A few finds today, From Butterfield stage stop.

[Old California]

First, Thanks El for the fellowship and sharing a wonderful day, Looking forward to our next adventure!

Met up with a friend today (El,) Our plan was too get permission from different property owners for a possible chance of locating and detecting a few old sites in the near future one of them a Butterfield stage stop....

Luckily, We were granted permission to detect two areas and after locating the sites had time to sample the ground at both particular locations and see if the sites would be worth pursuing in the future.

Most of the day was searching for the property owners and then sharing with them our intentions and of course with the understanding we would give them the finds and eventually make them a nice display.

The first site was quickly located and we only detected for about 45 minutes, We just wanted to sample the ground and then we shifted over to the other location and detected this location for about an hour and a half.

Surprisingly, We did find a few finds that showed we were in the right locations and our future hunts may show promise.

The third site was an old pre-1876 school house, This location is a bit tough to locate but we are in the right location. We decided to wait until the fall and presume locating the old school house, We feel if we do locate this pre-1876 school house chances are we will be the first to recovery finds from here.

Three of the several finds are buttons, One Phoenix (No. 8 ) button and an old Gilt button, Looks to be an 1820-40's era button and if Tom in Salinas or anyone else can date the Gilt button please do share, I've never seen this type of gilt button with the strange front.

The third button (Smashed) is a odd type but none the less from the 1850's era. A couple of pistol balls and other stuff not in the picture such as bits and pieces of old green copper.

HH, Paul (Ca)

 

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[pegleglooker]

Now that is COOOLLLLL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

PLL

 

[Old California]

Thanks Pegleg,

I failed to mention, Although the Stage stop site started in the late 1850's the actual area dates back even further.

Thanks again a good hunting,
Paul

 

[pegleglooker]

Hey OlCal,
There are a few stage stations down here, but most atr on state or park land. Carrizo and Vallecito are in the Anza Borrego state park. San felipe is on private land and next to a old indian camp. I think the camp is on park land though. Oak Grove is across from the 2nd Camp Wright, with a park fire station right next door. Aguanga you can go to and I have detected there... but found nothing. Here's a map of the southern route.

PLL

 

[Wheresthegoodstuff]

Great stuff Paul!

 

[Tom_in_CA]

Paul, you are right about the '20s-40s date of the gilt button. The mere term "gilt" button with their "quality" backmarks, it rooted in the early 1800s attempts to have a standard by which consumers would know the quality of the button they were getting (a certain thickness, a certain # of coatings/gildings, etc...). The very earliest quality backmarks were very crude. They might just say "gilt" and nothing else. But later ('20s to '40s) the words took on what we are familar with "treble gilt" "London fine" "rich orange colour" etc... and the lettering was even and uniform on these later ones. So yours is '20s to '40s. Maybe even into the '50s? If you want to get real indepth, I've got all the Warren Tice books here

And of course, you know the date of the phoenix buttons. Made in the mid or late 1820s, and suspected to have arrived on the west coast in the late 1820s or very early 1830s. Circulated till the late 30s, by which time, they stopped showing up. Ie.: Don't get found in later Mexican era sites, or gold rush sites.

Where'd the phoenix button come from? PM me for the skinny please? You know I'll not go withour your say-so. What'd El find?

 

[Old California]

Thanks Pegleg, Steven and Tom,

Pegleg, You have allot of history in your area. Enough sites to detect for a life time if you can get permission and thanks for shaing a pic of the map.

Steven, Let's get together soon. I'll call you in a day or so.

Tom, Thanks for the info on the Gilt button. I knew you would know for sure the age on the gilt button, El first noticed it appears to be a fresh drop based from the thick gilt coating and it sure is heavy. The design is something I've never seen in my career.

Next time we get together bring your mission era button book and I'll search for this button, It appears to be a special button?

Thanks again gang,
Paul (Ca)

 

[El]

Hey Tom. I didn't get anything but the standard iron and alum. It was pretty warm & I was taking a break when Paul found the 3 buttons. As I was watching him I learned that I wasn't hold my mouth just right . Now I know why he is always finding good targets. I noticed the same thing hunting with you at the beach years ago .

El

 

[Old California]

Thanks TreasureTales,

Hopefully, We get enough good finds from both areas to put together beautiful displays for both property owners.

Currently, I'm working on two displays one for our local museum the other for an adobe site which will go to the owner of that property. The finds going to our local museum come from the oldest White man settlement in the San Joaquin valley, I've been dragging my feet on that one but finally will finish up within the month and get this placed in the museum.

Most likely this will get local coverage maybe even from the surrounding counties of the area, This settlement has special interest for both our area and the San Joaquin valley since it was the only White man settlement between Stockton and Los Angeles back in 1850 and was right smack on the John Fremont trail. Thanks again Treasure tales!

Tom in Salinas, Yes El took a break when we pulled in the last area which was the last stop for the day. I was short on time and needed to get back home, racing against time I quickly bagged three buttons within a very short period which surprised us and then El started to detect but with time against us we have to pack up and leave right after.

HH, Paul (Ca)