🥇 BANNER Roll out the red carpet...bonanza time...big silver, tree silver & MORE!!!!

[HomeGuardDan]

Wow what a hunt...so much so that I could not fit them all on my stool that so many have come to like. I had to roll out the red carpet on this one. I got together for my annual hunt with good pal Aquachigger for a couple of days. We spent time at some old sites and located a few new ones as well and the results were well worth it.

To start, we explored a new area for the first part of the hunt. This was a small wharf site that yielded a few buttons (including a worn foliated "A" artillery button) when I heard a large and deep hightone. Reading in the 80s, I was some what unsure what it would be, but soon I was holding a well worn, but actual 8-Real cob! What a way to start out the hunt!! We ran out of time and moved on to an old tried and true site where a few buttons were located. We decided to start there the next morning and located some more colonial goodies including a trifid spoon end, some large brass "shell" looking thing (think it might be a cap to an old snuff box). I then heard another nice but small hightone and was quickly holding a 1700 William the III Farthing!

Things were certainly looking up and after dodging some weather we tried another spot the following morning. We first hit the location where we left off and I was in awe yet again. After digging a few buttons and round balls I heard an all too familiar tone and saw a 63-65 VDI reading. I was fairly sure this would be a cut coin, but ready to be disappointed. I was fairly shocked when I was holding a cut 1652 Oak Tree shilling. I've always wanted to dig a tree coin and while this one is cut, I will certainly take it. I ended the local with a rather beat civil war NY button which certainly set the stage for the next spot. We were moving from colonial to civil war as we began to scout out a new location. This was a union resupply point that also saw confederate activity prior to union control. We were in for a treat as it also produced a few other unexpected finds. I was steadily digging bullets (mostly CS drop .69 balls) when I heard a large and loud high tone. What I popped up next was a shocker. This is a civil war era artillery fuse adapter still wrapped in a leather cup of some sort. I know my artillery as does Aqua, but I will be sending cannonballguy a note on this one to see what his thoughts were. It certainly was cool to find. Shortly afterwards I popped out two VA Half Pennies side by side as well as additional items. I also located another small copper coin that is very thin and has some crude lettering around the edge, too bad it is toasted as I would have liked to have seen exactly what it was. This site was full of bullets and brass nails/rivets from the shipyard. The heart breaker was the silver barber dime, still nice to find, but was hoping it was going to be seated. The bullets were a good variety of dropped and fired along with 3-ringers and pistols. Other lead items included homemade sinkers, including one from a bullet. I also located a unique carved lead pipe bowl and shortly afterwards eyeballed an actual colonial clay pipe bowl, along with a stem and native american pottery. I also located plenty of melted brass and lead from the camps that were once there, these two gave me a heck of signal. What a site and I can't wait to get back to it.

Still note done...this morning we finished the 2.5 day hunt at an old site that still produces from time to time. It was civil war but also had an early colonial landing nearby. We began hunting the CW site and it yielded a few bullets (including some ringtail sharps), eagle button back, percussion cap, and the brass bar to a shoulder epaulet. iron was there too as I took home a butt plate to a Springfield musket. On the way back we decided to check the old colonial site, and boy am I glad we did as it ended the day perfectly! Shortly after digging a colonial era pocket knife (broken) I heard another all too familiar sound and a short while later I was holding a beautiful 1690 1-real cob!

This was a heck of a hunt that yielded 8 keeper coins, over 30 bullets, some good buttons and many many more unique finds. I am still on cloud nine with the 8-R and the Oak Tree!

Bonanza Baby!!

HH

Dan

 

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[Zodiacdiverdave]

Killer hunt Dan, you must be stoked.
Banner vote is in.
ZDD

 

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[HomeGuardDan]

Killer hunt Dan, you must be stoked.
Banner vote is in.
ZDD

Thanks man!

 

[TheGreatNorth]

How has this not made banner yet There are so many candidates in one post. You really killed it!

 

[H-2 CHARLIE]

Im rolling out the Red Carpet for you dude . Unbelievable hunt .

 

[HomeGuardDan]

How has this not made banner yet There are so many candidates in one post. You really killed it!

Thanks man, not really sure but oh well.

Dan

 

[HomeGuardDan]

Im rolling out the Red Carpet for you dude . Unbelievable hunt .

Ha ha thanks man, that is the treatment

 

[HomeGuardDan]

Absolutely awesome!! Even a sliver of a tree coin is a holy grail- Congrats!!

-- Jeff --

Thanks man, this one has been on my want list for a very long time and honestly never thought I would get one...even just a slither makes me happy.

 

[Bill D. (VA)]

This needs a bump to make sure it doesn't slip through the crack before some folks get a chance see these incredible finds. Again, awesome is all I can say .....

 

[HomeGuardDan]

This needs a bump to make sure it doesn't slip through the crack before some folks get a chance see these incredible finds. Again, awesome is all I can say .....

Ha thanks man...i keep looking at it myself. Was a great hunt.

 

[Scrappy]

Roll out the red carpet...bonanza time...big silver, tree silver & MORE!!!!

I was just thinking, I would rather see your finds on the red carpet than any screen or television star. That is, unless the stars carried each find one by one.

I hope to see this up top soon. Banner material all the way Dan

 

[HomeGuardDan]

I was just thinking, I would rather see your finds on the red carpet than any screen or television star. That is, unless the stars carried each find one by one.

I hope to see this up top soon. Banner material all the way Dan

Thanks man, I appreciate it. Funny, I still have not unboxed my collection from the move last month, so the stuff i've found over the last month is what is at hand and I've been spending a lot of time with the shilling...even had a beer with it last night ha ha.

 

[Ahab8]

Hey Dan, I've finally had a chance to study your cut piece. I've been comparing it for about an hour to the known examples. I'm 98% sure you have a Pine Tree shilling piece. We can gather quite a bit from the small details we find on your piece. The connected bottom of the A with the N, the slightly lower right leg of the H, but the distance between the bottom of the D to the top of the 5 in 1652. This coupled with the very top of the tree pointing to the bottom of the right leg of the H are fairly conclusive. I could very well be wrong but I'm a sad man and I've stared at these pictures for more hours than I care to admit. I have eliminated almost every other variety. Hope this helps in determining exactly what you have. It's going to look great up top....up top I say!!!!

So I believe the Variety to be NOE 4-6. Congrats buddy

 

[HomeGuardDan]

Hey Dan, I've finally had a chance to study your cut piece. I've been comparing it for about an hour to the known examples. I'm 98% sure you have a Pine Tree shilling piece. We can gather quite a bit from the small details we find on your piece. The connected bottom of the A with the N, the slightly lower right leg of the H, but the distance between the bottom of the D to the top of the 5 in 1652. This coupled with the very top of the tree pointing to the bottom of the right leg of the H are fairly conclusive. I could very well be wrong but I'm a sad man and I've stared at these pictures for more hours than I care to admit. I have eliminated almost every other variety. Hope this helps in determining exactly what you have. It's going to look great up top....up top I say!!!!
View attachment 1345264
So I believe the Variety to be NOE 4-6. Congrats buddy

Abe,

I've studied it a bit, and at first thought it was a pine tree. The challenge I ran into is the tree design looks entirely like all the oaks, very squiggly lines and less uniformed (as if any were). I highlighted below where they are so you can see what I am talking about

Thanks man.

 

[A2coins]

Got a picture of the bucket those listers came in Amazing thanks for sharing the story and finds!!!!

 

[Ahab8]

Abe,

I've studied it a bit, and at first thought it was a pine tree. The challenge I ran into is the tree design looks entirely like all the oaks, very squiggly lines and less uniformed (as if any were). I highlighted below where they are so you can see what I am talking about

Thanks man. View attachment 1345276

Yeah I originally thought it would be an oak....but the letters don't match any of those varieties. The other big indicator is the big distance between the D and what I believe is the top of the 5. The other thing to keep in mind is the orientation and positioning of the letters on your piece of pie. When you flip it those letters must be at the very top of whatever variety this Mass silver is. Putting it at the very top of the tre. These are difficult for sure. I'll look more tomorrow.

 

[HomeGuardDan]

Yeah I originally thought it would be an oak....but the letters don't match any of those varieties. The other big indicator is the big distance between the D and what I believe is the top of the 5. The other thing to keep in mind is the orientation and positioning of the letters on your piece of pie. When you flip it those letters must be at the very top of whatever variety this Mass silver is. Putting it at the very top of the tre. These are difficult for sure. I'll look more tomorrow.

I'll take a closer look tonight, but the branches do not match any pine tree I've seen, they do match a few of the oaks.

 

[Ahab8]

I'll take a closer look tonight, but the branches do not match any pine tree I've seen, they do match a few of the oaks.

Let me know which variety you think it is? I couldn't find one of the oaks that was even close as far as the letters and the positioning of the letters go. So I would be curious to see which one you believe it is. Maybe I'm not seeing one of them. Regardless it puts you on a small list of people who have ever found a Mass silver. Pretty cool club to be a part of.

 

[Calabash Digger]

WOW!

 

[joeyfresh]

Would light electrolysis or diluted lemon juice remove the black stuff from the 8R?

 

[HomeGuardDan]

Let me know which variety you think it is? I couldn't find one of the oaks that was even close as far as the letters and the positioning of the letters go. So I would be curious to see which one you believe it is. Maybe I'm not seeing one of them. Regardless it puts you on a small list of people who have ever found a Mass silver. Pretty cool club to be a part of.

Abe,
I see what you are saying and leaning that way too. The branches just still seem different but I've also never held one either ha ha. Will keep looking to be sure but I appreciate it as it is a very likely fallback.