I Keep Digging Eagles!

[KYshooter]

I had a great week this week. No decent coins to speak of, but I keep pulling curious relics out of this old Kentucky ground.

My first (and coolest) find this week was on Monday. While hunting a familiar piece of ground, I got a sketchy but repeating signal at eight inches. By far the deepest target I've dug on the site.

I was mystified when I pulled this out of the ground ...

Here's a reverse view.

I had no clue what it was. A disc with a curious General Service eagle and a strangely wide shield. Kuger, on this forum, quickly identified it as a "sash" belt buckle from around 1855. It was marketed for both civilian and military use, and is apparently one of the rarer forms. He posted a picture of an intact buckle here ...

Here is a picture of it in context, with several other (what I believe are) Civil War era artifacts from the same site:

Then yesterday I hunted for a short while at a couple of different sites. I hunted an old home site near a Civil War skirmish location with Western Kentucky Digger in the morning. I only found a very small, shankless, flat button.

Afterwards, I went downtown to our local park. It is SOOOOOOO trashy, so I was only digging deep targets. Then I got this solid 42-44 VDI signal at about 4 inches in depth. Flipped the plug and found this little baby!

It's 15 mm, and either a Yankee cuff or kepi button. Still has a little gilt on it.

Here's a pic with a ruler for perspective:

Curiously, it was a tin-back button, as evidenced by the rust ...

This led me to have some authenticity doubts, since there have been re-enactments on this site for the last two years or so ... but I have difficulty believing that a button could go that deep in that short a period of time. I'e consulted with a couple of local CW diggers, who have assured me that there were, indeed, tin-back versions of this size button, especially on the kepi hats. The ones I've talked to seem to think that it's the real deal.

It was located on very old ground right along the main road into town, less than 50 yards (as the crow flies) from where I found all of the other items in this post.

Pretty cool ...

Here's my latest video, with both of these finds and more. Enjoy, and HH!
[youtube=425,350]pNFrM8Ju9_8[/youtube]

 

[duggap]

There were civilwar era eagle buttons with an iron back. They were not real common but they did have them. It just so happens I dug two last year.

 

[KYshooter]

There were civilwar era eagle buttons with an iron back. They were not real common but they did have them. It just so happens I dug two last year.

This makes the third one that I have dug ...

One was a CSA, and the other was an Ohio state seal. Go figure ...

 

[Getty]

Great job there!!

 

[kuger]

I am just somebody?It wasnt "another",forum either there bud

.....One other note...against what all the "experts",say...these are not Sash buckles.They were often on leather belts.I still am waiting to see a period picture of one on a Sash

 

[KYshooter]

I am just somebody?It wasnt "another",forum either there bud

.....One other note...against what all the "experts",say...these are not Sash buckles.They were often on leather belts.I still am waiting to see a period picture of one on a Sash

Kuger, you know your fame.

Thanks for the ID. Got confused on the forums. I'm in several online "communities."

Yep, I remember you telling me about that. Sash buckle is something of a general term, I guess. I've seen pics of these buckles used with a rather wider piece of black leather.

 

[kuger]

I am just somebody?It wasnt "another",forum either there bud

.....One other note...against what all the "experts",say...these are not Sash buckles.They were often on leather belts.I still am waiting to see a period picture of one on a Sash

Kuger, you know your fame.

Thanks for the ID. Got confused on the forums. I'm in several online "communities."

Yep, I remember you telling me about that. Sash buckle is something of a general term, I guess. I've seen pics of these buckles used with a rather wider piece of black leather.

 

[AGBlex]

just subscribed. nice video and dig man keep it up hope to see more soon

 

[louisvillelaw]

Those are beautiful. Great job!

 

[civilman1]

.....And that's a problem for ya? Great save's KyS

 

[blugotti1]

man oh man..if you don't need that csa button, send it this way ...i'd hunt that place with a toothpick and spoon if i had to...great finds man

 

[allen]

great job on some of those finds !!!

 

[KYshooter]

just subscribed. nice video and dig man keep it up hope to see more soon

Thanks for that subscription. I'll try to keep some good vids coming!

 

[Michigan Badger]

Great finds! Since I've retired from THing I don't come up to this thread much anymore. I'm absolutely amazed at what you all are still digging!

I recall a treasure hunter's meeting I had back in ca. 1972 where we discussed "the end of the hobby is near."

We thought that by the early 80's everything worth digging would have been found.

I guess we were wrong.

Keep diggin
Badger

 

[toddsumm1]

Amazing buckle. Still looking for my first plate or buckle from civil war.

 

[KYshooter]

.....And that's a problem for ya? Great save's KyS

Nope. Not a problem at all. Hoping for many more avian digs ...

 

[treasurepirate1]

cool civil war finds, and also what happened the the two houses in that park,

 

[joeyfresh]

forget that yankee junk.......that's a sweet confederate button.......................just kidding, they're all awesome finds

 

[KYshooter]

Great finds! Since I've retired from THing I don't come up to this thread much anymore. I'm absolutely amazed at what you all are still digging!

I recall a treasure hunter's meeting I had back in ca. 1972 where we discussed "the end of the hobby is near."

We thought that by the early 80's everything worth digging would have been found.

I guess we were wrong.

Keep diggin
Badger

Yep ... I think you were wrong. There is still a LOT of old, untouched ground out there. Plus, maybe these new machines can find stuff that you seasoned hunters might have missed "back in the day."

 

[Mr Tuff]

nice CW relics and good vid!!!! MR TUFF