Surprise Breastplate!

[OutdoorAdv]

New pictures on page 2.

I think my morning just started off right! I was at a new permission house site dating to the late 1890's. My v3i was giving me a bouncing signal between 40 and 70 at 5 inches when this popped out of the ground at 12 inches and I decided it was time to take a lunch break!! I was very surprised and NOT expecting this... I was 90% sure I knew what it was based off the lead backing with iron spots of long gone hooks! Sadly, the target was one I would have normally passed over based on the bouncing vdi readings and the two pieces of trash I had just dug with similar readings, however I was just reading a lot about masking with signals so I decided to dig everything today. Glad I did. Lesson Learned.

This is the first type of plate I have ever found. I rinsed it with just water... no brush... just water! I could not identify it until some dirt was removed as you can see in the pictures below.
How can I remove the rest of the dirt without hurting any patina? Mineral Oil? Peroxide? Any suggestions on cleaning a plate like this would be much appreciated. I have never tried to clean something with brass and lead together and I don't want to screw it up! I don't care if it has to soak in oil for months! I also don't know anything about breastplates, so any help on an ID would be great!

Front as found.


Back as found.


Rinsed with water.



Toothpicked!

 

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[Valley Ranger]

Let the experts chime in first, but my thought is boil it in peroxide. That will remove and loosen up a lot of dirt and crustation without disturbing the patina. I use that method on Indian Heads with great results. Great find!!

 

[OutdoorAdv]

Thank you! I use the boiling peroxide on a lot of my finds as well, with great results. I was unsure if there would be any issue with using peroxide when there are two types of metal like brass and lead. So its just sitting here looking like a dirt disk until I can decide the best way to clean it up some. ha

 

[texjim]

I would not use peroxide. I would just use a soft tooth brush and water and leave it alone.

 

[texjim]

OPPS forgot nice job

 

[Hendo0601]

I can't give you any advice on cleaning it, sorry. I just wanted to chime in and say AWESOME FIND!!!! I bet you are gonna start digging a lot more of those bouncy signals lol. Well done!

 

[DigIron2]

sweet find!I know that put a spark in your day.

 

[BuckleBoy]

I would wash the lead back of the plate with water and a toothbrush, then let it dry and use a wooden toothpick or a shish-kebab skewer to gently scrape the dirt off the face of the plate. After all the dirt is gone, rub lightly with a finger over the highest points of the design to bring them out. After toothpicking and before rubbing with a finger, you might want to DRY toothbrush the front of the plate.

That's all you need to do. Don't go any further. If you wish, send it in for restoration and straightening.

I can't imagine someone Not digging a signal like that.

Congrats,

Buck

 

[dirtlooter]

cool find, hope it comes out okay

 

[OutdoorAdv]

Thanks a ton guys! Yeah, great start to my day. BuckleBoy, I've seen your posts and finds so I gotta say I'll take your advice on cleaning and post pictures after. Life keeps getting in the way so I have little time to hunt... which means little time to research or get permission. So most places I end up hunting for an hour every few months, so I typically pass up the bouncy signals to try and make the best of my short time. I'll be digging them in this yard.

 

[bootybandit]

Looks good with the water rinse! post a pic after the second cleaning.

 

[CASPER-2]

COOL - WTG

 

[treblehunter]

Be very careful like you have been. Breastplate collectors want that green patina on them. George/Vino cleaned his banner plate, he should know the proper way. Distilled water soak for about ten minutes, probably would not hurt it. I know George researched how to clean.

 

[mangum]

I agree on the toothpick/skewer method for this . Great find!

 

[I-DIG-IT]

Nice digs.

 

[OutdoorAdv]

Thanks a ton everyone. Here are the results after an hour of toothpicking. The dirt is stuck on this plate like concrete. I got enough off to show the relief and you can actually see something. Before using the toothpick, it just looked like a brown disk and only showed its design when wet. I really like the way it turned out, so I think I'm going to stop for now and enjoy it. I can always do more later. The clay this was buried in gave the brass a brown patina... no green at all on this one. It looks like it had a hard life before it was lost... lots of divots banged into the brass and lead and its pretty much flattened out!

Are all these breastplates the same design? I googled around a bit and found the "Regulation 1826 Pattern". Is that the design of this one?




After my lunch break I headed back for a few more hours. This is the type of yard I could spend months detecting! With the exception of this plate, all my finds were from the 1900's.... oil lamp collar, coin purse frame (i quadruple checked the hole! ha), lighter, pocket watch parts, suspender buckles and clasps. I'll be spending some time this fall and winter seeing what else I can pull out of there.

 

[jewelerguy]

sweet find!

 

[BuckleBoy]

WELL DONE on the cleaning! Yes, you're right. Can always do more later. Looks good. Certainly worth having professionally straightened by someone like Roland or Robert McDaniel.

 

[OutdoorAdv]

WELL DONE on the cleaning!

Thank you!! I just googled for Roland and his work is incredible and hes actually local to me too. His before and after pictures are unbelievable... If I decide to get it restored, he will be the guy I contact.

 

[coinman123]

Beautiful breastplate, whatever you do DON'T unbend it LOL.