Bill D. (VA)
Silver Member
I've been continuing to use land patent research to try and put myself on the earliest sites, but sometimes it's difficult to be totally successful with that strategy. Seems that many times I can't find the 17th century site on the property, but usually a structure from a later occupation turns up. That was the case again yesterday as I was able to find a large iron and brick patch thanks to a tip from the owner. The home was situated in a spot that was not particularly obvious, and in an area that I could easily have overlooked. This place turned out to be button city (29 to be exact) with a few other odds and ends thrown in. Almost all the finds dated to 1775-1825 with not much modern or period trash. Some of the finds were domestically related, but I feel this may have also been the site of a small and temporary military camp. I've found a lot of these early camps near homesites and a fresh water source, and this one was probably no different. Another area of the property looked ideal - a high flat plateau right on the creek with a huge dead tree - but it was dead as a doornail (see pic below). Very strange. I dug a wide variety of buttons including an early navy. The front was rather toasty, but it had an unusual backmark of "No. 4 Fine Gilt". Is "#4" possibly a reference to the size of the button? Unfortunately it looks like this field will be planted before I can return so it will have to wait until the fall. But I do believe it has a bit more to give up, maybe even a cut piece of silver which is a common find in these type of camps.
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The Navy button is really cool and I like the ruler hinge and cuff links.
