🥇 BANNER Best Long Weekend Ever! Some great Colonial finds, silver, buttons and more!

oxbowbarefoot

Banned
May 25, 2011
2,268
1,850
🥇 Banner finds
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*Update*Best Long Weekend Ever! Revolutionary Rattlesnake Button

After my car accident a couple weeks back, I haven’t been able to detect as much as I’d like. My left arm, which is usually my digging arm, is continually dislocating at the shoulder, however (with the OK from the Orthopedist and orders to stay active and limber) I can at least drag the shovel without it bothering me too much.
All told, the long Thanksgiving weekend was very good to me. I was able to get out and swing the Deus each day for at least a few hours between Friday and Sunday. Friday and Saturday I hunted in the blistering wind and cold with Worldtalker. I think we are both still shaking out the dust from Saturday. We went back to the 1654 massive farmland that we have been hunting for the past few weeks (same place I pulled 2 Spanish silvers out of not too long ago). This site has been producing like crazy, and there is so much more area we haven’t even explored yet. I’m sure Chris will post his sweet finds. I had a few nice ones myself. I was even able to scratch off quite a few items from my wish list, including a couple pesky Barbers, which have somehow been eluding my coil. Together with the half I got a couple weeks back, this site has now given me a Barber hat-trick. Anyways, here are a few of the highlights: (the best is saved for last)

-My first Barber Dime (1906)
-My first Barber Quarter (1908)
-My first Walking Liberty Half (1943)
-1918 Buffalo Nickel (only my 2[SUP]nd[/SUP] Buff)
-1903 and 1899 Indian Heads Cents (brings the total for this site to 13)
-My most complete Colonial barrel tap
-4 Ox Knobs
-8 Musket Balls, including the biggest one I have ever seen
-Half of a brass bullet casting mold, I think mid 1800’s, but not sure.
-a Copper ring (must be the 10[SUP]th[/SUP] copper or brass ring I have found at this site, 2 od which are gold plated)
-a decorated Sterling pen clip.
-a whole galaxy of buttons, some good, some bad, and some ugly….

And my best finds for the weekend>>>>

Two absolutely incredible buttons.

The first one I found on Friday in a cut cornfield. It’s an 1840’s era United States Revenue Service Cutter Button (The precursor to the Coast Guard). Its quite rare and in awesome condition. Much of the gilt was left and a little naval jelly made it shine up nice! I am not sure of the value, but the couple I could find listed are priced between $125 and $400. I think mine falls somewhere in between. The back mark reads U. States/Revenue Service

The second is something that I hope is authentic, although I don’t see why it wouldn’t be based on the other finds that have come out of these fields. If it is, I feel it is definitely my best find of the weekend, and maybe one of my best ever. It’s a button with a Rattlesnake intertwined around 13 eggs. I think it is either Revolutionary War era, or just post Revolution. I have only been able to find one picture online. The site is listed below, it describes the button as “American snake and eggs motif silvered brass button imported from France.”

RWb57ds-American snake and eggs motif silvered brass button imported from France.

When I found it, I didn’t have a clue what it was, I though maybe a token, a button, perhaps a piece of broken jewelry, I just had not idea. I asked Worldtalker, he wasn’t sure either. So in the keeper case it went until I got home. When I got home I gave it a little rinse and realized it was a Rattlesnake. I looked at the back and can feel where the shank broke off. There is no back mark as far as I can see. I haven’t tried naval jelly on it to see if the any silver gilt it left, but mine appears to have much better detail than the one on the website.

If anyone has any info on either button, or has any clues to value, I would greatly appreciate it.

This Thanksgiving weekend was amazing. I have a lot to be thankful for besides the great finds. I am happy to have gotten to spend time with my family, my friend and treasure hunting partner Chris (Worldtalker), and even enjoying the little things like my 10[SUP]th[/SUP] high school reunion. And of course, thank you in advance for your comments and I hope you all had a great weekend too!

**UPDATE**
The person who purchased the Rattlesnake Button did an amazing job cleaning it using peroxide and lemon juice. This button is now likely one of the finest examples of its kind. The picture speaks for its self.
cleanedbutton.jpg
 

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Last edited:
Upvote 24
Congrats on making the banner brother! Certainly very well deserved. So nice to see that amazing button up there on the banner. You guys are doing great at that site! Best, Erik
 

Thanks Erik, and thank you to everyone who nominated this find for the Banner. I am honored. Hopefully, I will make it up there a few more times.
 

Fan-friggin' tastic finds!! Nicely done!

All the best,

Lanny
 

Super buttons! Congratulations on a great hunt and for making the banner! Way to go! :) Breezie
 

OBD, Man you Are killing it ,And I MEAN KILLIN it! those are some fabulous finds. Thanks for sharing..................HH
 

Thank you! You're welcome to join us anytime!
Thank you ! It's great to hear the young folk are interested in digging,
Best wishes for the Holidays:occasion14:

Your button looks Fantastic up top,
It fared well through all those years :hello2:
 

Nice Button ...congrats on the Banner ! :icon_thumright:
 

That's one awesome button!! Congrats on the Banner!!!! Way to go on all your finds! :thumbsup:
 

Thank you flyinryan, HISPAN, Neil, Will, Gunrunner, Breezie and Lanny!
 

Wow absolutely spectacular finds... I don't know if I can come up with any other adjectives to say how amazing they are!!! I mean...one could only dream of finding those kinds of treasures. What a time traveling thriller!!! Very very cool!!!! I hope I can graduate to that type of hunting. I want to!!! Congrats on the banner finds!!!
 

Wow absolutely spectacular finds... I don't know if I can come up with any other adjectives to say how amazing they are!!! I mean...one could only dream of finding those kinds of treasures. What a time traveling thriller!!! Very very cool!!!! I hope I can graduate to that type of hunting. I want to!!! Congrats on the banner finds!!!

Thank you for the kind words. Making good finds is just about patience, research, and saying "pretty please with a cherry on top" when you ask for permission. You have an excellent machine in the E-Trac. If you put your coil over a good target, and you listen to what the detector is telling you, you'll be up top in no time! What part of the country are you in? I'm fortunate to live in a town settled in the early 1600's, 400 years of metal adds up! Also, don't assume that that strange bit of metal you can't identify isn't treasure, many Banner finds had to be posted on T-Net for them to be ID'ed. Best of luck and happy hunting!
-Ox
(p.s. A Seated coin is at the top of my want list as they have eluded me thus far. I'm extremely jealous of the beauty you found. Once again, congrats!)
 

You must have been in button heaven! What a fabulous assortment! The snake button is amazing! Congrats on all those super finds. :)

Nana
 

oxbow,Glad you came thru the accident ok,looks like you're cleaning up the field real well. the tap & snake/egg button are super finds,congrats and many more in the future. HH
 

Thank you very much Nana, Swamp Yankee and Bomber John. It sure is nice to see a wide assortment of relics up top.
The barrel tap is my most complete one to date, I'm hoping to find one that is completely intact one day.
 

I am blown away. Such a nice assortment of finds. Congrats!
 

That snake and eggs buttons is just too cool and the condition is fantastic. I've seen three or four dug over the years but yours is the first I've heard of coming out of the northeast. Congrats on it and for getting it up top, it certainly is worthy of being there.... Dave
 

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