My best day so far...TWO GW BUTTONS!!!~Updated photo, a bit more clean...

[JW15]

Hey everyone,

Today was incredible, here's the story...

I met up with my buddy to investigate some new spots and see if we could swing them but unfortunately the spots were inaccessible. After driving around for a few and

deliberating on where to go we settled for an old spot that hadn't produced much in the past but is in the vicinity of colonial homes. My first target was a spill of suspender

clips from around the turn of the century followed by an ornate two piece button that unfortunately deteriorated almost immediately.

I was working the immediate area when I got a deep bouncy signal at the base of a tree. I half expected to see a fragment of lead or a shotgun shell pop out of the hole but

no...A frock button popped out and through the dirt I could see some lettering and I thought "No *censored* way!" I went down to a stream and gave it a little rinse and

took another look. Low and behold there in the palm of my hand was my first GW button!! I was and still am thrilled to pieces, I haven't shook like that in a while!

My buddy and I pounded the immediate area with not much else turning up so we moved on to explore more of the site. About 300 yards or so from the first

GW button I get a similar signal but didn't think at all it would be what it is. To my astonishment another big button pops out of the ground...I waled over to a stream and

gave it a little rinse and could not believe it, another GW button!!! This one came out of very wet ground and has some stubborn crud and it's a bit more beat up than the

first one but my buddy came over took a look at it and called me a bad word which is good! It may be hard to see in the pic but in person you can definitely see

what it is. I took a cell photo for now and after I CAREFULLY clean them with distilled water I will post a better pic. Also, on the way out I got a decent signal and pulled an

1855 Prince Edward Island Token, it says "Self Government and Free Trade" on the reverse. So that about wraps up this adventure, thanks for looking everyone and best of

luck out there!

 

[Iron Patch]

Re: My best day so far...TWO GW BUTTONS!!!

2 butttons are great. The one clean variety is one seldom seen and I do not recall seeing one here. Duane, IP and some of the others have it right. I hope you will keep them. You can sell silver all day long but buttons like that are few and far between. And the history boggles the imagination. BTW, since you were near a stream it may be possible the coat(?) was lost in a flood, assuming the stream was more vibrant back in the day. I'd walk that stream and I'd see if I could detect the stream bed as well. Congrats and lots of continued luck!

http://georgewashingtoninauguralbuttons.com/

Not all the varieties but a lot of the good ones!

It's funny, a detecting friend of mine sold all his best stuff, yet kept all the common to display instead of making the money off it. To me I think the smart thing to do is just the opposite way around (if you need the cash), unless the offer on one of the good finds is just so damn good it makes sense to take it. That being said, I would never blame someone for selling a find because it's theirs to do what they want with, and sometimes it just has to be done. Selling something actually changed things a lot for me, not that the money was massive, but what it did was bought me the time to walk away from a job I hated and pursue something else. So it was probably my best find in more ways than just being the best thing I had ever dug.

Actually IP, I can understand the selling part. It's just not for me. I have such a hard time separating the possession side of things from the value side I can't get to the point of letting go. Some of it's sentimental, some of it's historical and some of it's artistic. By the time I work through all of that, I get cold feet and never sell. When I die they'll find a storage shed full of crap. Maybe they will find something worth the effort! Meantime, I get to say I have one.........somewhere....... LOL

"I collect cash....not relics and coins." I heard that somewhere before...............HHHHHmmmmmm.

Yep, he's a local and you'd never see him on here because all of this wouldn't mean anything to him.

 

[Goldirocks]

Re: My best day so far...TWO GW BUTTONS!!!

There are no words. That is stupifying and totally awesome! Congrats on some totally fantastic buttons!!

 

[allen]

Re: My best day so far...TWO GW BUTTONS!!!

a find like those deserves a spot on
the banner and a great big congrats !!!

 

[DMN]

Re: My best day so far...TWO GW BUTTONS!!!

2 butttons are great. The one clean variety is one seldom seen and I do not recall seeing one here. Duane, IP and some of the others have it right. I hope you will keep them. You can sell silver all day long but buttons like that are few and far between. And the history boggles the imagination. BTW, since you were near a stream it may be possible the coat(?) was lost in a flood, assuming the stream was more vibrant back in the day. I'd walk that stream and I'd see if I could detect the stream bed as well. Congrats and lots of continued luck!

http://georgewashingtoninauguralbuttons.com/

Not all the varieties but a lot of the good ones!

It's funny, a detecting friend of mine sold all his best stuff, yet kept all the common to display instead of making the money off it. To me I think the smart thing to do is just the opposite way around (if you need the cash), unless the offer on one of the good finds is just so damn good it makes sense to take it. That being said, I would never blame someone for selling a find because it's theirs to do what they want with, and sometimes it just has to be done. Selling something actually changed things a lot for me, not that the money was massive, but what it did was bought me the time to walk away from a job I hated and pursue something else. So it was probably my best find in more ways than just being the best thing I had ever dug.

Actually IP, I can understand the selling part. It's just not for me. I have such a hard time separating the possession side of things from the value side I can't get to the point of letting go. Some of it's sentimental, some of it's historical and some of it's artistic. By the time I work through all of that, I get cold feet and never sell. When I die they'll find a storage shed full of crap. Maybe they will find something worth the effort! Meantime, I get to say I have one.........somewhere....... LOL

Sure, for most of what we dig.... but what if it's 10k... 20k... 50k? Every piece of metal has a price, and for those that say it doesn't... they're either a fool, or lying, or have more money then they know what to do with already.

To each his own. I have the relics and pictures of things I found, on the wall. I got into this hobby to make a few extra bucks. $2,000 of the of the $4,500 I spent on my families trip to Florida, came from metal detecting stuff I sold. "I collect cash....not relics and coins." I heard that somewhere before...............HHHHHmmmmmm.

Hehehehe. I know what you guys are saying but believe it or not, unless it were worth a boatload of cash, I'd still be hanging on to it. I was always bent on becoming an archeologist. This is my homage to that vocation I never finished. But then, if there waaaaaaaaaas something worth 100k or so, I would have to think long, strong, and hard about it. Meantime, I swing that coil and dig them holes. And I always relish seeing the great stuff you guys haul from the ground!

 

[oldsalty19]

Re: My best day so far...TWO GW BUTTONS!!!

 

[windage]

Re: My best day so far...TWO GW BUTTONS!!!

To sell or not....opinions are as varied as "what detector to buy"..I applaud you for finding those GWs...
Back in my world, I am bracing for social/economic armaggedon...I think we are headed for a meltdown. Again, for me, I am selling my more collectable stuff and putting back the more common, "trade" junk, especially in smaller demonations.
I know that even in a "meltdown" someone has money to buy treasures, (think; Armand Hammer), but they go cheap.
I feel that I am getting the best for my better stuff now, before the bottom falls out.
I like what one guy said, selling a piece bought him time to do something special for himself.
Good luck in your decisions.
And may God be with our Country and with us all.

 

[sscindercoop]

Re: My best day so far...TWO GW BUTTONS!!!

Congrats

 

[Iron Patch]

Re: My best day so far...TWO GW BUTTONS!!!

2 butttons are great. The one clean variety is one seldom seen and I do not recall seeing one here. Duane, IP and some of the others have it right. I hope you will keep them. You can sell silver all day long but buttons like that are few and far between. And the history boggles the imagination. BTW, since you were near a stream it may be possible the coat(?) was lost in a flood, assuming the stream was more vibrant back in the day. I'd walk that stream and I'd see if I could detect the stream bed as well. Congrats and lots of continued luck!

http://georgewashingtoninauguralbuttons.com/

Not all the varieties but a lot of the good ones!

It's funny, a detecting friend of mine sold all his best stuff, yet kept all the common to display instead of making the money off it. To me I think the smart thing to do is just the opposite way around (if you need the cash), unless the offer on one of the good finds is just so damn good it makes sense to take it. That being said, I would never blame someone for selling a find because it's theirs to do what they want with, and sometimes it just has to be done. Selling something actually changed things a lot for me, not that the money was massive, but what it did was bought me the time to walk away from a job I hated and pursue something else. So it was probably my best find in more ways than just being the best thing I had ever dug.

Actually IP, I can understand the selling part. It's just not for me. I have such a hard time separating the possession side of things from the value side I can't get to the point of letting go. Some of it's sentimental, some of it's historical and some of it's artistic. By the time I work through all of that, I get cold feet and never sell. When I die they'll find a storage shed full of crap. Maybe they will find something worth the effort! Meantime, I get to say I have one.........somewhere....... LOL

Sure, for most of what we dig.... but what if it's 10k... 20k... 50k? Every piece of metal has a price, and for those that say it doesn't... they're either a fool, or lying, or have more money then they know what to do with already.

To each his own. I have the relics and pictures of things I found, on the wall. I got into this hobby to make a few extra bucks. $2,000 of the of the $4,500 I spent on my families trip to Florida, came from metal detecting stuff I sold. "I collect cash....not relics and coins." I heard that somewhere before...............HHHHHmmmmmm.

Hehehehe. I know what you guys are saying but believe it or not, unless it were worth a boatload of cash, I'd still be hanging on to it. I was always bent on becoming an archeologist. This is my homage to that vocation I never finished. But then, if there waaaaaaaaaas something worth 100k or so, I would have to think long, strong, and hard about it. Meantime, I swing that coil and dig them holes. And I always relish seeing the great stuff you guys haul from the ground!

My number is far less than that, probably 20k. That's the number that even if I really like a find I'd weigh the facts for selling. There's definitely quite a thought process that goes into selling something that's worth a lot, but I have no doubt anything I dig up well into the 5 figure range would be... (As the Auction King's intro says) SOLD!SOLD!SOLD!

 

[JW15]

Re: My best day so far...TWO GW BUTTONS!!!

Thanks again everyone! I plan to post a better pic asap, in the meantime for the record I've made no decisions about these buttons as far as selling is concerned.

 

[JW15]

Hey everyone, I managed to get the buttons a bit cleaner. I may seek having them professionally cleaned based on the condition which is unfortunately on the weathered and

delicate side. The button on the left is the one that was caked in stubborn crud, all I've used is distilled water on it. The other started flaking so put a light coat of petro jelly

on it and it seems to be stabilized at least for now. I've had some trouble seeking expert advice on these buttons regarding cleaning and so forth so if anyone has any input it's

greatly appreciated. HH

 

[Iron Patch]

Hey everyone, I managed to get the buttons a bit cleaner. I may seek having them professionally cleaned based on the condition which is unfortunately on the weathered and

delicate side. The button on the left is the one that was caked in stubborn crud, all I've used is distilled water on it. The other started flaking so put a light coat of petro jelly

on it and it seems to be stabilized at least for now. I've had some trouble seeking expert advice on these buttons regarding cleaning and so forth so if anyone has any input it's

greatly appreciated. HH

If distilled water did that, both would have come out very well with a peroxide soak. (no water)

 

[JW15]

Hey everyone, I managed to get the buttons a bit cleaner. I may seek having them professionally cleaned based on the condition which is unfortunately on the weathered and

delicate side. The button on the left is the one that was caked in stubborn crud, all I've used is distilled water on it. The other started flaking so put a light coat of petro jelly

on it and it seems to be stabilized at least for now. I've had some trouble seeking expert advice on these buttons regarding cleaning and so forth so if anyone has any input it's

greatly appreciated. HH

I don't doubt you IP, the thought crossed my mind but a curator I spoke to advised not to stating peroxide may have an adverse affect on the oxidation and

compromise the detail further. This made me second guess myself and I was nervous enough as is, shoulda just listened to you guys...


If distilled water did that, both would have come out very well with a peroxide soak. (no water)

 

[Iron Patch]

Hey everyone, I managed to get the buttons a bit cleaner. I may seek having them professionally cleaned based on the condition which is unfortunately on the weathered and

I don't doubt you IP, the thought crossed my mind but a curator I spoke to advised not to stating peroxide may have an adverse affect on the oxidation and

compromise the detail further. This made me second guess myself and I was nervous enough as is, shoulda just listened to you guys...

Did you ask him how many dug buttons he has cleaned? And for how many years? And with how much success?

But at least you did less, than more, cuz more (like some do) is usually a pretty bad result. I personally have never seen peroxide hurt something enough to feel it would be a risk, and if they had been mine they would have gone straight to the peroxide, back out, and not seen a drop of water. People can agree, or disagree, but I am very sure I could have cleaned both, got the cud off, and left a killer green patina. Why do I think that, because I have done it hundreds of times for both coins and buttons. All that being said, they look good, and are rare finds so you should be extremely happy. The really corroded one is so much better than it was now you have the option of both a good pay day and a nice one to keep. (something I've done many times with Rev War buttons - keep the best, sell the rest)

 

[JerV3]

Those are awesome man.

Congrats

Jer

 

[JW15]

Hey everyone, I managed to get the buttons a bit cleaner. I may seek having them professionally cleaned based on the condition which is unfortunately on the weathered and

I don't doubt you IP, the thought crossed my mind but a curator I spoke to advised not to stating peroxide may have an adverse affect on the oxidation and

compromise the detail further. This made me second guess myself and I was nervous enough as is, shoulda just listened to you guys...

Did you ask him how many dug buttons he has cleaned? And for how many years? And with how much success?

But at least you did less, than more, cuz more (like some do) is usually a pretty bad result. I personally have never seen peroxide hurt something enough to feel it would be a risk, and if they had been mine they would have gone straight to the peroxide, back out, and not seen a drop of water. People can agree, or disagree, but I am very sure I could have cleaned both, got the cud off, and left a killer green patina. Why do I think that, because I have done it hundreds of times for both coins and buttons. All that being said, they look good, and are rare finds so you should be extremely happy. The really corroded one is so much better than it was now you have the option of both a good pay day and a nice one to keep. (something I've done many times with Rev War buttons - keep the best, sell the rest)

I hear ya IP and thanks! No, I didn't ask nor have I been able to locate a source to appraise/authenticate them yet . Furthermore all the advice I got from the

curator(s) was based on what was seen in the photos and not in person which I think may have helped. In any event I'm definitely grateful to have had the experience to

say the least, I'm sure I'll never forget it . ~ A question on peroxide if I may... Hot or not?

 

[Iron Patch]

Hey everyone, I managed to get the buttons a bit cleaner. I may seek having them professionally cleaned based on the condition which is unfortunately on the weathered and

I don't doubt you IP, the thought crossed my mind but a curator I spoke to advised not to stating peroxide may have an adverse affect on the oxidation and

compromise the detail further. This made me second guess myself and I was nervous enough as is, shoulda just listened to you guys...

Did you ask him how many dug buttons he has cleaned? And for how many years? And with how much success?

But at least you did less, than more, cuz more (like some do) is usually a pretty bad result. I personally have never seen peroxide hurt something enough to feel it would be a risk, and if they had been mine they would have gone straight to the peroxide, back out, and not seen a drop of water. People can agree, or disagree, but I am very sure I could have cleaned both, got the cud off, and left a killer green patina. Why do I think that, because I have done it hundreds of times for both coins and buttons. All that being said, they look good, and are rare finds so you should be extremely happy. The really corroded one is so much better than it was now you have the option of both a good pay day and a nice one to keep. (something I've done many times with Rev War buttons - keep the best, sell the rest)

I hear ya IP and thanks! No, I didn't ask nor have I been able to locate a source to appraise/authenticate them yet . Furthermore all the advice I got from the

curator(s) was based on what was seen in the photos and not in person which I think may have helped. In any event I'm definitely grateful to have had the experience to

say the least, I'm sure I'll never forget it . ~ A question on peroxide if I may... Hot or not?

I don't heat it because I'm in no rush. The idea is to keep the green. It works best right out of the dirt with all the crud on. Just to clarify I don't think you hurt them, or even did anything wrong.... well except for taking someone's opinion that might have never even cleaned a dug find. It's the same idea if you walked into your local coin dealer and said here's $50, please clean all these corroded large cents. If you did that at 20 different places who all agreed to give it a go, I bet you'd go back and all 20 would have cooked your coins.

 

[JW15]

Hey everyone, I managed to get the buttons a bit cleaner. I may seek having them professionally cleaned based on the condition which is unfortunately on the weathered and

I don't doubt you IP, the thought crossed my mind but a curator I spoke to advised not to stating peroxide may have an adverse affect on the oxidation and

compromise the detail further. This made me second guess myself and I was nervous enough as is, shoulda just listened to you guys...

Did you ask him how many dug buttons he has cleaned? And for how many years? And with how much success?

But at least you did less, than more, cuz more (like some do) is usually a pretty bad result. I personally have never seen peroxide hurt something enough to feel it would be a risk, and if they had been mine they would have gone straight to the peroxide, back out, and not seen a drop of water. People can agree, or disagree, but I am very sure I could have cleaned both, got the cud off, and left a killer green patina. Why do I think that, because I have done it hundreds of times for both coins and buttons. All that being said, they look good, and are rare finds so you should be extremely happy. The really corroded one is so much better than it was now you have the option of both a good pay day and a nice one to keep. (something I've done many times with Rev War buttons - keep the best, sell the rest)

I hear ya IP and thanks! No, I didn't ask nor have I been able to locate a source to appraise/authenticate them yet . Furthermore all the advice I got from the

curator(s) was based on what was seen in the photos and not in person which I think may have helped. In any event I'm definitely grateful to have had the experience to

say the least, I'm sure I'll never forget it . ~ A question on peroxide if I may... Hot or not?

I don't heat it because I'm in no rush. The idea is to keep the green. It works best right out of the dirt with all the crud on. Just to clarify I don't think you hurt them, or even did anything wrong.... well except for taking someone's opinion that might have never even cleaned a dug find. It's the same idea if you walked into your local coin dealer and said here's $50, please clean these all these corroded large cents. If you did that at 20 different places who all agreed to give it a go, I bet you'd go back and all 20 would have cooked your coins.

Thanks for the input, reason I ask is becasue I find hot peroxide tends to turn the patina on coppers in particular darker than using it cold. Either way as I'm quite sure you already know, timing can be factor as well. I've heard horror stories first hand from people who tried to have coppers cleaned and cooked is right, many places use acid based cleaners!

 

[caleb]

wow awesome find

 

[johnnyblaze]

Hey everyone, I managed to get the buttons a bit cleaner. I may seek having them professionally cleaned based on the condition which is unfortunately on the weathered and

delicate side. The button on the left is the one that was caked in stubborn crud, all I've used is distilled water on it. The other started flaking so put a light coat of petro jelly

on it and it seems to be stabilized at least for now. I've had some trouble seeking expert advice on these buttons regarding cleaning and so forth so if anyone has any input it's

greatly appreciated. HH

Hey man the Historical feact of those finds cant compare to the condition

Lets be glad someone saved them from total destruction by the soil

I wonder if the Archies would have rather seemed them lost forever

They have no idea what we are about...


Blaze

 

[JW15]

Hey everyone, I managed to get the buttons a bit cleaner. I may seek having them professionally cleaned based on the condition which is unfortunately on the weathered and

delicate side. The button on the left is the one that was caked in stubborn crud, all I've used is distilled water on it. The other started flaking so put a light coat of petro jelly

on it and it seems to be stabilized at least for now. I've had some trouble seeking expert advice on these buttons regarding cleaning and so forth so if anyone has any input it's

greatly appreciated. HH

Hey man the Historical feact of those finds cant compare to the condition

Lets be glad someone saved them from total destruction by the soil

I wonder if the Archies would have rather seemed them lost forever

They have no idea what we are about...


Blaze

AMEN...