DUG my first plate in LOUISIANA today! AND a SPANISH SILVER!

BuckleBoy

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Jun 12, 2006
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Moonlight and Magnolias
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Hello All,

Today was a killer day for me. Got out in the early morning with Shanegalang and decided to make do with some turn rows and the edges of good fields that now have 12 foot tall cane in them. We dug for a good while, picking up a couple flat buttons and odds and ends. Then all of a sudden I dug this big piece of lead. No big deal. We find lots of melted lead in the fields here. BUT then I wiped it off with my glove and saw...an ATTACHMENT HOOK!!! I KNEW it was a plate, and couldn't see what was on the front, but seeing the arrow I was convinced it was Yankee. Here is the video:



And the photo after I cleaned it off in the field:

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Doesn't look too bad for being in a plowed field for 150 years. I was VERY lucky to get BOTH letters on the plate! After finding so many taco shaped half reales and other coins, I'm surprised this plate fared as well as it has. I think I will send it to be restored. It's actually my first US plate. I've dug a boxplate, and sword belt plates, breastplates, and militia plates... But finally got one. And in Louisiana to boot. :headbang:

I ended up with a couple more goodies, including a beat-to-death 1807 half real. This is Spanish Silver #21 for the year for us, and #40 in 20 months. It also puts us up to 72 silvers dug, spanning the 1740s through the 1950s. Nice to see that Reales account for more than half of the total. :) Hopefully we can keep that record as we push on toward harvest time.

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Also got a Knights Templar button. M.C. Lilley & Co. Manufactured between 1865 and 1882.

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And a group shot. Not sure what the pewter piece is at the upper right.

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Best Wishes and HH,


Buckles :coffee2:
 

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Upvote 18
Really Cool Finds! :icon_thumleft: Is it possible that the buckle plate may have been brought back south a a souvenir, or where there any skirmishes that far south?
By the way, that button sure is a ''Dandy''!

There were indeed skirmishes and battles this far south. Remember New Orleans and Farragut, or Butler's long occupation of the city? ;)

I have a strong hunch exactly when this was lost.

Cheers,

Buck
 

WTG Will, another piece of history, and I am sure if you send the buckle away it will come back with amazing results. I see you are continueing your quest to be the Virginia Tidewater area of the south for Spanish Silver. Bill Dancy , watch out BB is catching up. :)

Don
 

WTG Will, another piece of history, and I am sure if you send the buckle away it will come back with amazing results. I see you are continueing your quest to be the Virginia Tidewater area of the south for Spanish Silver. Bill Dancy , watch out BB is catching up. :)

Don


Doing my best. Not as old as there, and hammered silver is totally out of the question here. But hard to argue with the volume of reales pouring into our collections at a steady rate.

Thanks for your reply, Don.

Cheers,

BB
 

WTG Will, another piece of history, and I am sure if you send the buckle away it will come back with amazing results. I see you are continueing your quest to be the Virginia Tidewater area of the south for Spanish Silver. Bill Dancy , watch out BB is catching up. :)

Don

I've been noticing that too Don, but I'll really pulling for Buck to continue his hot streak and smash my last years's total of 24. And I'm sure he won't have any problem doing that. But I'm glad he's not providing competition up here for Dan and I :laughing7:, although he would be welcome to come hunt with us anytime.
 

I've been noticing that too Don, but I'll really pulling for Buck to continue his hot streak and smash my last years's total of 24. And I'm sure he won't have any problem doing that. But I'm glad he's not providing competition up here for Dan and I :laughing7:, although he would be welcome to come hunt with us anytime.

I don't think the rate which we are finding reales will hold, but that depends on how long we have to scout for the next site, which year key fields are in the plowing cycle, and what the rest of our permissions hold in the way of relics and coins. All of those factors are unknowns at this point. I could foresee us averaging around 12-15 reales per year, but it would take a lot of luck for us to pull 20 or so next year as well. Will be fun to see what happens.

Good to hear from you my friend. Keep up the good work. I am always impressed with the Age and Quality of what you find.

Cheers,

Buck
 

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