Great Day In The Backyard !

[Tarponhuntr]

Had an awesome day with the wife in our backyard today. The highlights include two nice dimes, one 1959 and a 1952. One 10 kt RGP ladies wedding band , 5 wheaties , of which one was a 1920. The oddities of the day would have to be one extremely heavy button , it appears to be either red brass or copper with a torch in the center. Also, a 1966 Bahamas One Cent piece , with Elizabeth II on the front and a starfish on the reverse ; it appears to be copper , but we are being very cautious about the cleaning process since we arent sure.

Finally able to add photos of the finds , check em out !

We will try to have the pics uploaded by the weekend for verification. There are just so many anomalies so far that we are blown away. I will definitely need some community help with some of these as we move forward.

I have to say that we are so , so pleased to have finally found a hobby that she and I can share in common with so much enthusiasm. And I have to admit , my wife was able to pull the two 90% silver dimes with her BH4 over me and my Fisher F2.

 

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[TheCannonballGuy]

The object you described as an "extremely heavy button, it appears to be either red brass or copper with a torch in the center" sounds like a US Army ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps) collar-disc insignia. I don't see any photo in you post. If I could see photos of that object's front and back, I'd be able to tell you if its an Army ROTC insignia, or not.

 

[old digger]

Welcome to TNET! So, what does ''RGP'' and "BH4'' stand for?

 

[Tarponhuntr]

LOL! , thanks. The RGP , stands for "rolled gold plate" and BH4 is a Bounty Hunter Tracker IV. The ring will have a minimal value as far as gold rings go , but it appears to have 90% of the plating in tact , and the base metal appears to be silver . I will have pics up as soon as I can focus on them , its a bit late for me , and I need to find proper lighting to get the best pics. But rest assured as soon as we can we will get the pics up.

As far as the button goes , we can make out "USM" before we get to the blotched areas that need cleaning. On the reverse it is also stamped "New York". Will be interesting to get feedback on that.

 

[dig kzoo]

Congrats and welcome! it is nice to have a hobby that can be shared with the wife!

 

[dig kzoo]

By the way took my wife finding silver first time out to get the hobby!

 

[sierrakev]

Too cool.
Lucky to have such a rich site,
And your wife to share it with.
Mine looks at my proud clad with hidden pity,
her interest only in my better mood...

 

[JmCraz8]

Nice finds, I wish my backyard would produce like that haha HH!!!

 

[oldsalty19]

 

[Tarponhuntr]

The object you described as an "extremely heavy button, it appears to be either red brass or copper with a torch in the center" sounds like a US Army ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps) collar-disc insignia. I don't see any photo in you post. If I could see photos of that object's front and back, I'd be able to tell you if its an Army ROTC insignia, or not.

Cannonball, I think we are on the right track. The back is engraved with NS Meyer Inc. New York with their hallmark. However , the torch is not as slender as those found on the ROTC insignia , and there is no RO -- TC on either side of the torch. I will get photos posted as soon as possible.

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Tarponhuntr wrote:
> However , the torch is not as slender as those found on the ROTC insignia, and there is no RO -- TC on either side of the torch.

Tarponhuntr, here are photo of the front and back of the 1910-to-1937 version of the US Army ROTC collar-disc insignia. It doesn't have ROTC on it. The "screw-pin" attachment on the back is what dates it from 1910-to-1937. When I was in high-school in the 1960s and the ROTC class was mandatory, I wore the ROTC collar-disc insignia on more uniform. I don't recall exactly what that 1960s version looked like, but I'm pretty sure it didn't have the letters ROTC on it. Just trying to be helpful in finding the corrent identification for what you found.

 

[wheatfinder13]

Great find

 

[Tarponhuntr]

Tarponhuntr wrote:
> However , the torch is not as slender as those found on the ROTC insignia, and there is no RO -- TC on either side of the torch.

Tarponhuntr, here are photo of the front and back of the 1910-to-1937 version of the US Army ROTC collar-disc insignia. It doesn't have ROTC on it. The "screw-pin" attachment on the back is what dates it from 1910-to-1937. When I was in high-school in the 1960s and the ROTC class was mandatory, I wore the ROTC collar-disc insignia on more uniform. I don't recall exactly what that 1960s version looked like, but I'm pretty sure it didn't have the letters ROTC on it. Just trying to be helpful in finding the corrent identification for what you found.

View attachment 749901View attachment 749904View attachment 749905

Cannonball, I have finally got the pics up of the one I have. I think we have the same thing , but perhaps from a different era. Mine seems to have a slightly different construction. The torch is actually removable from mine , and the insignia is flat with the exception of the torch. Also noteworthy is the difference in the construction of the reverse ( notice the perimeter)

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Thanks for adding photos of your ROTC collar-disc's back. They enable me to time-date it as being 1946 to the present. That dating comes from info at the following link, which I invite you read in its entirety, because it talks about the change (in 1937) from a 1-piece disc to a disc whose "device" (also called an emblem) is manufactured separately and then attached to the disc. It also talks about the change (in 1942) from a screw-post to "clutch pins" for attaching the disc to the uniform's collar. But most importntly regarding your disc, see the section titled "Post-World War Two "Neo-Type III" Collar Disks". Dating Metallic Insignia: Collar Disks

Your collar-disc insignia had two sharp brass pins (for the "clutches" to grab) at the edge of the smaller disc on its back, but the pins on yours are broken off. At the linked website, scroll all the way down to the last photo on that webpage, to see an exact match for what's on the back of your ROTC disc.

 

[hamiddetecting]

Very nice

 

[Tarponhuntr]

Thanks for adding photos of your ROTC collar-disc's back. They enable me to time-date it as being 1946 to the present. That dating comes from info at the following link, which I invite you read in its entirety, because it talks about the change (in 1937) from a 1-piece disc to a disc whose "device" (also called an emblem) is manufactured separately and then attached to the disc. It also talks about the change (in 1942) from a screw-post to "clutch pins" for attaching the disc to the uniform's collar. But most importntly regarding your disc, see the section titled "Post-World War Two "Neo-Type III" Collar Disks". Dating Metallic Insignia: Collar Disks

Your collar-disc insignia had two sharp brass pins (for the "clutches" to grab) at the edge of the smaller disc on its back, but the pins on yours are broken off. At the linked website, scroll all the way down to the last photo on that webpage, to see an exact match for what's on the back of your ROTC disc.

Thanks for sticking with me on this Cannonball. After looking at your article , it appears that with the recessed edge on mine that perhaps it may have been an early 50's model that should have had the plastic backer. But it is great to have it narrowed down this far. Still a very strange find for my backyard , as no one that owned this home ever had any military service or ROTC until the early 80's and then it was a Coast Guard Enlistment. For now I'm going to chalk it up to a kid with a pocket full of trinkets just left them and grew up.

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Back in the mid-1960s, my high-school required all the male students to take the 2-year ROTC course. I had to wear the uniform on certain days, do target-practice with an M-1 rifle at the range in the school's basement, do military marching drills (left-right, left-right, halt, about-face), etc. My uniform had the ROTC collar-disc insignia, which I had to remove from the uniform in order to polish. Therefore, it's at least a possibility that a teenage male living at the house also was required to take ROTC classes at his high-school, and lost the insignia you found.

 

[pl8man]

Cool finds !