I found. So it may have been for a pony or possibly even a burro or donkey.
Dave

I didnt know they shoe'd any other farm animals other than horses or mules. I found one in a logging camp, I just assumed it was a really small horse. Do you have a suggestion for what it came from?

As I mentioned above it may have been for a pony or a burro or donkey. The shoe I found measures 1/4" thick x 2 1/4" across it's widest point. Thanks very much for your input highnam!
Dave

 

[Jyverb64]

Love those field hunts you just never know what you'll find

 

[ANTIQUARIAN]

Love those field hunts you just never know what you'll find

That's exactly how I feel when I'm field hunting J!
You never really know what might surface . . . though I'm praying for silver most of the time!
Dave