Silver Tree Chaser
Bronze Member
I’ve been without a camera since early May, so this is a compilation of my better finds over the past 2+ months just taken with my new camera. I figure it’s better to contribute late than not at all. I wish I could pull all these finds on a single outing for Today’s Finds; moreover, I wish I could have some worthwhile silver to show but that will have to wait for better digs ahead I hope. All these finds came from searching cellar holes.
Here’s a nicely detailed lead bird warbler that I believe dates to the mid-1800’s. If anybody has an opinion as to age, please let me know on this thread. It’s a toy – when filled with water, blowing on its tail would produce a tweeting sound. They still make them today though of course out of plastic. Kids today have to have it so good, but in the old days it was all lead with no complaints – lead warblers, whistles, tooth brushes, and penny candy.
I also dug a Phoenix button along with a few small plain buttons at one cellar hole. From what I’ve read, these were made back in 1820 for uniforms in King Christophe’s regiments in Haiti. He went from slave to King to suicide during a coup for power. These buttons have been found far and wide in the US by detectorists, but historians have only noted these buttons trading in the Northwest.
Here’s an 1840 campaign token for President William Harrison – “The People’s Choice.” The log cabin image on the token suggested that he was a common man like the people – wrong. He was a well-to-do aristocrat. He was the president of superlatives - longest inauguration speech at two hours
in the cold, which gave him pneumonia and the shortest presidency as he died after only one month in office. 
I’m having difficulty finding old silver; I’m finding everything but silver. Amazingly, one cellar hole produced a scattered spill of coins – an Indian Head penny and two cent piece, then another, and another – three coins in a row, but no old silver. I don’t want to complain, but another cellar hole on the very next trip produced yet another two cent piece (coin at bottom of photo). Where’s the silver?
I left one two-cent piece partially cleaned (left) to show the progress made with a mineral oil soak. The middle coin is a keeper, but the green corrosion on the right coin is there to stay.
This 1871 (semi-key date) Indian Head Cent has good patina and very little corrosion. It appearance is quite good for a dug coin, although it has considerable wear from circulation.
This last find was quite unexpected. I came upon a dump scattered about way out in the woods in the vicinity of a couple of cellar holes and an old mill (likely a saw mill). This old cast iron stove door was face down sticking out of ground at an angle. I was really surprised to flip the door over and see that it was ornately decorated with American eagles and stars. I have been unable to determine its age despite searching online a good deal. I don’t know if it’s mid-19th century, late 19th century, or early 20th century. If anyone has any knowledge of its date, I’d certainly like to know. I think it would be as a shame not to preserve it, especially after carrying it along with my detector and shovel through the woods all the way back to my car!
At a minimum, the door could be removed and made into a nice wall hanger I guess.
Older colonial period finds have been harder to come upon. These recent cellar holes just don’t have enough age. Hopefully, research will put me on some older sites this fall.
Good Hunting to All!
Here’s a nicely detailed lead bird warbler that I believe dates to the mid-1800’s. If anybody has an opinion as to age, please let me know on this thread. It’s a toy – when filled with water, blowing on its tail would produce a tweeting sound. They still make them today though of course out of plastic. Kids today have to have it so good, but in the old days it was all lead with no complaints – lead warblers, whistles, tooth brushes, and penny candy.
I also dug a Phoenix button along with a few small plain buttons at one cellar hole. From what I’ve read, these were made back in 1820 for uniforms in King Christophe’s regiments in Haiti. He went from slave to King to suicide during a coup for power. These buttons have been found far and wide in the US by detectorists, but historians have only noted these buttons trading in the Northwest.
Here’s an 1840 campaign token for President William Harrison – “The People’s Choice.” The log cabin image on the token suggested that he was a common man like the people – wrong. He was a well-to-do aristocrat. He was the president of superlatives - longest inauguration speech at two hours
in the cold, which gave him pneumonia and the shortest presidency as he died after only one month in office. I’m having difficulty finding old silver; I’m finding everything but silver. Amazingly, one cellar hole produced a scattered spill of coins – an Indian Head penny and two cent piece, then another, and another – three coins in a row, but no old silver. I don’t want to complain, but another cellar hole on the very next trip produced yet another two cent piece (coin at bottom of photo). Where’s the silver?
I left one two-cent piece partially cleaned (left) to show the progress made with a mineral oil soak. The middle coin is a keeper, but the green corrosion on the right coin is there to stay.This 1871 (semi-key date) Indian Head Cent has good patina and very little corrosion. It appearance is quite good for a dug coin, although it has considerable wear from circulation.
This last find was quite unexpected. I came upon a dump scattered about way out in the woods in the vicinity of a couple of cellar holes and an old mill (likely a saw mill). This old cast iron stove door was face down sticking out of ground at an angle. I was really surprised to flip the door over and see that it was ornately decorated with American eagles and stars. I have been unable to determine its age despite searching online a good deal. I don’t know if it’s mid-19th century, late 19th century, or early 20th century. If anyone has any knowledge of its date, I’d certainly like to know. I think it would be as a shame not to preserve it, especially after carrying it along with my detector and shovel through the woods all the way back to my car!
At a minimum, the door could be removed and made into a nice wall hanger I guess. Older colonial period finds have been harder to come upon. These recent cellar holes just don’t have enough age. Hopefully, research will put me on some older sites this fall.
Good Hunting to All!
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