1652 Massachusetts Pine Tree Threepence and more from virgin 1660 homesite!

oxbowbarefoot

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May 25, 2011
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What an incredible day at a 1660 virgin homesite in Massachusetts! My first find was a huge Brown Bess musket ball. Nice way to get the day started. My next target was the best find of the day, and one of my best finds ever, a 1652 Pine Tree Threepence! It's either a Noe 36 or a Noe 37 variety. Unfortunately the tree side is tough to make a definitive call. Either way, it's well over a $1000 coin��. Then came a sweet George I Farthing. Next find was an Abraham Lincoln related thing, not sure what it is yet. Right next to that was a colonial gold broach. After an early ox knob and a a bale seal came a great goulcher lock or dog lock off a musket or rifle. All in all, a fantastic day!

Thank you Dr. R.M. Gramly for the tip on the location!

Updates:
The Pine Tree Threepence is a Noe 36/Salmon 2-B, Rarity 4, only 75-200 known!
The "dog lock" was actually just part of an old cap gun, darn!
The Lincoln item is a ferrotype campaign button from the 1860 election :)

18343f66-3187-46a7-9793-6891b39c48c0.jpg36713acf-5b98-4270-934c-2bc97d0b9371.jpg
 

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Upvote 83
Yea! I didn't want to say the location in case that was where you were detecting there! If anyone gets permission to go there the Fairbanks will probably want to keep everything you find for the museum. The house is part of my heritage and I probably couldn't get permission to hunt there! They are pretty strict. There's no flash photography in the house itself.
You probably already read the history of the place but it's really interesting if you haven't.
 

Yea! I didn't want to say the location in case that was where you were detecting there! If anyone gets permission to go there the Fairbanks will probably want to keep everything you find for the museum. The house is part of my heritage and I probably couldn't get permission to hunt there! They are pretty strict. There's no flash photography in the house itself.
You probably already read the history of the place but it's really interesting if you haven't.

I'm pretty certain its off limits under a number of covenants and restrictions. Any site work would be completed by trained archaeologists under the authority of multiple governing bodies because it receives funding from state and federal government for conservation. Its too important to just start swinging a coil over, but I would certainly love to!.
 

Up until about 10 or 12 years ago the care takers would let any one who asked detect there,some guys i know hammered the place.But your right it's now off limits
I'm pretty certain its off limits under a number of covenants and restrictions. Any site work would be completed by trained archaeologists under the authority of multiple governing bodies because it receives funding from state and federal government for conservation. Its too important to just start swinging a coil over, but I would certainly love to!.
 

Here are two other items from this hunt I forgot to post:

a beautifully painted cast iron tea kettle that someone must have just thrown in the woods
image.jpeg

This is either an interesting early bale seal or a lead token. Notice the second smaller cross.
image.jpeg
 

Here are two other items from this hunt I forgot to post:

a beautifully painted cast iron tea kettle that someone must have just thrown in the woods
View attachment 1292085

This is either an interesting early bale seal or a lead token. Notice the second smaller cross.
View attachment 1292086

With that design I would expect that to be a lead token, but it appears too thin for that purpose. Cool find regardless!
 

With that design I would expect that to be a lead token, but it appears too thin for that purpose. Cool find regardless!

Its about the size of my Oak Tree Shilling. Measures 25mm X 20mm X 1.5mm and weights 6.1g.

here's a picture of a similar one from Google images.
image.jpg
 

Its about the size of my Oak Tree Shilling. Measures 25mm X 20mm X 1.5mm and weights 6.1g.

here's a picture of a similar one from Google images.
View attachment 1292164



Those tokens are usually pretty thick, and they're referred to as medieval, so pretty old to be dug in North America, Not saying it's not possible, just saying I don't feel that's it. See what the UK guys think.
 

The kettle is really cool!
 

The coins are awesome too. I went out today and only found two coins. We went to a local beach which didn't yield anything. My metal detector would show a hit but the pinpointer wouldn't pick anything up in the hole. It was weird. I keep going out because I love the hunt. Posts like this one help a lot too. Thanks for sharing these amazing finds. As far as the Fairbanks house goes I know they had archeologists out there a couple of years ago. I haven't really heard if they found anything significant or not. I am pretty sure that they had to seal up the well that was on the property though.
 

I did a little dry tooth picking on the 1860 Lincoln/Hamilton ferrotype campaign pin.
 

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Just an absolutely incredible find! Congrats and thanks for posting. Banner!
 

All great finds, the Mass. coin is an eye catcher, but the dog lock is a definite once in a lifetime find. Nobody finds them.
 

All great finds, the Mass. coin is an eye catcher, but the dog lock is a definite once in a lifetime find. Nobody finds them.

Unfortunately, the dog lock is from a cap gun, not an colonial musket. My hopes were dashed, but it was still one of my best hunts ever.
 

I did a little dry tooth picking on the 1860 Lincoln/Hamilton ferrotype campaign pin.

It's a shame the images are always gone but as the name suggests it's a ferrous material so it's gonna be rusted. I found a Joseph Lane one a couple years back. Now all I need is two more Mass silvers and a rattlesnake button and I'll almost be caught up. I suppose if I just dig that NE shilling or Willow tree that would count for extra credit lol. I did tell you I could smell the Mass silver at my latten spoon site right? I've now got a sweet little kayak to get me there quick and easy. I gotta make the paddle in the next month or so. I haven't stopped thinking about that site since I left it.
 

It's a shame the images are always gone but as the name suggests it's a ferrous material so it's gonna be rusted. I found a Joseph Lane one a couple years back. Now all I need is two more Mass silvers and a rattlesnake button and I'll almost be caught up. I suppose if I just dig that NE shilling or Willow tree that would count for extra credit lol. I did tell you I could smell the Mass silver at my latten spoon site right? I've now got a sweet little kayak to get me there quick and easy. I gotta make the paddle in the next month or so. I haven't stopped thinking about that site since I left it.

I've still got that copy of Salmon's book for you if you want me to bring it to you at that site ��
 

I've still got that copy of Salmon's book for you if you want me to bring it to you at that site í*½í¸‰

Damn you Ox!!!! You know how distraught I'd be with you digging up my beautiful NE Shilling while I'm standing there with some old nails and a book in my hand. Thinking "why would you bring the Mass silver slayer to the site that smells like Mass silver?" Lol
I will get you up here for some hunting. Pretty sure you and I are a lot alike when it comes to this hobby. Oh wait you just find way more cool stuff
 

Damn you Ox!!!! You know how distraught I'd be with you digging up my beautiful NE Shilling while I'm standing there with some old nails and a book in my hand. Thinking "why would you bring the Mass silver slayer to the site that smells like Mass silver?" Lol
I will get you up here for some hunting. Pretty sure you and I are a lot alike when it comes to this hobby. Oh wait you just find way more cool stuff

haha, I'm just bustin' your chops. You should hit every inch of that site from ever conceivable angle. But of course, the offer stands :laughing7:
 

One last picture before these three go into the safety deposit box. image.jpeg
 

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