Slow day saved with the recovery of a Spanish cob

[Bill D. (VA)]

Got a last minute invite to join my friend Stan to check out a colonial trash pit he'd located on a 1600s site earlier this year. After taking nearly 2 hours to drive up, we started opening up some large test holes near where he had previously dug and recovered 2 huge and very early onion bottle bases. The area was loaded with the usual large oyster shells, but the finds were almost non-existent - one pipe stem and one piece of pottery were all I could muster. We quickly gave up on that effort and hit the fields for some surface hunting. This is a site that I had actually hunted before many years ago with another friend, but after digging a load of early relics and coins in the first 30 minutes the owner changed her mind and made us leave. That was a huge disappointment, and I've often wondered what we left in that small section of field. Stan was able to secure permission since he had a personal connection with the owner, but was told that many others had been allowed to hunt there in recent years. That fact was quickly proven as I was having a hard time getting my coil over any decent sounding signals at all. For the day, my overall quantity of finds were the lowest in quite a while (including zero buttons!), but I was lucky to save the day when I picked out a small, thin, and very worn cob from an iron patch. My only other interesting find was a nice little iron padlock with the keyhole cover intact. Need to figure out how to use electrolysis to clean the lock without damaging the cover. I remember someone posting the trick on how to do that, but can't seem to recall how that was done. If anyone knows please I'd appreciate if you'd post that info. Not sure if this is my last hunt of the season, but unless I can find a way to gain access to a new site that I already have permission for I might be done until the fall.

 

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[The Patriot]

Sweet find Bill...could use a slow day like that lol.... congrats

 

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[creade]

Great finds! Love the Cobb and lock

 

[UnderMiner]

Always fun to find a cob!!

 

[Greylock]

Nice cob! I hope to find one this year if I ever get any time out. I had a similar lock with a brass cover plate. I put it in an electrolysis bath and it didn't seem to do any harm to the cover. Just lightened the shade of green and removed some of the crust. Not recommending it with yours but that was just my experience. Good luck on your next trip

 

[KELLYCO*SCUBA*CHRIS]

AWESOME FINDS!!!!!