IRON BRIGADE adds to our TYPE COIN collection + 1840 Presidential Button!

BuckleBoy

Gold Member
Jun 12, 2006
18,132
9,700
Moonlight and Magnolias
🥇 Banner finds
4
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
2
Detector(s) used
Fisher F75, Whites DualField PI, Fisher 1266-X and Tesoro Silver uMax
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Hello All,

Let me first apologize for the lack of "action" photos in this post--we just didn't have much time. But after three LONG weeks of 90 degree temperatures here, the weather finally broke. Here's the scenario...

Yesterday morning we hit the road early since we only had about six hours to dig because of our schedules. So Diggergirl, Rodeo, and I drove to ask permission to have another go at the spot where we got two 1820's LC's on our last hunt. We got our yes, then went to another property owner to meet him and ask about a second site--a small house site in the woods. He ended up being a great guy--and we ended up getting permission for several spots on land he owns. :thumbsup:

So after about an hour of driving to talk with these folks and to the site, we got out of the car quickly and DOVE into the woods! I knew that we'd only have about two hours on this spot if we wanted to re-hunt the Great site where the coppers came up... So we got hiking.

I also was praying that our research and coordinates were right on--because otherwise we might be out there for an hour to find the right location of the cabin--before we even got to the REAL hunting part!

When we got to where the GPS unit said "16 feet SE" we looked up and saw this:

Daffodil Tops.jpg

Dead daffodil tops EVERYWHERE. ;D After some High-Fives, we started hunting the site. There was no trace of a cellar hole, foundation stones, or even surface glass or pottery, so we had some exploring to do.

The site ended up being quite thin in terms of finds. We got a toe tap, a harmonica reed plate, and part of a suspender clip--plus a brass whatzit with a floral design. Then Rodeo said "I've got a flat button." I walked over to look and we realized that there was no shank on it...or even a place where a shank went... I said "Swipe this under your machine and tell me what it reads." Rodeo said it pegged "Nickel" consistently, so then we figured we likely had a V nickel...but as we started to clean and I saw how worn this one was, I was hoping it was older. :o Tnet friends, it is an 1869 Shield Nickel (the second one for the Brigade this year). :thumbsup: We were Stoked!

I took a photo of Rodeo beating the brush with a Passion (Sorry DiggerGirl--no photos of youthis time... :( )

Rodeo.jpg

We hunted the small site another hour (three detecting hours total) and didn't find much else, so we got out of there and drove to our "Two LC spot." We geared up and got into that pasture wasting no time.

Hunting that spot for two hours (six detecting hours) we started to realize how well we'd pounded the central portion where the house stood... signals were few and far between! Of course, we'd spent over six hours there with three people last time--so this site has now gotten Twenty-Four hours of detecting time on it, and she ain't done yet!

We got a good bit of pewter this time, and some small lead... I found the best pewter spoon bowl I've ever found:

Pewter Spoon.jpg

(They usually come out looking like this one around here:)

Pewter Spoon Usual.jpg

Here's an interesting pewter whatzit that Rodeo found:

Pewter Whatzit.jpg

I got a pewter flat button that was plain on the front, yet had letters either scratched or crudely cast into the back. I think the letters are "AVM". Any help on this one is much appreciated... I've already looked through previous property owners names for a match--no luck. :-\

AVM.jpg

AVM2.jpg

DiggerGirl got a nice brass two piece button...we couldn't tell much about it in the field--and didn't want to do any cleaning until we got home, since we could see a hint of GOLD gilding peeking through. This turned out to be the best button find for the year so far! :wink:

So here's a photo of all of our finds:

All Finds.jpg

And Rodeo's 1869 Shield Nickel--front and back. (I'm pretty positive that it's a '69 and not a '79 :o):

1869 Shield Nickel Obv..jpg

1869 Shield Nickel Rev..jpg

We got home and started cleaning Digger's button. Freshly dug, it looked like this:

Campaign Button Before.jpg

We realized that it was a William Henry Harrison button from his 1840 presidential election campaign. :thumbsup: I consider this an Excellent find--and a scarce one. The backmark is "R. & W. Robinson" and the shank is intact.

Seems like DG has a nose for those campaign items! The button is now sitting in her display case beside her Abraham Lincoln campaign token from the 1860 election which she found earlier this year. :thumbsup:

I'd appreciate someone's help in nailing down which variety this button is.

UPDATE: The button is a PC 140 variety, with a rarity value of 35. Its value is likely over $100--and perhaps more than that.

Campaign Button After.jpg

Regards,


Buckleboy and the Iron Brigade
 

Upvote 0
what a totally cool adventure .. and awesome finds too.. wtg big time ya all :thumbsup:
 

Buck, that 1840 button is SWEET! :thumbsup: That is a definite display case item.

You guys are going to kick some buttocks this fall!

Kyle
 

Colonial Zoyboy said:
Buck, that 1840 button is SWEET! :thumbsup:  That is a definite display case item.

You guys are going to kick some buttocks this fall!  

Kyle

Already kickin' it, buddy.  :wink:


We intend to keep it up all the way through harvest with at least one hunt a week.  Gotta keep our detecting skills sharp and the Brigade going like a well-oiled machine.  Then when harvest hits, it is Overdrive time!


P.S.--it's almost time for another "Iron Drop" :) another 200 lbs of it recycled = 15 bucks in the gas tank. :wink:

-Buck
 

Hey Buckles,
It's good to see your group got out to swing your detectors again. That's a great 1840 campain button. I also like the shield nickle but according to Creeper71 its way too corroded and beat up. He said my half cent has his sympathy due to its bad condition. Oh well I happen to love it and I also am pleased with the shield nickles condition you guys found also. They are few and far between here where I happen to detect. I think the counterfeit draped bust large coin I found is made of pewter (not sure). You will have to check out my post. Congratulations on your finds today and keep on a postin.
Chris
 

First and foremost..Conrat's to the Brigade for such some awesome find's,The Nickle and the Campaign Button are way out of my league for any info...so don't look here.Had to chime in for the Congrat's.Nice Job Guy's....Keep us Up-Dated!!! :thumbsup:
 

Oh no, now you are hiding your online status. >:( :D

Come on, Buck, why, why, why?
 

Way to go Guys & Gal. Awesome finds.

DG-
That is one of the finest buttons I've seen posted here on TN. Congrats to you. Display case item for sure! :thumbsup:

Way to go IB!!! :icon_king: :icon_queen:
-MM-
 

Colonial Silver Zeus said:
Hey Buckles,
It's good to see your group got out to swing your detectors again. That's a great 1840 campain button. I also like the shield nickle but according to Creeper71 its way too corroded and beat up. He said my half cent has his sympathy due to its bad condition. Oh well I happen to love it and I also am pleased with the shield nickles condition you guys found also. They are few and far between here where I happen to detect. I think the counterfeit draped bust large coin I found is made of pewter (not sure). You will have to check out my post. Congratulations on your finds today and keep on a postin.
Chris

Thanks for your encouraging words, Zeus. Shields are hard to find in this area as well. I've never found one personally--in 16 years detecting. But Rodeo and Hill Billy both got one this year.

I'll check out your post.

:thumbsup:


-Buck
 

Excellent post will, I like the hand carved initials on the pewter button, hope you get a guesstimate on who it might have been. ::)

The Harrison button is a super find that appears to match the PC 140 in Albert's Book. "Log cabin with smoking chimney, with the slgoan "HARRISON & REFORM", 2-piece with border. The other similar button PC 139 does not have a smoking chimney.

Now hopefully there is another one of those buttons that was also lost in that location. :)

Don
 

Don in SJ said:
Excellent post will, I like the hand carved initials on the pewter button, hope you get a guesstimate on who it might have been. ::)

The Harrison button is a super find that appears to match the PC 140 in Albert's Book.   "Log cabin with smoking chimney, with the slgoan "HARRISON & REFORM", 2-piece with border.  The other similar button PC 139 does not have a smoking chimney.

Now hopefully there is another one of those buttons that was also lost in that location. :)

Don

Don,

Thank you so much for your input on the button.  There doesn't appear to be a smoking chimney on it, so it might be PC139. I think it's arguably our best button find this year.  :)  Is there a rarity number and/or value listed for the button?

-Will
 

As always, Awesome finds, Way to go Buckleboy.
Dman
 

The RV value in the 1970's book is 35, so it in decent shape I would venture to say is over a hundred, but don't really know how high it could be..

Don
 

Not sure if you saw this one. I got my first carved button this year. I really like it, as its very personal. He/she took a lot of time & effort to get it right, but why? Boredom (prisoner?) I have tried to research the Mappen family & can't find any at Wisbech :icon_scratch:

The other button is a gem as well :thumbsup:
 

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CRUSADER said:
Not sure if you saw this one. I got my first carved button this year. I really like it, as its very personal. He/she took a lot of time & effort to get it right, but why? Boredom (prisoner?) I have tried to research the Mappen family & can't find any at Wisbech :icon_scratch:

The other button is a gem as well :thumbsup:


That's Awesome, Crusader! Thanks for posting that button you found. :thumbsup: I really like this one as well. We're always looking for personalized items from the families that lived at these sites so long ago.


Don, thanks for your reply. I'm THRILLED that the button has such a good rarity number. I will call this one a PC139 (R35) for the display case and records.

I can't wait to call DiggerGirl and let her know. :)


-Buckles
 

It is not a PC 139, that has smaller lettering. PC 140 or a variant of it, especially with the Robinson backmark.
 

BuckleBoy said:
Colonial Silver Zeus said:
Hey Buckles,
It's good to see your group got out to swing your detectors again. That's a great 1840 campain button. I also like the shield nickle but according to Creeper71 its way too corroded and beat up. He said my half cent has his sympathy due to its bad condition. Oh well I happen to love it and I also am pleased with the shield nickles condition you guys found also. They are few and far between here where I happen to detect. I think the counterfeit draped bust large coin I found is made of pewter (not sure). You will have to check out my post. Congratulations on your finds today and keep on a postin.
Chris

Thanks for your encouraging words, Zeus. Shields are hard to find in this area as well. I've never found one personally--in 16 years detecting. But Rodeo and Hill Billy both got one this year.

I'll check out your post.

:thumbsup:


-Buck
I din't find one shield nickle in 17 years of detecting but 3 years ago I found 2 in one day.And then 1 more a year later.
Chris
 

Don in SJ said:
It is not a PC 139, that has smaller lettering. PC 140 or a variant of it, especially with the Robinson backmark.

Sounds good. I will call it a PC 140 in my records. Thank you again for your help, Don. We're Very pleased with this one.
 

Colonial Silver Zeus said:
I din't find one shield nickle in 17 years of detecting but 3 years ago I found 2 in one day.And then 1 more a year later.
Chris

First one's the toughest. :wink:
 

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