GKman
Full Member
- Mar 15, 2011
- 141
- 522
- Detector(s) used
- Minelab Equinox
- Primary Interest:
- Metal Detecting
After dropping the kiddies off at daycare, I had a big day of detecting planned. I was going to go to the type of site I prefer (which is older locations) which for me means 1700's, but when I got there, I found that the site was having some work done on it and they would prefer if I wasn't there at this time, so sad. So, I had to make do with going to my newly christened Eagle cellar hole site, which is where I have recently found three 1840's or so military items with eagles on them. I know, know. Poor Gary has to settle for an 1840's site instead of a 1700's one.
I took my time hiking in, since I had most of the day ahead of me and when I got there I was not nearly as winded upon arrival as I had been the past couple of times. I decided to go with the 17 inch coil since it has performed so well for me in so many different situations and today was no different. At this site I am pretty much digging everything that is not indicating trash. Why? Because it has been so good to me these past couple of visits and you just don't know what may come out of the soil.
Some of the first targets of the day were a couple of flat buttons, which although interesting are not uncommon finds in this area. Shortly thereafter I started to find quite a few pieces of spoons. These are always an interesting find to me since it was something they would have used over and over again for perhaps many years until it broke or they were lost in the fields.
Detecting along I got another signal which to me sounded like another piece of spoon but then out popped an Indian head cent. I was thinking "Really? Why couldn't it be a large cent?" But then when I flipped it over I was saying to myself "Where is the Indian? I rubbed it a bit, and then realized I could rub that coin all day long and not see an Indian, because it was a Flying Eagle cent! Over the years I have only dug a small handful of these coins. One of which wasn't that far from this location, so it is just a lucky area I suppose. This Flying Eagle would be the fourth item with an eagle on it from this site, wow.
I continued my detecting grid and recovered a couple more buttons and then decided to just wander around a bit and see what I could find. I ended up getting a really good signal underneath a pricker bush and thought to myself "It figures" I tried to push them back and dig but then discovered there was not only prickers but roots to contend with. I got out ye olde handy pruning shears and did a small bit of cutting to make things tolerable and continued the recovery. I dug and I dug and I dug some more and still heard nothing on the pinpointer. Then finally I got the signal on the pointer and knew I was close. I got out the Lesche and loosened the soil and out popped a nice old keg tap. Another interesting find indeed.
It was time to start meandering back towards the truck, so that's what I did. This trip though. I decided to not pack up everything because there was a couple places I wanted to pass through while swinging the coil. The first place I found nothing ( I think I pretty well cleaned that out over several previous visits) So, I kept walking towards the truck and then out the blue clear sky I get a coin signal. I circle it, like it's my prey.Good signal all around, passed the can test (not that can test results matter much out in the middle of the woods), not breaking up the way shotgun lead tends to do at some positions and so it's a go on recovery! Hm, it's under a rock too, kick those away, take a scoop or two of dirt, pintpoint and voila! Out pops a large cent. Thank Goodness! Now I feel like my day is complete ( yes, yes I know I'm spoiled), it's not that I don't mind or enjoy finding the other items I mentioned earlier, but I like OLDER things like this. So, back to the coin...
I wipe away the dirt and i'm looking at it and thinking "what happened to her!" and "what is that bar above her head?" Ooooh! Ding! Lightbulb goes on! It's an 1837 hard times token! At first glance they look similar to a large cent. "The back says Millions for Defence (yes with a C) not one cent for tribute". Look them up they are pretty interesting.
Before I leave the woods there was one more area I wanted to check that has been of interest to me for years based on the anecdotal history I have learned about it. These historically significant events occurred during the period leading up to the Revolutionary War. I have briefly tried detecting the area before and had no luck but it was definitely worth another try.
This is another area that I would refer to as a "No Signal Left Behind" type of place. I was working my way along an area that was primitive 250 years ago, and is to this day. I got a decent signal and started recovery and out popped a strange pointed metal object. Interesting. What could it be? It was pretty deep, it was definitely old, and it is awfully remote and very near my area of interest. I haven't seen something like this before. I carefully packaged up the find and kept going and knew I would be working on identifying this item later.
Time was growing short and so swing speed increased. There wasn't much else recovered today except for a modern ax head and one more interesting two piece button that does have a design and possibly has some writing on the front that I am hoping I will be able to decipher, but that may be wishful thinking. (update Connecticut Militia Button)
When I got home I did some quick research and took some some pictures and headed to work. So what is that pointy thing? I had a gut feeling that it could it be part of a gun. I was thinking a ramrod and so I typed in to Google: Musket Ramrod Point clicked Images and bam! There it is! If it isn't a Brown-Bess Type Flintlock Musket Lower Ramrod Pipe then it is definitely a reasonable facsimile thereof! Now, I am not going to get too excited that I just found some revolutionary era history right where I hoped I would, but fingers crossed I did and hopefully more interesting recoveries will be made..
Thanks for reading.
HH
Gary
I took my time hiking in, since I had most of the day ahead of me and when I got there I was not nearly as winded upon arrival as I had been the past couple of times. I decided to go with the 17 inch coil since it has performed so well for me in so many different situations and today was no different. At this site I am pretty much digging everything that is not indicating trash. Why? Because it has been so good to me these past couple of visits and you just don't know what may come out of the soil.
Some of the first targets of the day were a couple of flat buttons, which although interesting are not uncommon finds in this area. Shortly thereafter I started to find quite a few pieces of spoons. These are always an interesting find to me since it was something they would have used over and over again for perhaps many years until it broke or they were lost in the fields.
Detecting along I got another signal which to me sounded like another piece of spoon but then out popped an Indian head cent. I was thinking "Really? Why couldn't it be a large cent?" But then when I flipped it over I was saying to myself "Where is the Indian? I rubbed it a bit, and then realized I could rub that coin all day long and not see an Indian, because it was a Flying Eagle cent! Over the years I have only dug a small handful of these coins. One of which wasn't that far from this location, so it is just a lucky area I suppose. This Flying Eagle would be the fourth item with an eagle on it from this site, wow.
I continued my detecting grid and recovered a couple more buttons and then decided to just wander around a bit and see what I could find. I ended up getting a really good signal underneath a pricker bush and thought to myself "It figures" I tried to push them back and dig but then discovered there was not only prickers but roots to contend with. I got out ye olde handy pruning shears and did a small bit of cutting to make things tolerable and continued the recovery. I dug and I dug and I dug some more and still heard nothing on the pinpointer. Then finally I got the signal on the pointer and knew I was close. I got out the Lesche and loosened the soil and out popped a nice old keg tap. Another interesting find indeed.
It was time to start meandering back towards the truck, so that's what I did. This trip though. I decided to not pack up everything because there was a couple places I wanted to pass through while swinging the coil. The first place I found nothing ( I think I pretty well cleaned that out over several previous visits) So, I kept walking towards the truck and then out the blue clear sky I get a coin signal. I circle it, like it's my prey.Good signal all around, passed the can test (not that can test results matter much out in the middle of the woods), not breaking up the way shotgun lead tends to do at some positions and so it's a go on recovery! Hm, it's under a rock too, kick those away, take a scoop or two of dirt, pintpoint and voila! Out pops a large cent. Thank Goodness! Now I feel like my day is complete ( yes, yes I know I'm spoiled), it's not that I don't mind or enjoy finding the other items I mentioned earlier, but I like OLDER things like this. So, back to the coin...
I wipe away the dirt and i'm looking at it and thinking "what happened to her!" and "what is that bar above her head?" Ooooh! Ding! Lightbulb goes on! It's an 1837 hard times token! At first glance they look similar to a large cent. "The back says Millions for Defence (yes with a C) not one cent for tribute". Look them up they are pretty interesting.
Before I leave the woods there was one more area I wanted to check that has been of interest to me for years based on the anecdotal history I have learned about it. These historically significant events occurred during the period leading up to the Revolutionary War. I have briefly tried detecting the area before and had no luck but it was definitely worth another try.
This is another area that I would refer to as a "No Signal Left Behind" type of place. I was working my way along an area that was primitive 250 years ago, and is to this day. I got a decent signal and started recovery and out popped a strange pointed metal object. Interesting. What could it be? It was pretty deep, it was definitely old, and it is awfully remote and very near my area of interest. I haven't seen something like this before. I carefully packaged up the find and kept going and knew I would be working on identifying this item later.
Time was growing short and so swing speed increased. There wasn't much else recovered today except for a modern ax head and one more interesting two piece button that does have a design and possibly has some writing on the front that I am hoping I will be able to decipher, but that may be wishful thinking. (update Connecticut Militia Button)
When I got home I did some quick research and took some some pictures and headed to work. So what is that pointy thing? I had a gut feeling that it could it be part of a gun. I was thinking a ramrod and so I typed in to Google: Musket Ramrod Point clicked Images and bam! There it is! If it isn't a Brown-Bess Type Flintlock Musket Lower Ramrod Pipe then it is definitely a reasonable facsimile thereof! Now, I am not going to get too excited that I just found some revolutionary era history right where I hoped I would, but fingers crossed I did and hopefully more interesting recoveries will be made..
Thanks for reading.
HH
Gary
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