BuckleBoy
Gold Member
Hello All,
Been so busy we have to marathon hunt when we can. Got out for two hunts in a row, and the first hunt we were doing some scouting at a site where we saw some scant signs on a previous trip, but couldn't come up with anything decent. Well, we went back for a second look, and glad we did. It was Shanegalag's day that day. He dug a HUGE silver spoon hallmarked in New Orleans in the 1850s. No doubt the handle from the spoon will come up on a future hunt. It weighs almost two ounces!
My consolation prize was a tiny green trade bead that gave me some hope for older relics and coins. I also picked up an old Catholic medallion (brass), which is par for the course for South Louisiana. Snagged a couple of the ever-present tax tokens. Man, they sound good. I was really pleased with the ornate keyhole cover from a smokehouse lock. At any rate, here are my finds from that day:
OK, so then the next thing I know, Shanegalang is yelling "Hi Ho!" (SILVER!!) and I'm thinking this was not my day. I start walking in his direction. OK, so on a side note, seems like everyone I've ever dug with has dug a Barber Quarter. Often right in front of me. Or over to the side. Or where I was just detecting. I have never found one. Kindafoundabuckle dug THREE of them in twice as many hunts, mere feet away from where I was digging. Then Diggergirl's second silver was a pristine, beautiful Barber Quarter. I was enjoying the fact that neither Shane nor I had dug one...
but of course, when I walk over to him, he's grinning and holding a Barber Quarter in his hands.
The Next Day, we're both up early, to catch the early morning hours since it's gonna be 95 degrees and rain coming by mid-day. Well, it was a comedy of errors. Shanegalang had car trouble, then caught in traffic. I forgot my Camelbak (NOT smart, with such heat and humidity!). Then on the drive to a new site, it started to rain. The forecast still said 0%. Damned weather channel!
We got to the site, and luckily it stopped raining. We got to work. Shanegalang dug what we think is a sword hanger. Then I got a couple heel plates. Nice complete ones. Next I dug one of those "mickey mouse" style small locks. Those are very old, if I'm not mistaken. Then I got a garbled iron-like signal. When I isolated the lower part of it, and narrowed my swing, the F75 locked right in on "80" and started to sing! It was crazy. Swinging across both targets I got an awful signal. But there was a honey of a signal right beside. It pinpointed to two inches. When I flipped the clod out, I was staring at BIG SILVER!
It was an 1826 TWO REALES!! I was jumping up and down in the sugar cane field in the 100 degree heat.
Shanegalang dug a 1936 Buffalo Nickel. I then swiftly collected a 1901 V and an 186? Shield for the nickel trifecta.
We broke for a quick box of fried chicken, then came back and no sooner than I'd hiked into the center of the field did I get a nice brass signal and pop out a bent button. When I was halfway bent over to pick it up I saw the rope border and knew what I had! A CIVIL WAR LOUISIANA PELICAN BUTTON!!! Unbelievable!
Then if things couldn't get any better, we located a trash pit or privy. Oyster shells compacted in there, and no good tools to begin the excavation. We dug just enough to confirm what the pit was, and I recovered some sort of small brass bucket or similar. Strange thing, is it looks like it had two spouts brasied on. Any clues? Bound to be pre-CW, due to the age of the glass in the pit.
I also dug a pewter mystery item with a design.
And here is a photo of my finds from the second hunt:
And the 1826 2 Reales:
And the plow-struck Louisiana Pelican CW Button
Take it from me, don't leave your camelbak at home. Seriously though, stay safe, and be careful out there.
Best Wishes,
Buck
The CaneField Bandits
Been so busy we have to marathon hunt when we can. Got out for two hunts in a row, and the first hunt we were doing some scouting at a site where we saw some scant signs on a previous trip, but couldn't come up with anything decent. Well, we went back for a second look, and glad we did. It was Shanegalag's day that day. He dug a HUGE silver spoon hallmarked in New Orleans in the 1850s. No doubt the handle from the spoon will come up on a future hunt. It weighs almost two ounces!
My consolation prize was a tiny green trade bead that gave me some hope for older relics and coins. I also picked up an old Catholic medallion (brass), which is par for the course for South Louisiana. Snagged a couple of the ever-present tax tokens. Man, they sound good. I was really pleased with the ornate keyhole cover from a smokehouse lock. At any rate, here are my finds from that day:
OK, so then the next thing I know, Shanegalang is yelling "Hi Ho!" (SILVER!!) and I'm thinking this was not my day. I start walking in his direction. OK, so on a side note, seems like everyone I've ever dug with has dug a Barber Quarter. Often right in front of me. Or over to the side. Or where I was just detecting. I have never found one. Kindafoundabuckle dug THREE of them in twice as many hunts, mere feet away from where I was digging. Then Diggergirl's second silver was a pristine, beautiful Barber Quarter. I was enjoying the fact that neither Shane nor I had dug one...
but of course, when I walk over to him, he's grinning and holding a Barber Quarter in his hands.
The Next Day, we're both up early, to catch the early morning hours since it's gonna be 95 degrees and rain coming by mid-day. Well, it was a comedy of errors. Shanegalang had car trouble, then caught in traffic. I forgot my Camelbak (NOT smart, with such heat and humidity!). Then on the drive to a new site, it started to rain. The forecast still said 0%. Damned weather channel!
We got to the site, and luckily it stopped raining. We got to work. Shanegalang dug what we think is a sword hanger. Then I got a couple heel plates. Nice complete ones. Next I dug one of those "mickey mouse" style small locks. Those are very old, if I'm not mistaken. Then I got a garbled iron-like signal. When I isolated the lower part of it, and narrowed my swing, the F75 locked right in on "80" and started to sing! It was crazy. Swinging across both targets I got an awful signal. But there was a honey of a signal right beside. It pinpointed to two inches. When I flipped the clod out, I was staring at BIG SILVER!
It was an 1826 TWO REALES!! I was jumping up and down in the sugar cane field in the 100 degree heat.
Shanegalang dug a 1936 Buffalo Nickel. I then swiftly collected a 1901 V and an 186? Shield for the nickel trifecta.
We broke for a quick box of fried chicken, then came back and no sooner than I'd hiked into the center of the field did I get a nice brass signal and pop out a bent button. When I was halfway bent over to pick it up I saw the rope border and knew what I had! A CIVIL WAR LOUISIANA PELICAN BUTTON!!! Unbelievable!
Then if things couldn't get any better, we located a trash pit or privy. Oyster shells compacted in there, and no good tools to begin the excavation. We dug just enough to confirm what the pit was, and I recovered some sort of small brass bucket or similar. Strange thing, is it looks like it had two spouts brasied on. Any clues? Bound to be pre-CW, due to the age of the glass in the pit.
I also dug a pewter mystery item with a design.
And here is a photo of my finds from the second hunt:
And the 1826 2 Reales:
And the plow-struck Louisiana Pelican CW Button
Take it from me, don't leave your camelbak at home. Seriously though, stay safe, and be careful out there.
Best Wishes,
Buck
The CaneField Bandits
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