Yesterdays hunt with Joey

[Bill D. (VA)]

Yesterday's hunt with Joey

My buddy Joey and I got back out yesterday and spent most of our time hitting that spot where I found the 1675 Charles II farthing last week. Joey definitely got the best of me today as you can see from his post. My finds were rather meager, unfortunately, but you can't kill it every time out. I only dug 5 buttons, and one of them might have been a good one, but it had with worst gritty encrustation I've ever come across. I even did a no-no and picked at it with a tiny jewelers screwdriver but could hardly put a dent in that crud. It does have a nice drilled eye shank, but guess I'll never know what might have been on the front. I also recovered a navy cuff button, also in poor condition. Seems like this site produces a lot of 1600s leather ornaments, and yesterday was no exception as I dug several more. But overall the finds were pretty lackluster, so it looks like it's time to move on to greener pastures.

Also, I just finished cleaning the colonial hoe I dug at this site a week ago that was at the bottom of a small fire pit, and am posting before and after electrolysis pics. Not my best job, but not too shabby. You can make out where the maker's mark was - on the spine about an inch below the collar. Most hoes came with maker's marks, but I have yet to find one that was readable.

 

[ModernMiner]

Bill,
Those WOULD BE greener pastures to me. Some nice old recoveries. I love digging buttons.
Congrats,
Doug

 

[matt092079]

At least you weren't skunked, Bill. You dug some artifacts 200+ years old. Good day in my book! HH

 

[CRUSADER]

Electroloysis may help that button, looks like another one of the 17th C types

 

[johnnyblaze]

Nice hoe Bill

Early site for sure just keep going back..

Blaze

 

[Bill D. (VA)]

Electroloysis may help that button, looks like another one of the 17th C types

I've never even considered electrolysis on a button, but it certainly can't hurt this specimen. I'll get on that right away and post the results (if any). Thanks for the tip.

 

[CRUSADER]

I've never even considered electrolysis on a button, but it certainly can't hurt this specimen. I'll get on that right away and post the results (if any). Thanks for the tip.

It should help & it can't make it any worse.

 

[Msbeepbeep]

Congrats! That button seems to really like crusty crud, hope you can get it off.

 

[Greylock]

That's better than most of my outings. Some days I'm lucky to come home with a plain button. Those hoes always come out so crusty. Never woulda thought they had marks in them. Definitely will be checking all mine from now on.

 

[Zodiacdiverdave]

I like that hoe Bill. When I see artifacts like that I can picture in my mind the early settlers out every day working the fields by hand just so they have enough food to carry them through the winter months. This is why we find so many random drops in the fields, they had to be in the fields allot more then the farmers these days.
Awesome piece of history right there.
ZDD

 

[CASPER-2]

 

[romeo-1]

Nice iron!