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

oxbowbarefoot

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May 25, 2011
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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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I have found two seated dimes out there.....so they are around...if you are familiar with the stone structure in the middle of the meadows....(under the overpass....turn left near where that little horse barn is)......I found them where those two roads intersect right near there....as well as a couple large cents......though....it seems like anything could pop up anywhere out there.....
 

I have found two seated dimes out there.....so they are around...if you are familiar with the stone structure in the middle of the meadows....(under the overpass....turn left near where that little horse barn is)......I found them where those two roads intersect right near there....as well as a couple large cents......though....it seems like anything could pop up anywhere out there.....
Pete,you got that right,just gotta look around,cool stuff out in them fields.
 

Coastal south eastern South Carolina, pretty much Charleston SC to Savannah Ga.

Thank you for the compliments. I'm honored that it shares the spotlight with your GW button. Talk about awesome condition...
I have family on Lady's Island, in Beaufort, SC. Think that might be a decent place to poke around? My dad also lives up near Lake Jocassee, in Pickens County. I've found a few cool finds in my limited time detecting there.
 

Lady's Island isn't far from me and it's a great place to detect! Federal troops were all over that area and the condition of the eagle buttons from that sandy soil is incredible. Here's an eagle I coat button I dug near the Lady's Island elementary school about 2 years ago. Another spot on the island gave up this early NY button as well as several civil war state seal buttons from NY CT RI & SC . If you plan on visiting let me know, I'll try to steer you in the right direction, most of the good sites have been found and hunted hard but there's still plenty of finds to be made there. One more thing, I was talking to a buddy that dug one of the rattle snake buttons like yours and I didn't know it but he said a guy that was hunting the spot with him dug the same button but in a cuff size... Dave
 

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Nice buttons. Looks like my next trip down will have some MD time slotted.
 

I have found two seated dimes out there.....so they are around...if you are familiar with the stone structure in the middle of the meadows....(under the overpass....turn left near where that little horse barn is)......I found them where those two roads intersect right near there....as well as a couple large cents......though....it seems like anything could pop up anywhere out there.....

I may have to give that area a try. There is so much left down there where I haven't even scouted yet. How did you make out with Chris the other day?
 

In case anyone missed the update on the original post, here it is:

The person who purchased the Rattlesnake Button did a phenomenal job cleaning it with some peroxide and lemon juice. Under all that brown stuff was an almost completely intact Silvered surface! This button is now one of, if not the finest example of this particular button! I am extremely pleased with how it came out, and I hope the new owner is as thrilled as I am. Check out the picture, it speaks for itself.

cleanedbutton.jpg
 

I guess there was a little silver under there! I can't imagine how a dug one could survive better because the snake is a high point and looks like very little wear or loss of silver on it.
 

I guess there was a little silver under there! I can't imagine how a dug one could survive better because the snake is a high point and looks like very little wear or loss of silver on it.

With the amount of fertilizer used there, I'm surprised it wasn't just toast, and somehow it also evaded hundreds of years worth of plows. Guess it was just in a lucky spot:unhappysmiley:
 

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:


sorry to resurrect an old post, but it just brings back memories being referred to as "young folk". I'm not sure I fit that description anymore.
 

I'm glad you brought it up man. What a beautiful example of one of the coolest buttons ever made
 

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