BuckleBoy
Gold Member
Well, most of the finds are cleaned and put away, and the iron is in the tank getting preserved. It's been one heck of a year. More than anything, it was an outstanding year for relics, although my buddy dug some outstanding coin finds. I just can't believe how many great relics were dug--a M1849 pocket Colt bullet mold, several civil war plates (including my wife's first plate), a federal civil war flag staff tip, several Louisiana civil war buttons, tons of bullets, eagle buttons, and many other relics including a loaded shotgun (percussion cap weapon) and a massive boot pistol measuring over .60cal. Scarce tokens, beautiful coins, and Shangalang's outstanding 1/4 real minted in the 1700s in Columbia--a coin which I never knew existed before he went and dug one. I did a video wrap-up of my and my wife's cases in this week's YouTube episode. Enjoy.
An eyeballed seated coin that Shangalang found:
My scarce 1850s store card token: "E. JACOBS / DAGUERREOTYPE ARTIST" (and on the back: "DAGUERREOTYPE SALOON"). The token was modeled on a $10 gold coin in design and size. Jacobs was one of the best daguerreotypists in New Orleans in the 1840-50s.
Incredible site: sword belt plate, silver fragments, seated silver, shield V and buffalo nickels, large cent, civil war buttons, broken civil war bit boss, and more:
More seated silver, buttons, tax tokens, civil war relics, and jewelry items:
The federal flag staff tip (civil war), sash buckles, engraved silver, civil war buttons and bullets, tokens, barber and seated silver, bar brooches, rosette, half a counterfeit 8Reales, upper top right: 4 early Carhartt overall buttons:
Seated and barber silver, Louisiana pelican civil war button, massive brass boot pistol barrel, powder flask top, canteen spout, and more:
Newer site yielded a silver set of airmen's wings from WW2. The wings were turned into a sweetheart bracelet (loops soldered on) and on the back the name "BOB" was scratched with a knife.
My wife's first civil war buckle (center), a rare Cordeviolle & Lacroix button from New Orleans circa 1840-48, sweet barber quarter, old coins, bullets, relics, and an oval saddle tag manufactured in the late 1800s in Virginia:
In the center, a United Confederate Veterans reunion badge from New Orleans, made in the 1890s. Louisiana pelican cuff button, Bingham School (NC) cadet cuff button, silver flower brooch, seated silver, iron spur and more:
Civil War relics, buttons, seated half dime:
Seated half dime, cap and rays half real, and some relics:
1700s coin silver brooch, spanish silvers, seated, colonial era spur fragments, trouser buttons and flat buttons, book hinge, and musketballs:
1800s cone inkwell I eyeballed in a ditch. In situ:
Seated half dime just sitting there, washed out from the rain:
Boot pistol, freshly dug:
Confederate script "I" button which I eyeballed in a field where it had washed out:
I'm just thrilled with these finds. These photos don't represent the totality of most of what my buddy dug, nor all the hundreds of marbles and other eyeballed finds (coins, doll arms, tokens, and more), nor all of the glass bottles we've dug or eyeballed. Most of all, it can't convey the hundreds of pounds of scrap lead, brass, copper, and of course probably several thousand pounds of iron we've cleared from sites. Digging is work. Those who aren't working at this hobby are either very lucky, or they probably aren't consistently finding good stuff. I haven't been able to think much about what my hopes are for 2024, but maybe this will finally be the year for a gold coin. I'd think we're overdue--with 427 old silver coins dug here (340+ are seateds, capped, or spanish). But either way, something exciting and rare will be found. Seems like each year it's an impossibility to imagine what will be found. I can't wait.
Best Wishes to all of you, and Happy Hunting in 2024.
-Buck
2023 CaneField Bandits Totals:
2 Louisiana Pelican Civil War Buttons
Script “I” Button
Civil War Sword Belt Plate
Civil War U.S. Belt Plate
1820s US Artillery Button (Birdman find)
Brass bullet mold for M1849 Colt
Civil War U.S. Bit Boss
11 1/2 inch seat Mclellan Saddle Shield
M1859 US Cavalry Spur
Union of Confederate Veterans Medal
E. Jacobs Daguerrotype Saloon Token
1750s-90s Quarter Real
1792 1806 and 1810 Half Reales
1827 Mexican Republic Half Real
1841, 1850, 1853, 1853-O, and 1858-O Seated Half Dimes
1851 half dime (Birdman Find)
1838-O, 1845, 1849, two 1853’s, 1854-O, 1883 and 1888 Seated Dimes
Counterfeit Seated Dime
1898-O and 1899-O Barber Dimes
1900 Barber Quarter
1944 Washington Quarter
1852 Large Cent
Cordeviolle & Lacroix New Orleans Button
Civil War Eagle “C” Button
5 Civil War Eagle Buttons
Various Civil War Bullets
Cone inkwell
Silver Army Airman Wings
1944-P Silver “war nickel”
Beefalo, "V,” Shield Nickels & GawGag
An eyeballed seated coin that Shangalang found:
My scarce 1850s store card token: "E. JACOBS / DAGUERREOTYPE ARTIST" (and on the back: "DAGUERREOTYPE SALOON"). The token was modeled on a $10 gold coin in design and size. Jacobs was one of the best daguerreotypists in New Orleans in the 1840-50s.
Incredible site: sword belt plate, silver fragments, seated silver, shield V and buffalo nickels, large cent, civil war buttons, broken civil war bit boss, and more:
More seated silver, buttons, tax tokens, civil war relics, and jewelry items:
The federal flag staff tip (civil war), sash buckles, engraved silver, civil war buttons and bullets, tokens, barber and seated silver, bar brooches, rosette, half a counterfeit 8Reales, upper top right: 4 early Carhartt overall buttons:
Seated and barber silver, Louisiana pelican civil war button, massive brass boot pistol barrel, powder flask top, canteen spout, and more:
Newer site yielded a silver set of airmen's wings from WW2. The wings were turned into a sweetheart bracelet (loops soldered on) and on the back the name "BOB" was scratched with a knife.
My wife's first civil war buckle (center), a rare Cordeviolle & Lacroix button from New Orleans circa 1840-48, sweet barber quarter, old coins, bullets, relics, and an oval saddle tag manufactured in the late 1800s in Virginia:
In the center, a United Confederate Veterans reunion badge from New Orleans, made in the 1890s. Louisiana pelican cuff button, Bingham School (NC) cadet cuff button, silver flower brooch, seated silver, iron spur and more:
Civil War relics, buttons, seated half dime:
Seated half dime, cap and rays half real, and some relics:
1700s coin silver brooch, spanish silvers, seated, colonial era spur fragments, trouser buttons and flat buttons, book hinge, and musketballs:
1800s cone inkwell I eyeballed in a ditch. In situ:
Seated half dime just sitting there, washed out from the rain:
Boot pistol, freshly dug:
Confederate script "I" button which I eyeballed in a field where it had washed out:
I'm just thrilled with these finds. These photos don't represent the totality of most of what my buddy dug, nor all the hundreds of marbles and other eyeballed finds (coins, doll arms, tokens, and more), nor all of the glass bottles we've dug or eyeballed. Most of all, it can't convey the hundreds of pounds of scrap lead, brass, copper, and of course probably several thousand pounds of iron we've cleared from sites. Digging is work. Those who aren't working at this hobby are either very lucky, or they probably aren't consistently finding good stuff. I haven't been able to think much about what my hopes are for 2024, but maybe this will finally be the year for a gold coin. I'd think we're overdue--with 427 old silver coins dug here (340+ are seateds, capped, or spanish). But either way, something exciting and rare will be found. Seems like each year it's an impossibility to imagine what will be found. I can't wait.
Best Wishes to all of you, and Happy Hunting in 2024.
-Buck
2023 CaneField Bandits Totals:
2 Louisiana Pelican Civil War Buttons
Script “I” Button
Civil War Sword Belt Plate
Civil War U.S. Belt Plate
1820s US Artillery Button (Birdman find)
Brass bullet mold for M1849 Colt
Civil War U.S. Bit Boss
11 1/2 inch seat Mclellan Saddle Shield
M1859 US Cavalry Spur
Union of Confederate Veterans Medal
E. Jacobs Daguerrotype Saloon Token
1750s-90s Quarter Real
1792 1806 and 1810 Half Reales
1827 Mexican Republic Half Real
1841, 1850, 1853, 1853-O, and 1858-O Seated Half Dimes
1851 half dime (Birdman Find)
1838-O, 1845, 1849, two 1853’s, 1854-O, 1883 and 1888 Seated Dimes
Counterfeit Seated Dime
1898-O and 1899-O Barber Dimes
1900 Barber Quarter
1944 Washington Quarter
1852 Large Cent
Cordeviolle & Lacroix New Orleans Button
Civil War Eagle “C” Button
5 Civil War Eagle Buttons
Various Civil War Bullets
Cone inkwell
Silver Army Airman Wings
1944-P Silver “war nickel”
Beefalo, "V,” Shield Nickels & GawGag
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