WWII M1 Helmet & 1886 Rochester Lamp!

[UnderMiner]

Got rained out most of today but I managed to make it to a few dump sites and boy did I kill it today! Not one, but two historic finds!
The first is a WWII-era M1 Helmet, my first! I always dreamed of finding an American WWII helmet!
It has a frontal rim seam and swivel bails which dates it to anywhere between 1943 and 1945. This thing saw action!



It may be my imagination but there appears to be a streak across the top caused by a bullet graze!


Update: I feel kind of bad now for celebrating so much for finding this helmet. This is not only a part of history, it is part of one man's sacrifice for this country. These helmets and other artifacts from the darkest days of the world need to be respected for the sacrifices they represent. Let us never forget the bravery of the people who took part in the preservation of freedom during those dark days. These are the people that need to be celebrated, not the helmets, not the clothes, but the people...


After the Helmet find I was happy enough to call it a day. A piece of WWII history, surely that was enough...
But no, luck continued to shine on me this rainy cloudy day!
My next find took me back even further than WWII - WAY BACK to the age of Cowboys and Indians!
A 130-year-old Rochester lamp! Patented Sep. 14 1886! This could very well have been in a saloon frequented by cowboys once!
The best part is it was never converted to electricity, it's still as original as the day it was made!
Its a shame I couldn't find the glass domes, maybe one day I'll find domes that fit:


What the Rochester's two-part dome should look like:

 

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[OBN]

 

[sutphin]

MINER THAT IS A NICE OIL LAMP YOU HAVE THERE AND THE OLD STEEL COOKING POT HELMET ALSO.

 

[wheatfinder13]

Cool helmet!

 

[Orbit]

Great finds! Love the helmet. The lamp is fantastic too.

 

[Kevlardini]

AMAZING finds!!!

 

[NOLA_Ken]

Nice score on the helmet... It's pretty sad it was in a dump....

 

[UnderMiner]

Nice score on the helmet... It's pretty sad it was in a dump....

Long ago someone told me the reason things become rare and expensive is becasue so many people trow away their treasures without thinking. With that knowledge is it so far fetched to think that a dump is actually the optimal place to look for treasures? I think I figured out the secret to ultimate treasure hunting.

 

[NOLA_Ken]

Long ago someone told me the reason things become rare and expensive is becasue so many people trow away their treasures without thinking. With that knowledge is it so far fetched to think that a dump is actually the optimal place to look for treasures? I think I figured out the secret to ultimate treasure hunting.

Good point.... I always wanted to dig the old town dump where I grew up, but It was buried under 10 feet of sawdust from a saw mill and then covered with dirt sometime in the early 60's I think... Maybe next time I get up to Illinois I'll see if any of it is digable....

 

[UnderMiner]

Good point.... I always wanted to dig the old town dump where I grew up, but It was buried under 10 feet of sawdust from a saw mill and then covered with dirt sometime in the early 60's I think... Maybe next time I get up to Illinois I'll see if any of it is digable....

There are many "dumps" and old landfills around where I live, some are still in operation and have new things added on a daily basis, others have been abandoned for many decades. The one place I always wanted to look for treasure was this old colonial-era trash pit which was next to a British fort during the American revolution, but in the mid 1800's it was buried under tons of soot, now it's not really clear where it's located. If I ever find it there are untold relics to be found.