Our First Real Relic Hunt

[JimK]

Hello all.
I have never posted in Todays finds but, Saturday the weather decided to cooperate a little(almost 50 degrees) and we managed to get out for our first official relic hunt. A friend got us on a place that had a Civil War camp on it. It has been pounded fairly hard over the years but as they say a place is never really hunted out if you are willing to put in the effort. We started out finding a few horse shoes and the usual junk. Then I found some melted lead. A few minutes later my wife came over to show me a cool pistol bullet she had found. And before she could get back to her detector I came up with a nice three ring bullet. Now these finds finds may be mundane to a lot of you but we are very excited by them. I managed to find a plain flat button (with shank), some type of buckle, some melted lead and a camp spoon. But as excited as I was with these finds They sort of fell short compared to my wifes finds. She came up with the pistol bullet, the tip of a smashed 3 ringer, a US cavalry picket line hammer, a general service eagle button (with back and shank), What we believe to be the button part of a J-hook (stem is there but the hook is missing) and the two complete horse shoes. But the best of allwas a Eagle breast plate in really good condition. We both found the usual barbed wire and quite a few square nails. Does anyone know if the horse shoes are civil war era? Is there a way to tell? Anyway thanks for looking.
JimK

 

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[JimK]

Also if anyone has information or details on any of these finds plase let us know. We would like to have as much info as we can get.

Thanks

JimK

 

[danimal03]

nice finds. it is not every day one digs an eagle breastplate. I have hunted for several years and have only dug two of them. the pistol bullet appears to be A .44 caliber bullet. If your site has a mixed history on it; it may be hard to tell for sure on the horseshoes. But they look period to me. But they could also be a little before or after. I have seen that style of hammer called an 'artillery fuze' hammer. I have dug one in an 1850's gold camp out west. And I have seen others dug outside of Civil War sites. so I personally am unsure as to their specific use. but it is a period hammer that would have been useful in camp. nice finds. especially on the nice breastplate. Nowadays they are usually eaten up and chipped. yours is nice for a modern recovery. congrats!

 

[pepperj]

The first and last photos of finds are really interesting, it'll great to hear the ID of either find. You managed to produce lots out of an site that's been hard hit.

 

[JimK]

Thanks for the info. We looked the hammer up on line and found one exactly like ours and I grabbed the description from that. Other than that I have no idea but it is good to know that it is period anyway.

jimK

 

[CASPER-2]

 

[JimK]

A few questions for anyone that can help. Can anyone tell anything about the buckle? Is it period? is it a harnes/horse tack buckle? Also should the relics be cleaned or does it ruin them?

JimK

 

[alabama11]

Mr Jim,
Your finds are the greatest. Keep hunting as when the heavily supplied union army left an area some equipment would be discarded as example artillery shells.
Best,

 

[relic nut]

That's a fantastic hunt!! I, like many here have yet to find a breast plate and it is very high on my wish list. Congrats on your hunt and thanks for posting.[emoji106]

HH, Relic Nut

 

[A2coins]

Wow that is awesome all that history.Michigan will be 45 and 50 sat and sunday finally can go on a hunt nice finds. Keep lookin probably a lot more to be found there

 

[JerV3]

Great looking cw finds

Wish my wife came digging with me

HH Jer

 

[trapperart]

Very nice finds congrats

 

[metalev4]

Tough to dig a breast plate these days. Congrats on a fine first relic hunt. Now your addicted!

 

[Vonclemen29]

Nice! Never found a breastplate, so you doing good man! Congrats!

 

[slowwevo]

the breastplate is insane,im surprised this has got overlooked by the usual everyday posters,,in any case.. Congrats

 

[bearbqd]

Wow, a breastplate out on your first time into a cw camp?? That's outstanding, I've been detecting since 05 and just found my first. COngrats.

 

[Trezurehunter]

Nice job on the Breastplate. Great find.

 

[chrisdigs]

Awesome,Awesome,Awesome eagle breast , cool relics. I'd hit that place really hard and slow to see what else they missed.Good Luck

 

[against the wind]

As many have already commented,, The Eagle Breast Plate is the Find of the day. Sometimes you just get to approach a section of soil that has the right moisture content with the right machine and catch a target sitting at a perfect angle and WHAM,, you recover something special that others have gone over dozens of times and missed.
Congrats

 

[JimK]

Hello all,
Thank you for all of the kind comments. It has been a little over a year since I posted this. Since then we have returned to "our camp" many times and found some fantastic stuff including another breast plate. We have to switch fields to stay out of the crops from time to time but always come home with treasures. In fact we hope to go back out Saturday if the weather holds.
JimK

Here are some of our finds from our last trip out there in early January. I am not sure what the heck the thing in the second picture is.