UPDATE MAY 9 No metal detector, lots of buttons-see my last reply

[Ed-NH]

Do you remember last winter when I posted a pile of buttons and buckles that I found near the river? I went back there yesterday for a scouting mission to see if detecting was worth another shot after all the floods again this year. I had no metal detector with me. No sooner did I set my eyes to the ground when I saw a goodyear rubber button. I walked around for about 1.5 hours just looking and scouring the ground. I found white glass buttons, black glass buttons, brown glass buttons and blue glass buttons. Also were a pile of steel buckles and a few brass ones. Tons of rusted underwear buttons, some square nails and some whats'its. All of this stuff came without the aid of a metal detector. For those who did not see my original post last year here is the link to it.

http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,59546.0.html


I will update this post after I get the items cleaned and preserved. Thanks for looking.

If anyone is interested I can post a pile of pictures of ALL the stuff that came from that site. There was just tons of it. The best and once in a lifetime find came from there.

 

[kieser sousa/rip]

Re: No metal detector, lots of buttons

Wow thats some haul ! Pictures are a very good thing ! Let's see whacha got !

 

[Ray S ECenFL]

Re: No metal detector, lots of buttons

Holy Cow!!!!! That is some pile of buttons. It would drive me cray trying to figure out how they all got there. Old clothing factory? Some kind of dump for old clothes? Some old lady with a REALLY BIG sewing basket? Gee.

Have you ever figured out where they all came from?

 

[Lafitte]

Re: No metal detector, lots of buttons

Here's an odd thought. Have you checked to see if there is an old cemetery upriver? Kinda creepy, but with the flooding, ya never know.

 

[Elvis]

Re: No metal detector, lots of buttons

Awsome finds, do you know what was at the site in the past?

 

[MUD(S.W.A.T)]

Re: No metal detector, lots of buttons

I think you have taken this treasure hunting thing to far.... Are you feeling OK, maybe you should see some type of doctor or two? Soon you can open an antique shop if you don't already have one.

Just kidding,
Keep @ it and HH...I guess

 

[junkdigger]

Re: No metal detector, lots of buttons

There was an article in W and E Treasures magazine a few yrears ago about a huge number of buttons found at a river's edge. They were found at a site where wool garments were recycled into new wool fabric. Lots of Civil War buttons were found. I wonder if you found a similar type of site? Whatever it is,still a great find!

 

[BIG61AL]

Re: No metal detector, lots of buttons

No doubt this is some sort of trash dump. I am leaning towards some type of work done with clothes. Dress shop, alterations, reprocessing. That would explain the large group of buttons and buckles. There must be some little treasures to be found. I don't think you'll find much coinage. Whomever was working with these clothes likely search every pocket they saw, still they might have miss a few coins. Maybe you can sell the buttons on ebay. People collect everything.

 

[Ed-NH]

Re: No metal detector, lots of buttons

There was an article in W and E Treasures magazine a few yrears ago about a huge number of buttons found at a river's edge. They were found at a site where wool garments were recycled into new wool fabric. Lots of Civil War buttons were found. I wonder if you found a similar type of site? Whatever it is,still a great find!

Funny you mention that because I found a total of 5 or 6 Civil War buttons in there last year. There was an old bridge that crossed in this area. I was thinking maybe folks jumping off the bridge into the river lost stuff? I really don't know.

 

[Ed-NH]

Re: No metal detector, lots of buttons

No doubt this is some sort of trash dump. I am leaning towards some type of work done with clothes. Dress shop, alterations, reprocessing. That would explain the large group of buttons and buckles. There must be some little treasures to be found. I don't think you'll find much coinage. Whomever was working with these clothes likely search every pocket they saw, still they might have miss a few coins. Maybe you can sell the buttons on ebay. People collect everything.

You have a good thought about the dress shop because I have not found one single coin out there. Makes me wonder. I have never sold one piece of anything that I have found over the years. I just put things in my little display cases. I love all the relics I find. And yes, I've often wondered if the water moved an old cemetery from upstream somewhere. I have not found any bones though. That would stop me cold for sure

 

[Ed-NH]

Re: UPDATE MAY 9 No metal detector, lots of buttons

I started to sort out some of these finds. I have a few whats'its to post on the other forum too

1 The rusty pile of buttons that are no good
2 Glass, rubber, wood and bone buttons
3 Nice assortment of square nails, not super old though
4 White glass buttons, underwear and stuff
5 Colored glass buttons
6 Tiny hooks for something
7 More tiny hooks and a couple whats'its
8 Interesting buttons
9 Navy button with the crown, must be british??
10 Lots of buckles, some brass but mostly steel

I have some whats'its to post on the other forum soon
Thanks for looking

 

[kieser sousa/rip]

I'm thinking it was site were they recycled old rags into paper.Just read of the were abouts of such a site in my area.The little hooks i think are button hooks.I have a box of some of my great grandmothers buttons and it has alot of the hooks in it also.

 

[Montana Jim]

Holy crap Ed!!

 

[Johnny X]

That's alot of buttons

 

[MonkeyBoy]

Have you thought about making a sifter and hitting the site? Given all the nonmetal items you have found, that would be the way to go. I, just happen to have one already ;-) if you need some help!! I used a roll of plastic fencing from home depot, it has 1/4 inch squares in it and works really well. It is really sturdy, holds up well to Virginia clay which you end up having to almost force through the holes. I made it and use it on the Civil War trash pit I found:

http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,74980.msg593354.html#msg593354

..I found some more interesting pieces w/ the sifter...

MonkeyBoy

 

[bogeymcq]

WOW! WOW!! WOW!!!

Truly incredible finds! And all in one area! And on the top of the soil to boot!! Oh my word what an incredible find!

I am so glad you posted your finds & a bit about the area . . have you ever Google Map the area for a bird's eye view? . . my daughter who is 8 years old just about flipped when she saw the buttons! She collects found buttons so the first thing she whispered was "We gotta go there!"

Great finds. . a lot of history there. . should be interesting to see what else you find!

Congrats, congrats, congrats!!

Bogart

 

[Ed-NH]

Thank you everyone for the ideas. The owner does not know what the site may have been used for but it's still fun to check it out every now and then. Perhaps sifting would be a fun thing to do sometime.

Thank you monkeyboy for the sifter info

 

[cladman]

I have to agree with Kieser Sousa about it being a possible papermill.There's an old mill in my neck of the woods that produced the same kind and quantity of old buttons.Good luck in your research.