The Seeker
Bronze Member
- Joined
- Nov 21, 2005
- Messages
- 2,492
- Reaction score
- 79
- Golden Thread
- 0
- Location
- Keep on Digging!
- Detector(s) used
- MINELAB Explorer-II
- Primary Interest:
- All Treasure Hunting
When it comes to finding old Relics and Buttons, the War of 1812 has to be a time period that I have become fond of here in western New York. When making plans to go out detecting, in the back of my head is always that thought of finding the next War of 1812 site or some place that has been related to it in some way. On Sunday I went to a place that had given up some Relics and a few early Indian head pennies in the past.
On the way that morning to the site I called Tim and Jeff, two of the guys I go detecting with from time to time. We had a plan and it was to get to an area that had been over grown each year in the early spring…….Not this year!! With the highwinds, and the amount of heavy snow we had this season made for ideal conditions to detect. The grass and heave weeds were blown over like being flattened by a steam roller……and everyone knows each year after the snows melt this makes for some great detecting..... Now one area had stood out to me for quite some time and when arriving at the site, the grass was as flat as a carpet. Everything could not be more... should I say “Smashed”. It was great, so we wasted no time detecting and in no time out popped a flat button down at least 8 inches it was an early London button. This road has been used all the way back to the 1700’s and most likely before that could have been used as an Indian trail or path. Maps in that time period are hard to come by, or may not even exist. So as we continued out came the large copper it was an early coronet type 1817 moments later Tim pulled out a nice bank of Canada token for the 1830’s and both coins were very deep, down at least 9 to 10 inch depth.
Now knowing that the buttons and coins are very deep it is time to slow down and dig those faint signals. I have always been an advocate on going slow and easy, not running to the races and it paid off with a nice War of 1812 Artillery militia button at about 8 inches and it was a beauty. Looking through the Albert’s blue book on military buttons it is listed as AY60 Artillery, one piece with boarder **Imperial standard* 1814-1821.
I know one thing, when it comes to old sites you never know what is coming out next, Jeff who has just purchased a new Minelab SE detector and was going through the learning curve. Since we have all been there, and since both Tim and myself use the Explore2 detector learning the SE from minelab is all up to Jeff so after a couple of weekends he was finding things but not that coin, not till today! He got his first coin a nice large cent dated in the 1820’s I believe..... the date was well worn, so we were glad the detector is starting to produce…..lolol. Moving on, the buttons were starting to come to light, but they were not easy! good deep signals at least 8 or more inches and deeper. Spoon pieces were the old white or pewter metal and a couple of very thin copper type, this site was old. Then out came another button and it was marked, seeing the eagle on it I know I had another war of 1812 ……But this on was different it was pewter and when cleaning it up I noticed it was that white metal……and when checking the same hole out came this star button also made up of the same material. Now when checking the Albert’s book, this button is not in there the other pre- war of 1812 one piece buttons do not match up in type and size, plus being pewter and having 3 cannon balls in the middle ,was strange…..Maybe of the Revolutionary war period.
We have hunted this site two times now and we have found some nice relics including some large colonial buttons, a number of coins (including one from the 1700’s) a Hibernia harp token, and more nice buttons. The large Silver plated colonial is in nice shape, but what is strange are the small pieces with the holes. One is lead and the other is copper.....
The button above is one that I can not ID. It say " Will Cleaver" any suggestions? Looked at plenty of button back sites and books........still trying!
…..all these items were found at this site except the silver plated buckle, Buck Rogers Battle cruiser, Indian heads and V-Nickle they were found at another site earlier in the month. Knowing that all items are deep, the funny thing about it is that along with the pottery, red brick chips there is not much ground interference …..So you know the deep consistent signal is something good. In an area of about 60 x 60 has come out some nice finds but if it were not for Mother Nature, this site may have never been detected! ………Keep on Digging!!
The Seeker
On the way that morning to the site I called Tim and Jeff, two of the guys I go detecting with from time to time. We had a plan and it was to get to an area that had been over grown each year in the early spring…….Not this year!! With the highwinds, and the amount of heavy snow we had this season made for ideal conditions to detect. The grass and heave weeds were blown over like being flattened by a steam roller……and everyone knows each year after the snows melt this makes for some great detecting..... Now one area had stood out to me for quite some time and when arriving at the site, the grass was as flat as a carpet. Everything could not be more... should I say “Smashed”. It was great, so we wasted no time detecting and in no time out popped a flat button down at least 8 inches it was an early London button. This road has been used all the way back to the 1700’s and most likely before that could have been used as an Indian trail or path. Maps in that time period are hard to come by, or may not even exist. So as we continued out came the large copper it was an early coronet type 1817 moments later Tim pulled out a nice bank of Canada token for the 1830’s and both coins were very deep, down at least 9 to 10 inch depth.
Now knowing that the buttons and coins are very deep it is time to slow down and dig those faint signals. I have always been an advocate on going slow and easy, not running to the races and it paid off with a nice War of 1812 Artillery militia button at about 8 inches and it was a beauty. Looking through the Albert’s blue book on military buttons it is listed as AY60 Artillery, one piece with boarder **Imperial standard* 1814-1821.
I know one thing, when it comes to old sites you never know what is coming out next, Jeff who has just purchased a new Minelab SE detector and was going through the learning curve. Since we have all been there, and since both Tim and myself use the Explore2 detector learning the SE from minelab is all up to Jeff so after a couple of weekends he was finding things but not that coin, not till today! He got his first coin a nice large cent dated in the 1820’s I believe..... the date was well worn, so we were glad the detector is starting to produce…..lolol. Moving on, the buttons were starting to come to light, but they were not easy! good deep signals at least 8 or more inches and deeper. Spoon pieces were the old white or pewter metal and a couple of very thin copper type, this site was old. Then out came another button and it was marked, seeing the eagle on it I know I had another war of 1812 ……But this on was different it was pewter and when cleaning it up I noticed it was that white metal……and when checking the same hole out came this star button also made up of the same material. Now when checking the Albert’s book, this button is not in there the other pre- war of 1812 one piece buttons do not match up in type and size, plus being pewter and having 3 cannon balls in the middle ,was strange…..Maybe of the Revolutionary war period.
We have hunted this site two times now and we have found some nice relics including some large colonial buttons, a number of coins (including one from the 1700’s) a Hibernia harp token, and more nice buttons. The large Silver plated colonial is in nice shape, but what is strange are the small pieces with the holes. One is lead and the other is copper.....
The button above is one that I can not ID. It say " Will Cleaver" any suggestions? Looked at plenty of button back sites and books........still trying!
…..all these items were found at this site except the silver plated buckle, Buck Rogers Battle cruiser, Indian heads and V-Nickle they were found at another site earlier in the month. Knowing that all items are deep, the funny thing about it is that along with the pottery, red brick chips there is not much ground interference …..So you know the deep consistent signal is something good. In an area of about 60 x 60 has come out some nice finds but if it were not for Mother Nature, this site may have never been detected! ………Keep on Digging!!
The Seeker
Upvote
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What a great looking site to get to hunt. Most of the relic sites here are now in full jungle swing. 
Might get another hunt or two in, but not without the vines, snakes, gnats and ticks to deal with. :P Get back out there while ya can. 
