Saturdays recoveries include complete c1700 shoe buckle with marked chape

Bill D. (VA)

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F75 SE (land); CZ-21 (saltwater)
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Saturday's recoveries include complete c1700 shoe buckle with marked chape

Got out last Saturday with my good buddy Stan. Although the weather was warm, this turned out to be a difficult hunt as the farmer had just churned up the field a bit and walking was no easy chore. And those corn stalk root balls gave us fits too when swinging. The fluffed up dirt also made for some funky sounding signals plus a loss of depth. But we made out the best we could and both of us came home with a few keepers. My best find for the day was one I almost left in the hole. After recovering a brass shell casing and getting ready to move on I happened to swing over my filled in hole and heard another faint signal. I decided to see what it was, and finally pulled something out from almost a foot down. I was quite surprised to see I had just recovered a late 1600s or very early 1700s complete shoe buckle with all the workings intact. The chape even had a makers mark. I can't quite make out the first letter as its looked like a Y, L or I depending on the viewing angle and lighting. But the close-up pic below looks more like an "I". The last 5 letters are "ESSON" so maybe the "I" is the first initial for the maker. I also got another 1700s buckle, a few buttons, a couple of 69 cal bullets, and a few other odds and ends. But I couldn't pass over a coin although Stan found a well worn early LC plus an 1861 three cent piece and an 1860 fatty IH. Enjoyed it Stan!
 

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Upvote 13
Nice marked buckle! It's just a hunch, but it may actually read "Jesson". I dug a late 18th century coin silver spoon marked "I M Micksch" (silversmith from Pa.) but his name was "John Matthew Micksch". Might be something akin to the "long s" in use at the time, as in "ſuffering ſuccotash".

I should have caught that as I dealt with the same thing last year with a bottle seal I found. It had the monogram "IM" inscribed, but it was eventually identified as belonging to Jonathan Mathews. Those I's are actually an old English J. Nice catch. But I still can't find any reference to a chape maker named Jesson.
 

Yeah, I read it as "Jesson" when I first saw it, and still do.

Incredible find, Bill! Do you think it American made?

View attachment 965904

Haven't had any luck with finding any info on the chape maker (Jesson), but seeing how early this buckle is I would have to assume it was most likely imported.
 

Never seen one in that good of condition, the farmer must not use fertilizer,hardly and any green on it, WOW, I bet the F75 was ringing, I love the f 75

This one came from about a foot down and out of the plow zone, so maybe the fertilizer didn't get to it. It was also found within a foot of the dirt lane on the very edge of the field so that may have helped too.
 

Man, that is one sweet shoe buckle Bill. :occasion14: Never saw one like that.
Congrats,
Doug
 

What a find, Bill! You sure have been pulling in the Colonial relics and coins lately. My wife has to tutor on Sunday, but I will try to get out close to home. I must dig a Colonial site!

Kirk
 

That's a bad ass buckle dude. WTG!!
 

That's an AWESOME find!
 

Seriously great find to get a marked buckle that is complete, and a beautiful early example!

Haven't had any luck with finding any info on the chape maker (Jesson), but seeing how early this buckle is I would have to assume it was most likely imported.

Have you been enjoying reading that book?
 

Bill that is one sweet Colonial buckle man:headbang:

I have only dug 1 of that type up here they just dont show up often around these parts..

Blaze
 

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