The plate that wasnt

[Digger54]

The plate that wasn't

Hi. I just finished doing a pic on "what is it" and thought I would share a cruel joke I experienced many years ago. Wasn't sure which thread to post on so I thought here was good.

I was detecting on a stage coach road, that to this day is still made of dirt and in place. The trail ran to a Union camp during the civil war. I had dug a couple three ringers and a few flat buttons but kept telling myself that there was a plate here somewhere as I have never dug a belt plate before. I got a real good signal down in a muddy section of road and felt with my hands what made my heart leap, finally! I was so excited, couldn't wait to clean the mud off and see which plate it was. At first I couldn't get anything, and I started notice things that weren't right as I cleaned the mud off...no hooks or feet ?!? Then a hole in it! Bummer, wait there is some writing! What? A sideways number ?!?. A stinking cow tag shaped like a plate! You can see by the tear drop hole that the tag eventually wore through and fell off the bovine perpetrator. I have included a puppy paw plate for a side by side just to show the similarity in size and shape. Incidently, I got so mad over the cow tag I went and bought that puppy paw plate figuring I would never find one. Unfortunately I still have yet to dig a belt plate. So far, only hooks and back lead. But some day... hopefully some day soon.

 

[Iron Patch]

Re: The plate that wasn't

Oh yeah, that would be a drag considering the British 35th just used the number on their early buttons, and maybe their plates. Are you sure there's not two little round marks remaining at the back on the bottom where the puppy paw attachments were? Honestly, if I found that, and it's a cow tag, I'd call it my worst find ever.

Gotta be a plate somewhere there for you!

 

[Digger54]

Re: The plate that wasn't

Oh yeah, that would be a drag considering the British 35th just used the number on their early buttons, and maybe their plates. Are you sure there's not two little round marks remaining at the back on the bottom where the puppy paw attachments were? Honestly, if I found that, and it's a cow tag, I'd call it my worst find ever.

Gotta be a plate somewhere there for you!

I'm the guy who gets that too good to be true signal in the fire ant mound, and after the repeated dig and dash ritual finds out that it was just that, too good to be true. Usually ends up being a scrap of brass etc. Sometimes, if it wasn't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all. :P