A Little Silver … Plus a Couple of Bonus Finds

I’ve been out on several short hunts lately. No stellar finds in recent weeks, but I have gotten onto a few decent digs.

Here is my latest video, with story and pics below.

I hit up an old school in my community that was only used for about 10 years. It was just after the “age of silver,” around 1965-1975 or so. I didn’t hold out much hope for finding anything good. But I managed to dig 57 coins, including 7 wheats and these two “bonus” silvers!

I also dug this old “Senior Key” from 1988. My heart skipped a beat when I rolled it over in my plug. I thought it was gold at first. It is initialed on the back, and with just a little detective work I managed to find out the name of the owner. She still lives here in this community. I’m waiting to get her number from a friend and reunite her with her lost jewelry this week.

Finally, yesterday I hunted a trusty cornfield with my buddy, Western KY Digger. I pulled several flat buttons, pieces of buckshot and various small lead pieces, as well as a brass o-ring and j-shaped hook. Hard digging, but lots of fun. Digger dug a rather large flat button and the biggest zouave button I’ve ever seen.

Thanks for reading and looking! I hope to have more for you next week. I’m working on permission for a couple of new spots.

I Keep Digging Eagles!

I had a great week this week. No decent coins to speak of, but I keep pulling curious relics out of this old Kentucky ground.My first (and coolest) find this week was on Monday. While hunting a familiar piece of ground, I got a sketchy but repeating signal at eight inches. By far the deepest target I’ve dug on the site.

I was mystified when I pulled this out of the ground …

Here’s a reverse view.

I had no clue what it was. A disc with a curious General Service eagle and a strangely wide shield. A FMDF member quickly identified it as a “sash” belt buckle from around 1855. It was marketed for both civilian and military use, and is apparently one of the rarer forms. He posted a picture of an intact buckle here …

Here is a picture of it in context, with several other (what I believe are) Civil War era artifacts from the same site:

Then yesterday I hunted for a short while at a couple of different sites. I hunted an old home site near a Civil War skirmish location with Western Kentucky Digger in the morning. I only found a very small, shankless, flat button.

Afterwards, I went downtown to our local park. It is SOOOOOOO trashy, so I was only digging deep targets. Then I got this solid 42-44 VDI signal at about 4 inches in depth. Flipped the plug and found this little baby!
It’s 15 mm, and either a Yankee cuff or kepi button. Still has a little gilt on it.

Here’s a pic with a ruler for perspective:

Curiously, it was a tin-back button, as evidenced by the rust …

This led me to have some authenticity doubts, since there have been re-enactments on this site for the last two years or so … but I have difficulty believing that a button could go that deep in that short a period of time. I’e consulted with a couple of local CW diggers, who have assured me that there were, indeed, tin-back versions of this size button, especially on the kepi hats. The ones I’ve talked to seem to think that it’s the real deal.

Pretty cool …

Here’s my latest video, with both of these finds and more. Enjoy, and HH!

__________________
Garrett GTP 1350 & PP, Whites MXT / Oldest Coin – 17** 1/4 Cut Spanish 8 Reale / Silver Coins – 120 / Coin Count – 2,453 / Clad Total – $168.38

Southern Indiana Treasure Fest – My Second Day

Well, I pretty much stunk right up until the last hunt today.  In two hunts I only found six Indian Heads and a 3-ringer.  No tokens.  No special prizes.  I was ticked and mighty frustrated.

I know … I know … pathetic.

But I will say this.  The fields for all of the hunts today were TINY!  The people running today’s hunt like smaller fields (for the sake of me, I don’t know why).  Fifty people with detectors running into each other, with detectors interfering and chattering with each other.  Drove me nuts.

But the last hunt today was the silver hunt.  They saved all silver dimes until the last hunt.  I chose a spot about half-way up the side of the field to start.  I got on my first couple of targets really fast, and was thrilled when I glanced up and saw that my lane was completely clear.  No one was coming toward me and no one had crossed my space yet.  So, in a matter of ten minutes, I dug twelve dimes!  Six Mercs and six Rosies.

Redeemed the day for me, as far as I’m concerned.  That makes 29 dimes and 16 Indians for me this week.

Here’s my pic of today’s loot …

Kentucky Diggin’ – Episode 14

Feature:  The New York State Militia Button!

New York Militia Button! In Cadiz, Kentucky!!

I am absolutely, completely, totally, out-of-my-mind thrilled and flabbergasted.

This hobby is so cool …

This afternoon, after several hours of research and writing, I decided to get out and enjoy the weather.    I took off at 3:00 in search of a place to detect.  I’ve had my eye on an empty lot in town for quite some time.  You see, there are many empty lots that people abandoned years ago and the city now keeps them up, cuts the grass, etc…  This lot is right on the “edge” of town and easy to access.  So I hit it.  I only had about two hours until dark, so I was moving pretty fast.

Boy, am I glad I did.

About 30 minutes into the hunt, I got a solid 45-47 VDI at about three inches of depth.  Intrigued (I hadn’t seen anything in that range up until that point today), I dug.  And out popped this gorgeous, golden, button!!

It is a New York State / Militia button!  The back mark is “Steele & Johnson.”  I’m no button expert, but with the little research I’ve done it looks to be authentic Civil War era.  Dropped by a New York Militia soldier right here in Cadiz, Kentucky.  Unbelievable!

I also dug a toe plate, which I normally associate with Civil War sites.  Perhaps this unit simply traveled down this road into town??

I dug some other interesting stuff besides the button.

This lovely 1900 Indian Head …

A nice old 1919 “greenie” Wheat Penny …

The oldest Rabies Tag I’ve ever found …

I also dug a curious looking key, a HUGE stick of pure lead, and another 11 coins totaling 53 cents in clad.  Here’s a total pic (minus the clad):

Thanks for looking!  Video will be rendered and posted in the morning!

Accidental Discovery! U.S. Cavalry Bridle Rosette in Trigg County!

Let’s start with the latest episode (#12) of Kentucky Diggin’

Well, I took a friend from church (Kevin) detecting this afternoon. He’s never detected before, so I trained him with my back-up ACE 250 and we headed for the field.

We hunted what we thought was an old homesite on a friend’s farm. There are several old graves there. The main tombstone shows that person died in 1834 … so it’s an old site. Also, there are several slave graves marked with plain stones.

After we started hunting, the landowner (Tim) went to talk to the little old lady who owns the pasture next to him to get permission for us to hunt there, as well. She informed Tim that it wasn’t an old home site. Instead, she said that it was an old one-room school/church … think “Little House on the Prairie.” She gave consent for us to hut there, so we started swinging in the grass. I was excited, because a church/school means more people traffic … and more opportunities for buttons, jewelry, and (of course!) coins.

But that wasn’t what I was finding. Kevin was digging his share of iron targets giving a false high VDI. I wasn’t digging much at all until I came across a toe plate.

Curious … I only associate toe plates with Civil War sites.

So I kept digging. Then I started digging reeds … first an accordion reed, then a harmonica reed, then a large piece of smashed lead.

In the back of my head, I dared to think that I might be on a Civil War site. Mind you, this spot is about one mile north of my hometown. We had activity here … the courthouse was overrun twice. Surely patrols moved and camped throughout the area.

But I wasn’t holding my breath …

Then a few minutes lated I dug this curious piece from under a large root. It gave an 86-87 VDI … high quarter range. It had a mysterious-looking heart on it. And I didn’t know what it was … figured it was a ladies’ belt buckle, a brooch, or something like that.

Here are pictures:

Like I said, I didn’t know what it was until I got home and did some research.

And I found this!

It’s identified on this relic site as a “2-Inch Lead-Filled U.S. Cavalry Heart Bridle Rosette!!!!”

It’s an authentic piece, dropped from a U.S. Cavalry horse!

Here’s another image of a clean pair from another site:

Before I left the field, I dug another toe plate. Here’s a pic of everything:

I can’t believe it!! I’m just stumbling onto good stuff!

So, now that I know what’s out there, I’m headed back on Tuesday with Western Kentucky Digger!

A First! Union General Service – Eagle Shield Button!

Western Kentucky Digger invited me out to hunt with him at a Civil War skirmish site / old home site. Actually, there are multiple old home sites in these fields.

Anyhow, before I tell too much … here’s Kentucky Diggin’ – Episode 11!

I dug some flat buttons, a rivet, a piece off of a toe plate, some small pieces of flattened lead, and various other whatzits.

But the BIG war find for me was this 20mm Union Eagle Button! A first for me! Any info would be most appreciated …

Here’s a picture of the flat buttons and other stuff. I found one other “item,” but I’m saving that for another post.

Thanks for looking!
Geoff

Unknown Brass Piece – Civil War??

I dug this curious brass piece this afternoon at the site where I dug the CSA General Service Button last week. It is one of the deeper items that I have found on the site. It was approximately five inches deep, and most difficult to get to since it was beneath a network of rather large roots.

Here is the picture of one side of the piece. I have included an Indian Head penny for perspective. Notice the pattern on the surface …

USA Button … Wait! It’s CSA!!!

Here’s the video I promised!

I went back to my 19th Century home site … the place where I have dug 1801 and 1851 large coppers, as well as last week’s 1892-O Barber dime.

 

I started my 2 1/2 hour hunt on the back part of the old property, away from the road. I hunted about an hour with nothing to show for it but trash. Then I hit a really solid signal bouncing 42-43. I automatically thought, “3-cent piece,” and dug.

But it wasn’t a coin … it was a button. A military button. Like all other targets on this site, it was shallow … a mere inch deep. And when I saw the “S” and “A,” I automatically thought … “Oh, a USA military button.”

Here’s the button in its hole …

I assumed that it was early 20th century because of the rust on the back. But, at least, the shank was still attached. I dropped it in my apron and kept hunting.

I didn’t find anything else but a few lead pieces and a Zincoln.

But my real, Holy Crap!, out-of-body experience came when I got home and rinsed my button in the sink. It was at that point when I saw this …

Un-friggin-believable …

I welcome any info that anyone would have on this button. It appears to be a general service issue. I was a bit thrown by the back, which was encrusted with iron, but with the shank still intact. Here’s the back.

Needless to say, it made my day.

I filmed a video for the Youtube channel. It’s cut and uploading now. I’ll edit the post and add it as soon as it’s available.

Thanks for looking!

__________________
Garrett GTP 1350 & PP, Whites MXT / Oldest Coin – 1801 Draped Bust Large Cent / Silver Coins – 50 / Coin Count – 2,032 / Clad Total – $144.37

Looking for Civil War Relics

I tried to find evidence of the battle at Canton, Kentucky. I described the area in a previous thread. I hunted the top of the bluffs south of the modern-day bridge.

But I couldn’t really find anything. It turns out that some genius bull-dozed the entire place in the 1970′s. I’m told that there were several Indian mounds on that side that were simply pushed over the bluff into the lake. Unbelievable.

But I did find this awesome chain at about 5 inches in depth. It is 56 inches in total length, and the links are pretty large (see the penny and dime I found as a reference). Here’s a picture:

One link in the chain is different. It has a pivot point. Here’s a close-up:

I don’t know if it is Civil War era, or what it was used for. I tend to think it has something to do with a wagon and a team. If anyone knows, please let me know.

**Update – I posted this on the Friendly Metal Detecting Forum and someone identified it as a “Chase Chain.”  It is, in fact, a rear chase chain.  I believe that it was an artillery chase chain … most likely used to pull a Confederate cannon to the skirmish/battle at Canton.