🥇 BANNER French Colonial-1752 silver, cut silver, knee&shoe buckles & silver Auspice Maria

[Scrappy]

French Colonial-1752 silver, cut silver, knee&shoe buckles & silver Auspice Maria

It’s been a while. Winter had me busy doing other activities but I finally got out and went on a road trip. I happened to have some great research and dropped in on a site that I don’t believe was ever touched before. There was nothing. No cleared ground, foundation, or anything...just woods. With no stone nor brick, I believe the house was of Earthfast construction, common to that area back in the 1600’s and 1700’s. I gridded and found the site iron within a 1/2 hr. I started with a few flat buttons...all nice and old. Then a solid silver cufflink half.



Then I got a great signal and spoiler alert, thought it was a copper. Here the video...




And the rest...








Also found a pit filled with clam shells.


And the smallest Georgian buckle I’ve ever dug.



Turns out the coin was a 1752 French 1/2 ecu. A welcome change to the usual Spanish variety commonly found. Unfortunately this home burned sometime in the early 1800’s so the link and Ecu were are fire damaged. Here are the cleaned up pics...




Auspice Maria cufflink, essentially a monagram of the Virgin Mary. It’s considered catholic religious art and often found on many colonial French artifacts. (Thanks for the insight and info A!)







And a knee buckle with iron chape attached.


And some great dandies, cone, and a nipple button...

Also found a draped large cent (not pictured). What a great time. I’ll get back there one day but this was a very productive 3.5 hour hunt. Enjoy!

Steve

 

[toasted]

Good to hear from you Steve. It’s good to be back. That buckle was certainly small. Often I’ve heard they’re for breeches or boot cuffs when they’re that small. But this one is the smallest I’ve ever seen. Do you have any the size of a dime??

Ive found a few of those. Whiteheads Buckles book calls them boot or garter buckles

 

[Scrappy]

Love that cufflink, the coins are awesome too. I've got to get out soon, been too busy catching fish.

Thanks Brad. Better get some more hunting in before the fields are 90 degrees!

 

[Scrappy]

Your research paid off big time. I would be happy with anyone of those saves. Congrats.

Sometimes you get lucky. The woods were so dense that nothing could be seen, nor were there any visible remnants of the site. So yes, had my research not given me the exact spot I would have missed it.

 

[Scrappy]

Steve, I have three that are about the size of a dime. I only had one handy that I could photograph with a dime, but I had a picture of another with a small oval cuff link beside it and the other fancy one is about the same size. They all have the curvature of a shoe or knee buckle.
View attachment 1695731 View attachment 1695732 View attachment 1695733

Ok, good to hear. I saw the ones in the book but mine had always been larger, perhaps 3/4” to 1”. It’s a bummer the chape wasn’t brass and is rusted out.

 

[Blak bart]

Congrats scrappy nice work as usual. Looks good on the banner board.

 

[Eastcoasthunter21]

Steve , congratulations on another super find it deserves to be up top.
See you soon hh gl

 

[Scrappy]

Congrats scrappy nice work as usual. Looks good on the banner board.

Christ I had no idea it received votes! Hahaa. Thanks buddy

 

[Aureus]

Congratulations on the banner!

 

[Relicific]

Congrats on the well deserved banner

 

[Scrappy]

Thanks for the Banner votes everyone. Believe me, that colonial French silver and Silver cufflink are front and center in my display cabinet. I couldn’t be happier

 

[The Dirt Pirate]

Awesome.

 

[RVRoamer74]

Congratulations on the Banner Scrappy. A well deserved run across the top.

 

[ANTIQUARIAN]

Research is definitely the secret to making good finds!

Congratulations on achieving BANNER #6 buddy!

Dave

 

[creskol]

Fantastic finds and the presentation and information is wonderful! What a fine hunt you had!

 

[washingtonian]

Way to go on some unique and historical finds. Don't see many old French coins posted here!

 

[BLK HOLE]

Congratulations on the Banner!

 

[Eastcoasthunter21]

Congratulations on another banner scrappy !! Hh gl

 

[Patriot Relics]

Congrats on the banner Scrappy, definitely harder to dig the French varieties.

 

[Eastcoasthunter21]

I must say scrappy , you certainly do your research !
When your limited with time on the ground
Research is the key. Know where your digging
Have an idea what was there. Then hit it hard.
Great job on the research !!!

 

[vince76]

Very cool finds!