Perplexing homestead hunt today

[Don in SJ]

About a month ago I found a new cellarhole in the woods and right away I dug a pewter spoon bowl and thought, oh this is going to be a good site. I got a few more goodies that day, but nothing really special, and yet there is a large area to cover, perhaps a few acres, but the main area of iron hits are within 50-75 feet of the two small cellarhole depressions.

I assuming the site dates to the local Iron forge nearby, but there was also saw mills that predated the forge so I am not sure of the time of habitation, other than early to early mid 1800s. No Mason Jar lids at least, so that usually puts the homestead to Civil War era and earlier.

Today, no coins again, and I did a rather slow hunt with a grid pattern. Almost all the finds were very deep, just like my first hunt there, the spoon piece was the deepest at 8-10 inches and I did dig part of a iron stove out that was a good foot down. The soil is very sandy and easy to dig.

I started out right away with a flattie button, plain on the front but with a wreath and on the back with only PLATED and BEST written, so that looks like 1800 or thereabouts. The spoon handle was silver plated, and the other nicknack's I have no idea what they are, but the nicest piece of the hunt was the broken piece of jewelry.

The gold plated piece with two glass stones in it does swivel, I think the broken piece on the other end must have swiveled too and thus it might have been part of a necklace? Anyway, I am sure it is also from the period of the occupation of the homestead, so the jewelry is most likely CW or earlier.

I do plan one more hunt in hopes of getting a Large Cent or old colonial from this site. Perhaps it was cherry picked years ago, but then again, maybe the occupants just did not have hole in the pants pockets~

Don

 

[N.J.THer]

Don,
I like the button and the piece of jewelery. There must be a coin out there somewhere and I'm sure you will find it.

Good luck,

NJ

 

[1491]

Don,

From the soil description you give (sandy and easy to dig) I wonder if it is plausible that smaller, denser objects like coins have sunk deeper than the stuff you are currently finding? It sounds and looks like a very nice place to be digging for history. Nice relics. - Jim

 

[Evolution]

Sounds like my kind of luck Don. Sometimes I feel like I could hunt a site like that all day long and not find a coin whether or not it was cherry picked in the past 8) Keep looking. If there are coins there I'm sure you'll find them. I like the button.

 

[Iron Patch]

Hmm.. So that's the Best you could do, well maybe next time.

I hit a field last week that I thought for sure no one had done but sadly I was mistaking.

 

[Colonial Copper Zeus]

I know you are mostly a coin hunter but sometimes you have to settle with good relics and that is exactly what you found.
Chris

 

[Don in SJ]

I know you are mostly a coin hunter but sometimes you have to settle with good relics and that is exactly what you found.
Chris

Actually I am more a Relic hunter than you know, you may not have seen my relic displays posted in the past.

I prefer finding a nice mixture of both, always have, but finding a coin at a site is always a good feeling despite condition, but the relics have so much more to offer in history, variety, and value and visual display. Actually, coins are also relics!

Don

 

[RJH02]

Nice finds Don! Do you ever hunt in the Vineland,Millville,Bridgeton area?

 

[Don in SJ]

Nice finds Don! Do you ever hunt in the Vineland,Millville,Bridgeton area?

For years Millville area was one of my hot spots, but not Vineland and Bridgeton a tad too far to go nowadays.

 

[pinebarrens1]

hey don or iron patch ......can you send me your explorer xs settings you use ............i want to try so see what other hunters that hunt in nj [ for don ] . or there settings on there xs .....any help would be great ............pine out .........



those trees seem to be newer >....................probley was real clear at one time ....looks alot like my sites i hunt . not much ground cover and open with young trees ...............

 

[civilman1]

I don't think you can be a coin guy (old copper's) without the relic's.....I could spend all day at those site's,not just CW mind you Best of Luck to ya Don!!!Nice Find's!!!

 

[Mainedigger]

Don...sounds like a spot where there just has to be some old coins....Am probably not telling you anything you don;t already know, but try to locate an old well and do between the foundations and that as well as all around the well. Also look for any apple trees or large trees and stumps that may have had kids climbing/swinging on them or trees/stumps nearby that could have had a clothes line strung to it. Good luck and hope you find some LC's as well as some old silver there!! I've had better luck at old foundations, especially those that have been hit before, further away from them, in traffic areas than I have had close by them.

 

[texan connection]

That little piece of Jewelry is pretty amazing to still be swiviling, sure its palted? That a great looking sight to wander around in, I love having a reason to be in a place as pretty as that

 

[tymcmurray]

I agree. You will probably find something good there.
Hard to believe anybody cherry picked it as deep as you go.

 

[wyat]

Sweet finds! I haven't been fortunate enough to dig a cellar hole... Yet!

 

[Ia.FurTrade]

Actually I am more a Relic hunter than you know, you may not have seen my relic displays posted in the past.

I prefer finding a nice mixture of both, always have, but finding a coin at a site is always a good feeling despite condition, but the relics have so much more to offer in history, variety, and value and visual display. Actually, coins are also relics!

Don
[/quote]

Nice finds, Don!....and you "echo" my philosophy exactly!

 

[curbdiggercarl57]

Sites like the one you mention can drive you nuts. If there isn't a lot of new trash, does it mean it's close to virgin, or has it been hit hard? At least the soil looks nice and soft, so if I was you, I'd keep hitting it. Or you can give up, tell a buddy, and he can later show the great things that he dug. The Detecting Gods are fickle, they love to play games. Or at least mine do. They have stopped telling me to start fires, and smelling colors, so I'm a lot happier camper. Good luck.

 

[allen]

dont give up on that site, it looks very promising..

 

[crazyjarhead]

Nice finds Don. Hope you can retrieve some coins there before winter. HH Ron

 

[dgaughan]

if anyone can find the large cents don its you good luck on your next hunts