Devonrex
Sr. Member
- Joined
- Jan 6, 2012
- Messages
- 351
- Reaction score
- 1,260
- Golden Thread
- 4
- Location
- SE Virginia
- 🥇 Banner finds
- 4
- Detector(s) used
- XP DEUS, Nautilus DMC IIB
- Primary Interest:
- Metal Detecting
It was the spring of 2004 when I dug the best button I have ever dug ..... my solid cast Louisiana coat button. I had always thought there just had to be another Louisiana state seal at this spot but no matter how many times I hunted there, I could never find another one. Well that all changed on Sunday. I hadn't planned on digging that day, but I found myself with some free time after another event, I had planned on attending, fell through. I didn't have a lot of time so I needed a spot relatively close by. I decided on going back to my solid cast Louisiana button site. It was an uneventful hunt for the first 2 hours but that suddenly changed. On the side of a steep ravine I got a slight reading. After digging down 4 inches I found the reason for the signal..... a brass grommet. While digging, my digging shovel just happened to clink against what I thought was a rock. I used my fingers to find the object and I was surprised to see exposed glass. The object was pointing in the direction of the ravines steep walls so I carefully brushed back the leaves and pine straw on the slope. I was surprised to see the top of a bottle sticking out of the side of the ravine. Expecting the bottle to be broken, I was floored when an intact black whisky bottle was resting in my hands a few seconds later. I was pumped!!! It had been a long time since I had found an unbroken Civil War bottle. This find alone had made my day! After I regained my composure I took a few steps and my Nautilus again sounded of telling me I had brass below. I dug down 4 inches and exposed a cuff button! Now this is what I was looking for!!! Could it be another Louisiana button? I had found a few other Confederate buttons at this site..... Virginia's, Mississippi's, and a beautiful Confederate drooped wing staff button over the years. But no other Louisiana's. Because of all the leaf mulch attached to the buttons face I could not tell what I had found. I had been out several hours at this point so I decided to call it a day. Besides the suspense was killing me. Other than the whisky bottle and cuff botton, I had found a cartridge box finial, 2 Indian head fatties(both 1859), a brass 4 holed underwear button, and several dropped and shot musket balls. I had also eyeballed a porcelain underwear button on the side of the same ravine the bottle was found. Once home I gently cleaned the cuff button. Seconds later I was looking at a PELICAN!!! It had been 12 years but I had finally recovered another Louisiana state seal!!! This was also my first Confederate button of the year. Then I saw the button still had its original string that held it to the jacket still attached to the shank! Wow!!! Could it get any better? Suffice to say this button find has made me very happy. The Louisiana cuff button is perfect with no pushes and a full stand out shank. It however has hardly any gilt but "Hey, I'm not complaining!" It has been an incredible year of digging for me so far! I'm going to take the bottle to the NST Civil War show in Richmond at the raceway this weekend and have Steve Sylvia photograph them. Hopefully I will see a few of you there! Man, l I just love this hobby!!!!! HH Devonrex
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