BuckleBoy
Gold Member
We're BAAACK! MARATHON DIG--Seateds, Spanish, Military!!
Hello All,
Yes, you haven't heard from us in a while. Yes, we've been swamped with work (forgive the pun!) and unable to dig when free due to rain, and a crazy series of events that has taken out our best sites due to weird plowing schedules and development.
Here's the video for your viewing pleasure:
Ole Shangalang and I decided to go do some digging--several days of digging as a matter of fact!--and we hit some GREAT finds! I put my new digging boots on and got out in the fields!
Been a while coming on this post and video because I just ain't had time. Been too busy with work to get a chance to clean finds, edit, and post, but with some digging days rolling out in the near future, I figured I needed to get it all cleaned up and posted for everyone to see and enjoy--and so we could get back in the fields and dig another handful of finds!
The first day we were at a backup to our backup site, and managed to find some decent items including a couple of CW bullets, nipple protector made from lead, and a nipple protector chain. I heard AAAAIIIIEEEEEEEEE!! from out in the fields and came running over to Shang and he had a prewar Eagle "A" Button with some gilding on it!
I got a real scare when I dug this little charm, BTW. DEFINITELY thought it was a one dollar gold coin for a hot second. Exactly the right size and shape!
Well at this point, Shang-o-Lang had made all the good finds, and my other consolation had been a nasty silver "war nickel"
and some filthy relic bits... Then all of a sudden I had a nice pack rivet signal and dug an 1800 SPANISH SILVER HALF REAL!!!
We ended up going scouting after lunch with no success except for a couple plantation tokens, powder flask top, Wheaties and some other GawGag.
On day two we hit the cane fields early at first light and it was a froggy day.
We took an excursion first into an area we'd had our eyes on a for a while. Ended up being another frustrating mixed site (the finds photo didn't make it into the video, but here it is).
New stuff everywhere (aluminum can) and some old mixed in (clay pipe stems, and a perfect little English Gun Flint stole the show!!). I did dig a large, silver, Catholic medallion, which is a common find for Louisiana. In short, we think there is some potential to this field, but we'd have to dig our A$$e$ off to find it, so we will go elsewhere and put this one on the back burner for now...
In that same field I dug this brass tag from an agricultural engine from the 1904-1924 time frame (when this company was in business). Would love to know what it came from, if anyone has any ideas. I know it's the "New Way" company from Lansing Michigan. Model B Type C, 7 Horsepower. The serial number is #1415. Are there any serial number listings from this company available that would narrow the engine to what it was used for and what year it was manufactured?
We decided to go elsewhere after eating lunch on the tailgate of the truck, and we hit the cane again. Pretty soon I heard crazy Cajun cheering and went running to see what ole Shang had found. It was his SECOND military button dug during the marathon hunt--an eagle button that was gilded and said "CADET" on it. Turned out to be a WEST POINT button. ("U.S. Military Academy") I was Stoked to see this button come up. (Have never even seen one dug!) But once it was clean, it was a BEAUTY. Has a SCOVILL MFG CO Backmark.
Then I dug a questionable signal (probably on edge) and saw the FLASH OF SILVER in the hole! It was a half dime! 1858-O!! Beautiful little coin!
As the shadows got long and the heat got hotter, we were headed out and almost underneath my car I got a nice 82 reading on the F75 and dug a BARBER QUARTER! 1892! Crazy that I had never dug one of these until over 20 years into my detecting career and then all of a sudden they were everywhere. I dug my first in 2014, then two in 2015, and I already have one for 2016. Funny how that works...
Two great finds came to light only after we cleaned up all our relics and junk. The first one was a piece of antebellum brass jewelry with an "emerald" paste stone in it. I love digging finds like this. Couldn't tell what it was until the mud was removed!
The second find was Shang's THIRD military button for the marathon hunt--and for the year--a 1700s British Navy Cuff Button!!
Here are the rest of the finds photos:
I also eyeballed a lot of pottery and glass, and due to the fact that these were "mixed sites," we saw lots of marbles (clay and glass), baby doll arms and legs, white porcelain underwear buttons, and the likes:
Best Wishes,
The CaneField Bandits
Hello All,
Yes, you haven't heard from us in a while. Yes, we've been swamped with work (forgive the pun!) and unable to dig when free due to rain, and a crazy series of events that has taken out our best sites due to weird plowing schedules and development.
Here's the video for your viewing pleasure:Ole Shangalang and I decided to go do some digging--several days of digging as a matter of fact!--and we hit some GREAT finds! I put my new digging boots on and got out in the fields!
Been a while coming on this post and video because I just ain't had time. Been too busy with work to get a chance to clean finds, edit, and post, but with some digging days rolling out in the near future, I figured I needed to get it all cleaned up and posted for everyone to see and enjoy--and so we could get back in the fields and dig another handful of finds! The first day we were at a backup to our backup site, and managed to find some decent items including a couple of CW bullets, nipple protector made from lead, and a nipple protector chain. I heard AAAAIIIIEEEEEEEEE!! from out in the fields and came running over to Shang and he had a prewar Eagle "A" Button with some gilding on it!
I got a real scare when I dug this little charm, BTW. DEFINITELY thought it was a one dollar gold coin for a hot second. Exactly the right size and shape!
Well at this point, Shang-o-Lang had made all the good finds, and my other consolation had been a nasty silver "war nickel"
and some filthy relic bits... Then all of a sudden I had a nice pack rivet signal and dug an 1800 SPANISH SILVER HALF REAL!!! We ended up going scouting after lunch with no success except for a couple plantation tokens, powder flask top, Wheaties and some other GawGag.
On day two we hit the cane fields early at first light and it was a froggy day.
We took an excursion first into an area we'd had our eyes on a for a while. Ended up being another frustrating mixed site (the finds photo didn't make it into the video, but here it is).
New stuff everywhere (aluminum can) and some old mixed in (clay pipe stems, and a perfect little English Gun Flint stole the show!!). I did dig a large, silver, Catholic medallion, which is a common find for Louisiana. In short, we think there is some potential to this field, but we'd have to dig our A$$e$ off to find it, so we will go elsewhere and put this one on the back burner for now...
In that same field I dug this brass tag from an agricultural engine from the 1904-1924 time frame (when this company was in business). Would love to know what it came from, if anyone has any ideas. I know it's the "New Way" company from Lansing Michigan. Model B Type C, 7 Horsepower. The serial number is #1415. Are there any serial number listings from this company available that would narrow the engine to what it was used for and what year it was manufactured?
We decided to go elsewhere after eating lunch on the tailgate of the truck, and we hit the cane again. Pretty soon I heard crazy Cajun cheering and went running to see what ole Shang had found. It was his SECOND military button dug during the marathon hunt--an eagle button that was gilded and said "CADET" on it. Turned out to be a WEST POINT button. ("U.S. Military Academy") I was Stoked to see this button come up. (Have never even seen one dug!) But once it was clean, it was a BEAUTY. Has a SCOVILL MFG CO Backmark.
Then I dug a questionable signal (probably on edge) and saw the FLASH OF SILVER in the hole! It was a half dime! 1858-O!! Beautiful little coin!
As the shadows got long and the heat got hotter, we were headed out and almost underneath my car I got a nice 82 reading on the F75 and dug a BARBER QUARTER! 1892! Crazy that I had never dug one of these until over 20 years into my detecting career and then all of a sudden they were everywhere. I dug my first in 2014, then two in 2015, and I already have one for 2016. Funny how that works...
Two great finds came to light only after we cleaned up all our relics and junk. The first one was a piece of antebellum brass jewelry with an "emerald" paste stone in it. I love digging finds like this. Couldn't tell what it was until the mud was removed!
The second find was Shang's THIRD military button for the marathon hunt--and for the year--a 1700s British Navy Cuff Button!!
Here are the rest of the finds photos:
I also eyeballed a lot of pottery and glass, and due to the fact that these were "mixed sites," we saw lots of marbles (clay and glass), baby doll arms and legs, white porcelain underwear buttons, and the likes:
Best Wishes,
The CaneField Bandits
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Was my first ever of those dug, so I was stoked. Buttons are the best for me too. I'd have gladly traded Shangalang for those awesome buttons. I like finding the flints too. Pretty amazing when you consider that one has to wash out and get seen in order to be recovered. So cool!
