🥇 BANNER I dug a Confederate buckle today!

smokeythecat

Gold Member
Nov 22, 2012
20,803
41,062
Maryland
🥇 Banner finds
10
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
XP Deus II
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
A buddy and I decided to hit a place we have hammered over the last year. We have found a lot of nice items in the place, including three Eagle Breastplates, two Union Cartridge box plates, and one US belt buckle, Several of these have been found in the last month. We have also found minies, a few buttons including one Confederate block I, some silver and copper CW period coins, broken spoons, etc. The place was evidently used as a picket post, we think after the Battle of Gettysburg. The place is not on any known maps I have seen, so there would have not been any reason to LOOK for anything there. It just so happens good friends of mine bought the farm, and didn't mind us looking for stuff there. On two recent occasions we invited a small "herd" of local club members and Tnetters to the site and everyone got something, which was nice.

Today, it had rained. It was very foggy and that hard rocky soil was ALMOST thawed out. We decided to hit it a few hours just to see what we could find, as we have over 100 man hours on the farm, and finds are getting scarcer. Just a week ago we finally got permission to hit the grassy areas. First thing, I pulled a man's sterling wedding ring from the grass, and then an aluminum can, and another aluminium can, then another and then the pulltabs. It was looking dismal so that hunt a week ago was over.

So back to today, my digging buddy beat me to the site, we were also looking for the property markers but the ground in that area was still frozen. We didn't find them. He tried digging what appears to be an ash pit, but it was also too frozen. He finally found one minie ball.

We both finally started moving back to the grassy areas, and I got about five aluminum cans, we were digging near the "new" driveway, which used to be the "old" farm road.

After aluminum target #6, I got another similar signal, this one sounded a little different. I was down about 8" and it was so blasted rocky, I called my bud over as I wasn't in serious "detecting" mode, I was just in "exploring" mode. I had left my pinpointed in the truck and was too blasted lazy to go get it. So he shoves the pinpointer in the hole, and it almost immediately sounds off. I didn't see the telltale signs of aluminum, but a US plate was found about 10' away in the field, so I advised caution, it might be another breastplate. He grabbed hold of something definitely not silver colored, and as he pulled it out slowly I saw it was rounded and dark colored. I first thought it was another breastplate, but it was too small. When he got it out of the hole, I knew it was a wreath style wreath thingie. I didn't know what it went to, but these were used before and after the Civil War and some aren't even military. I know what I know, and everything else I have to research. I hadn't even touched it yet but had never dug one of these and was feeling quite pleased. I did NOT do that OMG, run around in circles, swear by whatever you swear by, I just stood there. Now, dung for brains here checks the holes normally AFTER I fill them in but suggested he run the poinpointer over it again. There was another signal. Yup, you guessed it. One more inch down in the muddy, sloppy rocky dirt he reaches in and pulls out something else round. It's dirt encrused, duh, and at first I didn't see what, if anything was on it. He turns it over, takes a couple dirty, wet wipes on it and I see a "CS" staring back at me. At this point I did NOT do that OMG, run and around in circles, freak out thing. I walked two steps to the nearest tree and tried to throw up. That's what REAL diggers do. Enough is enough. Here's a picture. Will get it cleaned. Whenever. Maybe soon. Right now I need a Tylenol and an antacid.

IMG_0044.JPGIMG_0046.jpgIMG_0050.JPG BTW the Deus got REAL dirty, but the target is what I call a "softball" and any machine would have found it.
 

Last edited:
Upvote 136
Just three words Smokey...banner banner banner...alllll daaay long. To find one OR the other is a feat in itself, but BOTH...wow. My vote is in...Ddf.
 

I’m gonna go with banner on this one too;) I’ve never found the tongue before but always on the lookout
 

Thank you all. In all honesty, we had only found two Confederate items on the site, a cast I button and a fired bullet. I did not find the bullet and can't remember which one it was. We had found two nice crotal bells in the last month and that's what I was looking for. I thought the site was done with CW relics. I suppose it's not. Now it's time to think out that box and see what's in the rock piles and in the briers and bushes.View attachment IMG_0590.jpgView attachment IMG_0576.jpgView attachment IMG_0586.jpg This is the crotal bell from the same site. One more was found that was a lot bigger. Plus the silver ring (modern) and my first and second ever capped bust dimes and a nondescript Confederate iron buckle.
 

You hit it out of the park with that recovery. Congrats.
 

BTW I AM going digging elsewhere tomorrow while the temps drop 30 degrees in 5 hours. Will be fuunnnn.
 

Just put my vote in, banner find, congrats!
 

Congrats on the great piece of history, getting both parts is a true gift.
 

Amazing find smokey.. congratulations
 

Thank you all. I also dug a nice silver ring yesterday and a CW curry comb. Will have to find them in all the excitement and post them too.
 

Nice. Way to recover both pieces. Does Daryll get half since he supplied the pinpointer? Ha Ha.
 

"I walked two steps to the nearest tree and tried to throw up. That's what REAL diggers do." LOVE IT!!! Great find!!! Congratulations!!!
 

What a great piece, and to find both halves in just outstanding. Congrats on a great find.
 

Top Member Reactions

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top