Back to the Field of Dreams

BuckleBoy

Platinum Member
Joined
Jun 12, 2006
Messages
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Golden Thread
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Location
Moonlight and Magnolias
🥇 Banner finds
4
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
2
Detector(s) used
Fisher F75, Whites DualField PI, Fisher 1266-X and Tesoro Silver uMax
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Hello All,

I'm more than a little late getting this post up. But last week Shanegalang and I got back to the field of dreams again. It seems that Spanish Silver #12 is going to stay just out of reach for now, but we certainly tried. The wellspring of colonial, federal, and civil war goodies is drying up a bit too...but we have hit the field twice a week, 8 to 10 hour days every week since mid-January. So it's bound to dry up sometime. The cane is getting taller now, and the mosquitos and snakes coming out.


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So...I knew that the field would be pretty slim in our main area, and having gridded an area of about 3/4 of a mile thoroughly, I decided to focus on an area that was chock full of trash. After digging can after can after can, screw caps, and junk, I was getting a little frustrated. Here is a photo of all the crap I dug. Not included is another military backpack of junk iron tractor parts, etc that we hauled away.


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Well, I kept digging, in a way just thankful that there were targets to dig. And I finally came up with a Civil War button :icon_thumleft: It turned out to be an "I" with some gilding remaining. The tractors and plow have beaten it up some, but it's a nice keeper. :)

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By this time, the sun was beating down and the humidity was killer, so after several hours in the field we grabbed a nice lunch of Jambalaya and white beans ;)

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We got back at it and I went right back to that trashy area to dig up some more cans, nabbing several flat buttons, a barrel tap piece, a bronze nail, and all of a sudden this came up:

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A FOURTH 1812 Artillery Coat button from this field.
:headbang:

We dug through more of the can slaw, filled up two more trash bags of junk aluminum, and headed home.

The next day we got out bright and early to the field of dreams. The mud had dried up a bit, but it was still soupy in some parts of the field. It was a beautiful day. Cane rows heading off infinitely in front of us. Here's a photo of Shane diggin in the front of the massive field:

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To be honest, this day although I walked with my detector on, I only got one keeper that beeped at me (a keyhole cover from an old lock). The rest of the finds were eyeball finds: Loads of fantastic early pottery and colonial pipe stems. At one point I saw a tiny blue speck in the mud and took a step past it before I realized what it was:

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Another "Russian Blue" trade bead!! :hello2: I am Thrilled to find these here, because they are a scarce find. Hard to see, and a chance in a million that they are plowed up to the top and visible. Great 1700s item there. :thumbsup:

Later on, I saw a big piece of iron sticking out of the side of a cane row. Because part of the trick in hunting a site like this is clearing the iron out so that we can hear the iffy, deep signals, half reales on edge, etc., I of course picked it up and pulled it out of the soil. It turned out to be a well preserved Cane Knife!

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Shane had dug one of these on a previous trip, and I just couldn't wait to find something like this--so specific to Louisiana. I am absolutely thrilled to find one. In terms of style, this one is certainly 19th century.

So as it got dark, we packed up and headed home. But we'll be back again. Once a field has produced like this one has, it is practically impossible to get it out of your mind.

Here are some photos of my finds. First off, all the great pottery, pipe stem pieces, and the blue Trade Bead in the center of the photo. It is really worth opening this photo up by clicking it twice to enjoy the colors and variety of the pottery shards.

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And the flat buttons, barrel tap piece, Civil War Infantry Officer button, and 1812 Artillery Button. 8-)

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Best Wishes,


Buckles
 

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Upvote 3
Fantastic finds, couldn't ask for a better spot colonial, 1812, civil war, holy moly lol great finds!!!
 

I know you hoped that eagle would be an "A" but an Infantry officer's button is all good. I like that blue trade bead. Just when you think that site is toast, a Reale, CW bullet, or 1812 button shows up. More to come from there. HH, Q.
 

cool love the blue bead....HH
 

I know you hoped that eagle would be an "A" but an Infantry officer's button is all good. I like that blue trade bead. Just when you think that site is toast, a Reale, CW bullet, or 1812 button shows up. More to come from there. HH, Q.

Thanks, Quindy! I'm just glad to finally get the post up. Was real pleased with the two military buttons, although I was cursing inside when every swing was three can signals. There is more there, and we're gonna find it in the trashy areas and spots we haven't gotten the grid completed on yet.

Cheers,

Buckles
 

:hello2:,

Great post Will :notworthy: the patience you showed with all that can slaw certainly payed of for you, but I still think there is a Banner find to come for you from this site.:thumbsup:

SS
 

Congratulation!
 

:hello2:,

Great post Will :notworthy: the patience you showed with all that can slaw certainly payed of for you, but I still think there is a Banner find to come for you from this site.:thumbsup:

SS

I am hoping so my friend. After digging 17 silver coins from this field, ranging from a 1740 half real to a 1918 half dollar, and no copper coins found of any kind or type, I am always hoping that the next signal will be gold.

Every Good Wish,

Buckles
 

I like those one piece artillery with the eagle on the cannon. I have found three of them at a pair of old housesites situated about 100 yards apart. I think they were associated with an artillery militia unit that was active locally. Between the three were two different backmarks.
 

Great finds... Congrats :icon_thumleft:
 

That field looks like one heck of a good spot to hunt. Really super finds from that place! I must admit being a northern california boy, that I have no idea what "jambalaya" is?
 

Great bunch of finds
 

Great finds on the buttons :headbang: thats an incredible amount of pottery and pipe stems, wow.. keep it up
 

What a great site you guys had for winter and early spring hunting, the memories will last forever! I like that trade bead, you sure did a lot of bending over in those fields, nice when eye-balling gets such great results...................Another great post Will!

Don
 

That field looks like one heck of a good spot to hunt. Really super finds from that place! I must admit being a northern california boy, that I have no idea what "jambalaya" is?

Jambalaya is rice cooked with beef broth or chicken broth, and andouille sausage and chicken thrown in, often along with green peppers, onions, and celery. Usually baked or cooked in a large cast-iron kettle. :)

Best Wishes,


Buck
 

The colors on the pottery are brilliant!! Well done!! :icon_thumleft:
 

I saw this thread and my passion got a notch higher. The pottery is killer, but the trade bead is the find of the hunt. I would hit that trading post with a severe Colonial drive. You will be able to hunt that field for a million years and still not find every pipe stem. You must dig out the trash pit and sift that ground for relics. Thank you for sharing your adventure, Buck. What a site.

Kirk
 

I saw this thread and my passion got a notch higher. The pottery is killer, but the trade bead is the find of the hunt. I would hit that trading post with a severe Colonial drive. You will be able to hunt that field for a million years and still not find every pipe stem. You must dig out the trash pit and sift that ground for relics. Thank you for sharing your adventure, Buck. What a site.

Kirk

Thanks Kirk! I would appreciate any insights on finding the trash pit. The only major iron patch is right where the house stood. I would love to find some of these bowls/plates/bottles unbroken below plow depth. I'm just glad the site is still producing. Can't wait for the plow. :) The time to dig the trash pit would be after the plowing but before it is rowed up into rows.

Cheers,

Buck
 

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