Labor Day Digs: CONFEDERATE A.V.C. (ALABAMA VOLUNTEER CORPS) BUTTON!

{Sentinel} · Sep 6, 2010

There I was......Labor Day Monday with only a couple hours to dig

My girl wanted to go to the beach for Labor Day plus Grill out so that meant that I had to be home around Noon. $:-\$ $:-\$ I HATE having time limits on my huntin' but I sucked it up and Jeff and I went and knocked on a couple of doors. The first wasn't quite the site that we wanted to be on..... but the next door neighbor to it :dontknow:

.....BUT we figured that we'd try it out anyway and MAN was it TRASHY! So we left there about 10:45 and arrived at a site that I had researched a couple of nights back and had subsequently gained permission at yesterday. This yard had some nice Minies in it and I think Jeff even dug a Eagle button and I dug a very pretty Gilted Indian Wars Eagle button there yesterday.....Anyway, we grabbed our gear and returned to the back yard where we'd dug the stuff the previous day. I proceeded to dig up the usual can slaw and such as this yard has its share of TRASH in it but ALSO a good share of relics! Right off the get-go I scored I really nice "Star" Collar Insignia for a Major, Colonel or General's Collar :headbang:

I really liked the looks of that....about 20 minutes went by and about 10-15 more holes of can slaw and trash and then I got a fairly deep signal that was hitting around a button signal but it had about 3 pieces of trash around it so wasn't PINGING really well

I decided to dig anyway as ALOT of the good stuff DOESN"T sound that great around here. I popped the plug but it was still in the hole so I put my pinpointer down in there and continued to scoop away until I got down to it. I grabbed up this Vest sized button and looked at it and I immediately saw the Drooped-Wing Eagle :headbang:

which is a very popular style Eagle for Confederate Buttons (also used on some U.S. Navy Buttons). I could tell that this wasn't a U.S. Navy Button though and thought it to be a Confederate Central Government Drooped Wing Officers Button......AWESOME :headbang:

Didn't want to field clean this baby though so wasn't sure......When I DID get it home and lightly Brush it off, AS IF THINGS COULDN'T GET BETTER....I Saw that BEAUT-I-FUL Sight "A.V.C." plastered above the Eagle!!!!! :headbang:

: I about fell out in the floor!
This is my FIRST Alabama Volunteer Corps Button and its a beauty! Those that hunt for Civil War relics KNOW that these things are Rare as Hen's Teeth to find! This button made for a AWESOME Labor Day and definitely made my WHOLE MONTH!!!!

Alabama Volunteer Corps (A.V.C.) Button

FRESH FROM THE DIRT:

After LIGHT Brushing (Still dirty but this button will require VERY slow and very little cleaning):

Backmark: Horstmann & Co. w/ Rays

Officers "Star" Collar Insignia

Back--Notice the "Barbs." These were used to fasten the Star Device to the wool collar of a Officer's uniform.

Other Finds:

"57" in Base Enfield:

Heavily Gilted Indian Wars Eagle

Melted 3-Ringer (You can still see the Rings):

Unknown .69 Caliber Bullet (Has a DEEP Cavity and a WIDE bottom ring for tieing string around for a load)

Small Caliber .32 Bullet & Country Picket

Group Shot

More Photos Below

mainer · Sep 6, 2010

Re: Labor Day Hunt: Confederate ALABAMA VOLUNTEER CORPS (A.V.C.) Button!

Nice digs Josh. :icon_thumleft:

Glad to see you guys are still pounding the turf. :thumbsup:

Iskuli · Sep 6, 2010

Re: Labor Day Hunt: Confederate ALABAMA VOLUNTEER CORPS (A.V.C.) Button!

very cool. gotta love history

{Sentinel} · Sep 6, 2010

Re: Labor Day Hunt: Confederate ALABAMA VOLUNTEER CORPS (A.V.C.) Button!

ResearchandRecovery said:
Holy Cow. That's one fine AVC!! I bet you were doing the happy dance!

OH YEAH!!! My Girl said she didn't know what happened to me she just saw me start YELLING!!!! :blob6:

mainer said:
Nice digs Josh. Glad to see you guys are still pounding the turf.

Thanks My good friend Jesse! Hope you had a good Labor day man! :icon_thumleft:

{Sentinel} · Sep 6, 2010

Re: Labor Day Hunt: Confederate ALABAMA VOLUNTEER CORPS (A.V.C.) Button!

Iskuli said:
very cool. gotta love history

That's right :wink:

Tennessee Treasure Hunter · Sep 6, 2010

Awesome finds :icon_thumright:

Congratulations :icon_thumleft:

TTH

cntrydncr1 · Sep 6, 2010

awesome hunt Josh! love that pin.

CenterHit · Sep 6, 2010

Big time congrats that A.V.C. is a beauty!

Mr Tuff · Sep 6, 2010

love that button :icon_thumleft:

MR TUFF

Dixiedigger · Sep 6, 2010

Great hunt, congrats on the button :thumbsup:

{Sentinel} · Sep 6, 2010

CenterHit said:
Big time congrats that A.V.C. is a beauty!

Thanks CenterHit! I've probably looked at it a half dozen times tonight. I just really always wanted this button and didn't expect it at all today. It's something when you dig something like this on an off day where you don't set out thinking you're going to find much of anything. Just goes to show and like I always tell Jeff "Only takes that ONE find" to change Everything....that crappy day, week, or month. Thanks again my friend :wink:

{Sentinel} · Sep 7, 2010

Mr Tuff said:
love that button MR TUFF

Thanks Man :icon_thumleft:

birdman · Sep 7, 2010

Brother you cleaned house! You better get out and buy more display cases.

umrgolf · Sep 7, 2010

Nice button Josh

Certainly more banner-worthy than the gold coin. Thats what every CW hunter looks for.. Beats the hell out of nearly EVERY northern plate :notworthy:

you have my vote

Pretty safe to say, the BEST button you or I have dug this year

{Sentinel} · Sep 7, 2010

umrgolf2010 said:
Nice button Josh Certainly more banner-worthy than the gold coin. Thats what every CW hunter looks for.. Beats the hell out of nearly EVERY northern plate you have my vote

Pretty safe to say, the BEST button you or I have dug this year

Thanks Man. It's definitely been on my list for a longgg time! I don't know though, you and I have dug some pretty incredible buttons all year long! :wink:

At that site, it really was luck of the draw with all that can slaw and tidbits of melted aluminum and everything else that we were having to deal with in there! Hope your trip is going well bud and thanks for the compliment man :wink:

civilman1 · Sep 7, 2010

Did I say BANNER yet :headbang:

{Sentinel} · Sep 7, 2010

civilman1 said:
Did I say BANNER yet

Thanks Brutha. I knew out of all my friends on here that you'd be one of the ones that really liked this find as much as I did! Out of all my finds button finds this year, this one is DEFINITELY my favorite, no questions about it.....still can't believe I found that lone soldier amongst all those Yankee relics. Praise be to the Metal Detecting God :notworthy:

P.S. Even though this is a Banner find, I don't think it will go up since my Gold coin is already up there $:-\$

allen · Sep 7, 2010

we all deserve to have a great day of detecting like you had ! :icon_sunny:

congrats on all of those great looking finds !! :thumbsup:

{Sentinel} · Sep 7, 2010

allen said:
we all deserve to have a great day of detecting like you had !
congrats on all of those great looking finds !!

Thanks Allen. You know, sometimes you just find this stuff when you least expect it buddy. I know that all of my friends on here have had those moments.

Thanks guys for all your nice compliments and replies. I know my buddy BuckleBoy has been after one of these buttons since he's been down South and I have every confidence in his ability to find good spots and his skill detectin, that he will find one of these or a nice Louisiana button before this year comes to a close! :headbang: