halfdime
Silver Member
- Joined
- Oct 31, 2006
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- Location
- Zelienople
- Detector(s) used
- White's XLT
- #1
Thread Owner
The Ideal find: Ball Mason jar, Pat'd July 14, 1908
I was very pleased to find this jar intact this afternoon in privy #4 at my cousin's house. Her property once had an older house on it, and we've identified at least five privies. To start, I dug away the topsoil that has covered this one for years; I set it aside for sifting later because you just don't know what might be hiding there. Probably about three feet down, my shovel gently touched some glass and it turned out to be this little beauty! It was the kind with a wire bail (missing) and the top of the jar even says "BAIL HERE." Another posting here about Ball jars indicates that the script without underlining dates from 1923-33, which is reasonable for the date of the property. The house still appears on an aerial shot from the late '30's. After a few more small bottles, the hot PA sun finally forced me into the shade, where I did some detecting. Near the end of the day, I came back to the privy with the detector and noticed a little round disk on top of my topsoil pile. Lo and behold, it was a V nickel! I'd have found it sifting, but seeing it sunning itself right on top was funny, especially since the only other coins for the day were modern! Hard to get a date, but it looks to be 1900's. If anyone knows any more information about this particular jar, please chime in! Forgot to mention that there is a number 5 on the bottom of the jar.
I was very pleased to find this jar intact this afternoon in privy #4 at my cousin's house. Her property once had an older house on it, and we've identified at least five privies. To start, I dug away the topsoil that has covered this one for years; I set it aside for sifting later because you just don't know what might be hiding there. Probably about three feet down, my shovel gently touched some glass and it turned out to be this little beauty! It was the kind with a wire bail (missing) and the top of the jar even says "BAIL HERE." Another posting here about Ball jars indicates that the script without underlining dates from 1923-33, which is reasonable for the date of the property. The house still appears on an aerial shot from the late '30's. After a few more small bottles, the hot PA sun finally forced me into the shade, where I did some detecting. Near the end of the day, I came back to the privy with the detector and noticed a little round disk on top of my topsoil pile. Lo and behold, it was a V nickel! I'd have found it sifting, but seeing it sunning itself right on top was funny, especially since the only other coins for the day were modern! Hard to get a date, but it looks to be 1900's. If anyone knows any more information about this particular jar, please chime in! Forgot to mention that there is a number 5 on the bottom of the jar.
jgas
