I guess I could learn to like cornfields.

[WHADIFIND]

I like what I'm finding in cornfields now that I've learned a bit about how to hunt them. But, in all honesty, I really don't think I'm cut out for them. Maybe it's because I'm too old. They seem to be a younger person's game. They just seem way too much like, "going to work", instead of going for a walk with my detector. Might help if the ground wasn't frozen. LOL

Anyway, I got out for a bit today because I just couldn't sit any longer. I figured the uneven ground might give at least some that wasn't frozen solid. That part worked but man!!! I am pooped! Just from walking! (stumbling).

No coins but I managed a few interesting finds.

Feel free to comment.



I intended to just walk around and take a closer look at the spot where I found broken glass today.






The last one was rather a convenient set up. It came with it's own shot glass?
It still had the cork in it.



Whenever I find one of these inserts I always hope there will be a mason jar full underneath it.



More bullets.



Backmark says BENEDICT & BURNHAM EXTRA Still has thread attached!!!



Cuff link? I haven't done much to clean it yet. It kind of looks like there might be a letter there, I'll work on it.



This one is interesting too. Can't make anything out on it but it appears to be pretty old.

And, lastly, I found what's left of a pocket watch. There is probably enough information on it to make a pretty good identification. But, I'm to pooped to try.





I haven't tested yet, but I suspect it's silver because it came out of the ground shiny like that.

The inner plate has a wealth of info on it but I just can't seem to get good pics.
Maybe some better eyes can tell us some about the maker etc.



If anyone wants a better pic of a certain spot, let me know and I'll try.

Thanks for stopping by!

HH!

 

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[dig kzoo]

Great finds, that pocket watch is frame worthy!

 

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[hunting deer]

One thing about cornfields I like is the plowing bringing stuff from deeper down too the surface. Also the plowing stirring things around every year. Theres alot of cornfields here in Indiana where I live to say the least. What is a field now could have been someones front yard in 1850. I found alot of watch casings last year in the the fields and kept and cleaned every one but never a silver one. I saw a video about a pocket watch that belonged to Abraham Lincoln. When they happened to look inside it was signed and dated by the some of the jewelers who had worked on it. It almost looked to me like yours could had been engraved. Looks like some cursive writing on the workings maybe. If I found a silver casing I,d be on cloud nine till sometime next year. What your calling a cufflink I thought was what I call a leather rivet. "I'm sure not the right word". I've found some that look like that with bits of leather still in them. Maybe someone else on here would know. I've been curious about those for a long time. Best of luck in future hunts.

 

[Argentium]

The word "argent" around that mark , is encouraging as it means silver - My suggestion would be to look very closely at the circular
bezel part of the case seen in the background of a couple of your pics , your hallmarks may well be in/on it .

 

[B1u3Dr4g0n1]

WOW...great finds...and you have a very NICE camera..good stuff

Im in Indiana also and I have tore up a lot of ( shoes )..lol in corn fields

Do you guys ask for permission on corn fields, or just pull over and jump out swinging till you find something? I wouldn't think it would matter, its just a plowed field...

 

[WHADIFIND]

WOW...great finds...and you have a very NICE camera..good stuff

Im in Indiana also and I have tore up a lot of ( shoes )..lol in corn fields

Do you guys ask for permission on corn fields, or just pull over and jump out swinging till you find something? I wouldn't think it would matter, its just a plowed field...

I NEVER hunt anywhere without permission. I wouldn't want someone to just pull over and start detecting my yard and I would require the same courtesy from others.

The camera? Thanks, just an old camcorder. Seems to do the job.

HH!

 

[AnnieF]

I like what I'm finding in cornfields now that I've learned a bit about how to hunt them...

Like what? Can you give a newbie a little primer?

 

[WHADIFIND]

Like what? Can you give a newbie a little primer?

Oh wow! You do NOT want tips from me on this! LOL I am just now able to swing the detector 3 times in a row without tripping! Maybe one of the true veterans of field hunting will speak up.

I'm just beginning to understand that the coil doesn't absolutely HAVE to be a half a micron off the ground all the time. I've learned to move between rows a bit and picking a spot in the stubble where I can move the coil thru to the next row without having to pick up too far. Also, how to give up a bit on daintiness whilst hunting fields. In the beginning I was still kneeling down and trying to cut plugs with my knife! LOL Works but man what a workout!! I now carry a small spade with a long handle for fields. Also, I do more manipulating the soil with the tools than with my hand. Especially when it's cold and wet. My glove gets wet and then my fingers stay cold the rest of the day. They still get there, but not nearly as fast nor as much.

One more thing I'm learning is to pay more attention to the junk I'm seeing or digging up. They are all clues as to what went on in the area. Like lots and lots of lead? You're downrange and on the target side of the shooting. Lots and lots of brass/shells? You're on the shooter's side of the range and where all the betting took place. LOL !!!

Research, research, research!

Above all, take it slow while learning and pay attention! It can become a VERY dangerous place quickly. A slip, a fall, a broken bone and you might be the next fossil found during the Spring thaw.

Hope that helps!

HH!

 

[terpfan]

One thing about cornfields I like is the plowing bringing stuff from deeper down too the surface. Also the plowing stirring things around every year. Theres alot of cornfields here in Indiana where I live to say the least. What is a field now could have been someones front yard in 1850. I found alot of watch casings last year in the the fields and kept and cleaned every one but never a silver one. I saw a video about a pocket watch that belonged to Abraham Lincoln. When they happened to look inside it was signed and dated by the some of the jewelers who had worked on it. It almost looked to me like yours could had been engraved. Looks like some cursive writing on the workings maybe. If I found a silver casing I,d be on cloud nine till sometime next year. What your calling a cufflink I thought was what I call a leather rivet. "I'm sure not the right word". I've found some that look like that with bits of leather still in them. Maybe someone else on here would know. I've been curious about those for a long time. Best of luck in future hunts.

Hunting Deer, I have also found these "rivets" with leather attached. Not sure what they are, but I just assumed they were from a saddle.

 

[AnnieF]

It did! Thank you!

 

[WHADIFIND]

Ok, so here's the wrap up.

I'm pretty well convinced that the cuff link like thing is probably some sort of rivet. Like suggested. Maybe for a saddle.

The watch cleaned up very nicely. I think I see why people like silver jewelry.
Unfortunately, there was no other hallmarks. Just the ones I found.






Still, this will make a nice display piece along side my other center pieces.



Thanks for all the responses!

HH!

 

[hunting deer]

So did I, but then I started thinking that there might have been alot of different uses for leather back then. Think I'll do some leather research. I found another one today.

 

[AnnieF]

There have GOT to be pocketwatch experts SOMEWHERE.

I wouldn't give up on discovering the provenance of this too quickly.

 

[B1u3Dr4g0n1]

I NEVER hunt anywhere without permission. I wouldn't want someone to just pull over and start detecting my yard and I would require the same courtesy from others.

The camera? Thanks, just an old camcorder. Seems to do the job.

HH!

I cant track down half the owners to the fields around me ...unless I catch them in the field doing something, I understand what your saying though, but a plowed dirt field isn't NOTHING like a persons yard around there house, its already tore up dirt. There are people all over here walking fields after a heavy rain looking for arrow heads, when I pull up and ask if they know or know of the owner and I haven't had ONE say yes yet... I'v even had a few cops pull over just to ask if I found anything good yet, in the middle of no where in a plowed field, and NEVER asked if I had permission or anything else..lol

 

[WHADIFIND]

There have GOT to be pocketwatch experts SOMEWHERE.

I wouldn't give up on discovering the provenance of this too quickly.

Oh I know there are plenty of people who know a whole lot more about watches than I ever will. I don't give up looking for information. If I run across more info, I'll update the display. I'm just comfortable enough knowing it's sitting in my display case. It's just a good thing that I took pictures of that insert thing with the info on it because it was paper thin and started crumbling as soon as it came out. Can hardly read it now.

It will never be worth anything to me, not in money anyway. So, the provenance is only important to me. A "nice to know" sort of thing. Ya know?

Thanks for the encouragement!

HH!

 

[jewelerguy]

that watch is cool

 

[WHADIFIND]

but a plowed dirt field isn't NOTHING like a persons yard around there house, its already tore up dirt. There are people all over here walking fields after a heavy rain looking for arrow heads, when I pull up and ask if they know or know of the owner and I haven't had ONE say yes yet...

Too many "cans of worms" get opened by digging in the dirt, without permission. A field, be it a manicured lawn, open woods, plowed up dirt, etc., STILL belongs to a fellow American, (at least near me it does). So, I respect another's right to the property that THEY own and will not trespass on that right. Just because others take it upon themselves to break the law and justify in their own minds that the owner has sooooooo much land! That it would be ok for them to just stop, get out and dig around in their "yard" does NOT make it right for me to do so. I'm not sure where, but I suspect the Constitution gives the owner the right to own and hold safe his own property.

Think about it this way. What if they find something really, really good and big on this person's land? Then, when they go to the landlord and offer them half and the owner says nothing doing! I buried that there, it came from MY land, you were trespassing and you need to give it back or go to jail while I sue you!

Stretching it? Sure! BUT..... for me? No thanks!

I'll continue to ask for permission or not hunt, thank you.

HH!

 

[WHADIFIND]

that watch is cool

A "Jewelerguy" !!!! Now where were you when I needed help with that jeweler's mark!? LOL

Thanks!

HH!

 

[Michiganne]

Great digs, love the watch case. Very nice relic and I hope you can track down more info on it. I have dug items like your "cuff link" and was told by a more experienced MDer that they are harness related. Some still have leather attached too.

Field hunting can be challenging but they are still my favorite sites to hunt due to their age and most are "pre aluminun" around here. Lots of interesting relics and some old coins and tokens.

Yes, definitely get permission Bluedragon, for any land you hunt, field or not.

HH

 

[Gunrunner61]

The watch is a really cool find. and I think that the other piece is a Rivet,
And like you I do not get on someone Else's property without permission!
I know folks who shot first and ask Questions later. Private property is private
property.......No matter where it is...........ALWAYS get permission........HH

 

[BosnMate]

What you guys are calling rivets off of horse harness is troublesome to me. Copper rivets don't have that oval shape, and personally I think cuff link is closer ID than rivet. This is a copper rivit and burr. Next the bur is on the rivet, note how there will be a humped up portion of the post when the rivet is pounded together. The next picture shows the head side and the burr side, note how the center is humped up on the burr side.
The next photo shows binder bolts which were originally developed for the printing industry, and used to bind catalogs together. However, these are also used in tack and harness, and I have a belt that uses a binder like this one instead of a rivet. The screw part however has a screw driver slot. This last picture is of a found rivet. Note that the rivet top and burr are round, not oval.