Sundays Relic Dig with a lil Fire Pit action

[jamesbibb]

So I decided I had enough and I took my daughter and caught up with matt for a dig on Sunday. Getting into the field late around 830 I fired up the dfx with the big coil and battled the cornstalks.
As you can see somebody tried their best to take off with my gear to find her own relics.

We walked around the field for 30 mintues with no hits then boom we got one. Dug it up and it was a fired 3 ringer. Now we're ttalking.

After a half dozen or so we changed spots and i dug the Ox Knob, remmeber we just had a conversation about them!


Then the next signal in the HUGE IRON infested field was a FIRST for me. Now Northerners DONT LAUGH but here is my first CROTAL BELL. AND IM STOKED about it. I cleaned it up and it still rings! Its actually the first one ive held in my hand after years of diggin lol.

The other guys found a few flat buttons and we decided at that point to part ways, but, I just hadnt had enough quite yet. Even though my daughter had lol. So we huried over to a pounded cavalry camp to fire up the TDi to try to pulse out an eagle button hopefully. Well after 2 pieces of camp lead I got the tell-tell signal of DEEP IRON. So I dug down to about 20" and found a kettle leg and 1 shard of glass. So I explored a bit deeper and the next shovel full of red hot dirt was about 4" thick of ash and charcoal. FIREPIT! So i called the wife and explained my now "dire" situation and that we were going to be late lol.


So I dug the pit out to about 18 around and started pulling out broken glass and fragments of a once intact bullseye canteen. Once I got that out of the way I found some MORE iron in the form of tons of horseshoe nails, harness buckles and rings along with some ration can parts. Then 2 sharps fell out the side of the hole. Sweet! The propinter wouldnt stop going off! I chased where the bullets came from and found 2 more. Then 3 back to back eagle cuff buttons. I continue around the pit now head in the hole laying on my stomach. I found a pocket knife and then the corner of a larger brass object revealed itself. I was thinking the entire time PLATE but it wasnt. And once I removed it and its other part I really didnt know what I had. So when I got home I cleaned up my finds and noticed something stamped on the shield. It read "SMITH'S PATENT JAN 17, 1860" well that made it easy. I then found out that I was holding a soldiers match case! Ive never found one of these before so im stoked about it!


Thanks ALL! AND CHECK US OUT AT Just Go Detecting - Metal Detector Community for more great stories and recoveries!
HH
james

 

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[John Boy]

Boy you hit the nail on the head there.Great recoveries. Really like that match case.way to go buddy.

 

[VaMark]

That match case is nice! Never seen 1 of them before.

 

[flyinryan2]

Way to go! Also congrats on the crotal bell!

 

[JmCraz8]

Fantastic finds, congrats!!!

 

[BuckleBoy]

Great stuff! I hope you preserve rather than throw out that bullseye canteen!

Cheers,

Buck

 

[augusthog]

Kewl finds!

 

[Tnmountains]

Nice. I am guessing the signals would not have been there if you had not of dug? That match case is in great shape. I have found only two and they were in pieces. I am with Buckles on preserving that section of canteen. You guys had a great hunt. Maybe you will find another and now you know they are deep. Good post and thanks for sharing.
hh
TnMtns

 

[dig kzoo]

Well I recon you got out done! Great job HH!

 

[Citiboy289]

Only goes to prove you never know what will yield treasure

 

[jamesbibb]

Nice. I am guessing the signals would not have been there if you had not of dug? That match case is in great shape. I have found only two and they were in pieces. I am with Buckles on preserving that section of canteen. You guys had a great hunt. Maybe you will find another and now you know they are deep. Good post and thanks for sharing.
hh
TnMtns

Not a chance. They were over 2 ft. You never know what youll find in a pit or a hut. Thanks

 

[jamesbibb]

Great stuff! I hope you preserve rather than throw out that bullseye canteen!

Cheers,

Buck

Well ive got some better pieces. I always bring it home. When i finish out the pit ill see if i can find the spout or other significant pieces of the canteen

 

[Valley Ranger]

Great stuff James. Don't feel so bad, I've never found a crotal bell either.

 

[jamesbibb]

Great stuff James. Don't feel so bad, I've never found a crotal bell either.

I thinki its just that here in the south we didnt go dashing through the snow so much, ya know. Lol

 

[Southern_Digger]

Nice day of digging... rebuild and preserve whatever is possible. However, regarding the title, didn't you mean it to read, "A Sunday dig with my little Firecracker..." At least that is what it was like when I took my once 8-year old daughter on a dig. She'd grab the hand shovel run around ahead of me, dig holes and yell, Okay Dad, check here! She was a little firecracker. Of course, today, as an adult, she would not be caught in public with a metal detector in her hand, thanks to Govt propaganda translated through TV demoralizing the hobby. Of course, that continues through current TV shows about metal detecting. It appears that Garrett has sponsored "Diggers" from the looks of the equipment and the apparel. Charles should be concerned over the nonsense being emitted from the program. It can effect his and everyone else's related businesses. To make it right, he should demand them to stop the clowning. To become serious, be serious. Also, they should have followup research on interesting finds. To see an example how that is done correctly, just watch American Pickers. BTW, years down the road, you won't remember or care about what you found this day. However, you will remember who spent the day with you. That is where you will find the gold.

 

[jamesbibb]

Didn't you mean the title to read, "A Sunday dig with my little Firecracker..." At least that is what it was like when I took my once 8-year old daughter on a dig. She'd grab the hand shovel run around ahead of me, dig holes and yell, Okay Dad, check here! She was a little firecracker. Of course, today, as an adult, she would not be caught in public with a metal detector in her hand, thanks to Govt propaganda translated through TV demoralizing the hobby. Of course, that continues through current TV shows about metal detecting. It appears that Garrett has sponsored "Diggers" from the looks of the equipment and the apparel. Charles should be concerned over the nonsense being emitted from the program. It can effect his and everyone else's related businesses. To make it right, he should demand them to stop the clowning. To become serious, they should have followup research on interesting finds. To see an example how that is done correctly, just watch American Pickers. BTW, years down the road, you won't remember or care about what you found this day. However, you will remember who spent the day with you. That is where you will find the gold.

Love your reply. I agree 10 fold
I take my kids as regularly as I & they can stand it! Those are the important things for sure. And yep i check lots of random holes for treasures she digs too lol.

I have a 14 year old daughter to so i feel the changes coming. But as the lord had it i was blessed with a son who is now 4. He loves to go too

Thanks for taking the time to reply.

 

[Southern_Digger]

Sorry... forgot to comment on your finds, so I edited the reply... SD

 

[jamesbibb]

Sorry... forgot to comment on your finds, so I edited the reply... SD

No problem
Thanks

 

[diggervet]

Great finds! Enjoy that daughter, she'll grow up so fast. I've been hunting with one of my sons for about eight years and wouldn't trade a second of it!

 

[jamesbibb]

Great finds! Enjoy that daughter, she'll grow up so fast. I've been hunting with one of my sons for about eight years and wouldn't trade a second of it!

Thanks