Isaacs on a HOT STREAK, SUPER WEEKEND!!! TWO MORE AWESOME BUTTONS!

[Isaac]

HOT STREAK, SUPER WEEKEND!!! TWO AWESOME BUTTONS!

What can I say... I did it again! I was planning to go with two guys I met to relic hunt Saturday, but it unfortunately wasn't possible because the guy hosting us had his jeep got stuck in mud the day before! Bummer. Dad drove me out to a new spot instead. I decided to go to a lot nearby a house that I did well at a couple weeks ago. I stayed for two and a half hours at this new lot... my first target was a bullet at 6", this was a great sign. I then dug a whole corset (the little latch type things) and a musketball. Things were looking great at this point! I then dug a 10" deep 1880 Indian head penny and a 10" deep Williams Cleaner type two bullet which was a first for me. This was in a water logged section on the bottom of a hill. I went to the top of the hill and started gridding the whole lot and I started getting lots of signal. Surprisingly, I got a Indian head cent almost on the surface, 1904. I knew this hill was going to be the best area. I ended up pulling a 1941 nickel and 1942 Mercury dime in the same hole, another nice 1898 Indian head, and several bullets and musket balls. I also got a period toe tap. I ended up with a total of 13 balls from this site, the toe tap, 3 Indians, two Mercs, and some other odds and ends. Me and my dad went to eat a nasty Mexican lunch and then went to a another place in a different location. It was a massive lot in a developed town with an 1870s mansion on it. With some prior research we knew there was some civil war activity here and always the chance for some old coins. The owners were very elderly and gave us permission to only hunt the back fields because they had others search the front and leave nasty holes everywhere. No matter how much I tried to convince the owner to let me, he wouldn't budge, so I was content with the back fields. Even though they were trashy, I was able to squeeze out some targets. My first target was a wheat penny, and then the next was an awesome Merril Carbine bullet. Now that got the blood pumping! It was only a matter of time before the lead really started coming again! I got a musket ball, a pistol ball, a flattened bullet with knife marks and a large and deep lead bar or ingot. I moved to one side of the back-side yard and started getting more signals. My first was a huge surprise, my best carved bullet yet! This bullet was clearly carved into a spoon handle, and is made of lead, not pewter, so I will classify it as carved. Very cool! I got a suspended buckle immediately after and then a nice dropped .58 cal. I moved to a trashy part of the yard where the flood waters would rise and fall from the stream down below. It was well worth dodging the trashy signals. I got a bullet signal, and I pulled out a skeleton key! Beautiful old brass one. This was the brassy area of the yard. I got a flat button there too! After the button I didn't find much else and it got very dark. I got home and started to clean my finds when I noticed an anchor on the flat button! Wow! What a surprise! I used my oily face to give it a swipe and saw an eagle pop out as well! Apparently it was a 1795-1810 Naval button!!! What the hell was that doing at an 1870s mansion with civil war stuff? Could it have been worn by a soldier in place of the standard uniform? Or could it have been dropped before? Due to the water-logged nature of the place, the button was very thin and brittle, so I refrained from using water to clean it. It has a backmark of RM, any ideas what that means anyone? That was a killer day in quantity for sure! Quality too! I was planning to meet with a new buddy of mine, Rob, for Sunday and he came to pick me up from my place at 9:30. We got into our first site at 10, an 1890s Victorian style house in an old, promising area and it was hunted VERY hard by others. He managed an Indian and a wheatie, I got a cuff button and a wheatie. We left swiftly after that and got a tip from the owner about another site down the road we will hit in the future. We then went to a early 1900s house in a promising area nearby. I got my first signal and it was a BAD-ASS token! A Jack Dempsey boxing good luck token!!! I then got a wheat penny when my hunting parter tells me to come here, and he holds up a MASSIVE GOLD CLASS RING! I couldn't believe he kept it so quiet, I would've flipped out! He asked the owner if he's ever lost anything of sentimental value and he shook his head, so we waited to tell him what he found next time he stepped outside. We showed him the ring and his eyes lit up! "That's my ring!" he said in disbelief, and were so glad it's back to its rightful owner! He told us he had no idea where he lost it and thought his ex took it. Haha. Guess not! We snapped a pic of my hunting partner and the owner with his ring! Hopefully some good karma will come our way soon!!! I got a lonely .58 dropped three ringer and another wheat penny before we called it a day at that place, and we went looking for a homesite that had a lot of potential in the back roads. This place was a stone home dated 1746. We got a quick yes from a young woman, she didn't even have to think about it! We were happy to see such kind people today. It was crazy! We detected here for about two hours. The grass was very long in most areas and it was tough. In between the iron I got my first signal and it was a colonial escutcheon plate! Not a bad start, this is how we knew the yard wasn't messed around with! I then concentrate on a steep lip near the front door and it was loaded with iron. This was a great sign. Rob only got a rosette from this site, but it was a GORGEOUS colonial one! I then get a signal in between the iron and get a nice cufflink about an inch deep! I knew this place was going to have an period coin somewhere, but alas, none cropped up. I got another cuff button then got a foil signal close to the surface. To my surprise, a beautiful colonial ring pops out! This was a woman's and has a beautiful signet design. It also has a "Reeded edge" on the thin brass band! It's definitely a colonial ring and I'm happy to scratch that off my list! Before we left this place, I found a very worn buffalo nickel and a couple pieces of garbage. He got a beautiful colonial wedge as his last target. We left and knocked at another stone house. This was a tiny home with a large yard. It was dated 1749. We got permission, but apparently the owner says it's been hit hard by a few guys. The yard was completely TRASHED! It was the worst trash I've ever experienced. There was can tones every foot! We decided to hit behind the house in some cow pasture fields. Luckily, the grass was dead and it was easy swinging. All we were finding was trash and aluminum. We thought the site was going to be a bust, until we walked back to the car and Rob convinced me to stay as he was getting closer to the period we were looking for with a rosette face. Not long after, I get a 32-45 signal down 9" in the wet sloppy field and find myself holding a knee buckle! It's pretty rough, but I'm so glad to have gotten yet another bucket list find! Finds got really slow, with Rob only finding a couple brass horse tack buckles and a flat button for me. We decided to move onto the site of a blacksmith shop next to a stream on the same property. We found a massive iron patch, but since it was a blacksmith shop, there was not many non-ferrous targets besides some aluminum scrap and one fat, fired musket ball for me. It was getting dark and we were going to try one last place before the darkness filled the sky. We saw someone pull into an older looking home across the street from where we were at last and managed to get permission, but again, it was "cleaned out". The owner said it was 1827, but me thinks it's a little older. My first target was a pull tab, then a pull tab again, then to my surprise, I get another similar signal and an awesome broken ornate shoe buckle frame surfaces. Rob and I detected this yard for 30 minutes before it got pitch black-dark. I get only button signals, so I figure the yard was cherry picked for coins. Idiots!! They missed so much! I got 3 buttons, and a couple other odds and ends. My last target of the night was a gorgeous guilted Tudor Rose button. Now at this point I was excited! I could have had myself a British Rev. war button. We had to go home and I laid out my finds and realized I got a iron shoe buckle frame and a few other little surprises. I cleaned off the supposed rev. war button and the center piece fell off!!! Oh crap! I'm so glad I thought quickly and got some super glue and put it right where it fell off. I wasn't quite sure it was a button because there was not really a place for a shank and it wasn't metal. I thought it could've been wood? I posted the button on Facebook and people were pretty excited. Apparently it's a 1748-1785 British Navy Lieutenants BONE BACKED button. My first bone backed button, that was VERY interesting to me! Not to mention my first REVOLUTIONARY WAR BUTTON! Now I will be getting it professionally restored and hopefully they can fill the "crack" between the check board design and rose which was created when the piece broke off. I also got three bucket list items today. First colonial ring, first Rev. war button and first knee buckle! Woohoo! What an awesome weekend!!!

By the way, I can't take many in situ shots cause my phone dies when ever it gets near the detector when it's on?

HH guys

 

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[parsonwalker]

Holy Molly Isaac!
You have to be on the school newspaper? Now that was a big post..lol
Incredible finds. As I said before on the other place, that button is a fantastic find. Good job on saving all that.
You are becoming the go to guy on here. I always look forward to your post.
Congrats.

Agreed! Congrats on a killer couple of days!

 

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[Patriot Relics]

That's the kind of site dreams are made of lol great work. That tutor buttons is an interesting one, does it have a wood backing? Your pewter also appears to have a design on the front.

 

[sutphin]

DANG ISSAC YOU ARE DEFENTLEY ON A ROLL , NICE FINDS .

 

[Coilcrazy2]

Stellar finds Isaac! Always a good Hunt when youre pulling out lead like that

 

[goldbmine]

Wow! Wow! Wow! That is just to cool! Love the excitement in your story and the finds are incredible!! Big congrats man!

 

[Isaac]

I don't think I have ever seen the Facebook crowd get anything right! Your first thought was correct, it's a wood back! Very cool, this is the first time I've actually seen one of these and had to check the book to see if there was any reference to a wood back... and there is one. I've only ever found one wood back button, and I seen the back first and my heart stopped because I was on a little site that gave up a dozen Rev War pewters.... so I flip it over and was just civilian. You had way better luck!

Thanks IP for clarifying. Realllly happy with this one! I appateciate that you took the time to help! You ever find one of these type or seen one dug? It seems like there's so many variations and mine isn't exactly like the other ones I've seen but very similar.

It's actually a "y" - probably made by Waterbury Button Co. Don't see many of these buttons

You're right. Prolly stands for Railway!

Agreed! Congrats on a killer couple of days!

Thanks man!

That's the kind of site dreams are made of lol great work. That tutor buttons is an interesting one, does it have a wood backing? Your pewter also appears to have a design on the front.

It's a wood back! The pewter has a star on the front but I THINK it's civilian. Can't wait to find my first pewter button but I'm over the moon with the condition on this brass one. Thank you!

Thanks man. Wonder why there is a line under the Y. Figured it was a Washington & Old Dominion Railroad button since it went through Isaac's county. Possibly a Rail Yard workers button or something.

Yes I was not far from the W&OD former railway actually!

 

[bearbqd]

Dannnnng, that was some kind of cool hunt. COngrats on the great loot!

 

[bonepicker]

Great finds . Love the Button.
Here is a good link on British navy buttons you may or may not have seen.
I see a couple with the similar flower design on here.
Navy buttons

Id def have to say yours is pre 1774. Here is a quote per the site I linked. I have dug a couple with the foul anchor, but have always wanted to dig one with the rose in the center.
"At first, buttons consisted of white metal, usually with a rose in the centre.

In 1774 a foul anchor surrounded by rope edging took the place of the rose and in 1787 the same device with the addition of a wreath of laurel leaves was adopted for Admirals. When the Merchant Navy started to use the foul anchor device, a crown was added for all naval officers in 1812. The same basic design remains in use today. "

Great job

​

 

[Ahab8]

Hey little buddy that's a fantastic group of finds. The patina on that button is incredible. You certainly are getting on the right sites. Keep it up while you're still a cute young kid. When you're old and ugly like Vino and Scrappy it will get tougher lol

 

[Iron Patch]

Thanks IP for clarifying. Realllly happy with this one! I appateciate that you took the time to help! You ever find one of these type or seen one dug? It seems like there's so many variations and mine isn't exactly like the other ones I've seen but very similar.

I have never personally dug a tudor rose Navy but some friends have, but I have owned several nice ones. There is different variations but the design on yours perfectly fits into the guidelines of what the military used and books show. A decade ago most diggers, even the ones interested in buttons, didn't know this pattern was used for military, but now that it's more common knowledge, along with people trying to make a buck, there's many tudor rose buttons online that are labeled as military when they are not. These include tombac buttons which commonly used the design, as well as cufflinks, even some that are solid silver. Well maybe something like a nice silver cufflink may have been owned by a Naval officer, but it would be pure speculation and you can't base a find on that. Lastly, even the experts don't know everything there is to know about these, or even close, so it's often a judgement call of what seems to be right, and it can be confusing and one example of that is one that was posted maybe two years ago on this site where the style of the design and construction of the button seemed right, but it had an extra rose petal -- meaning it was not a tudor rose. It's actually the 2nd time I seen such a button and was a head scratcher because it seemed right until you counted. I believe that was run by the person who wrote the book where a lot of your info. is being quoted from, and he was scratching his head as well. (I did see earlier today you posted it on his facebook group which I am also a member of) It's great that we can find such interesting items while digging, but not so great that we don't always get a definitive answer. As for being a wood back I can tell you that is rare. There's not a huge market for these so it's not paydirt, but if he writes a 3rd button book someday your button would be worthy of going in. I do think it's likely a banner find, but you already have one up there so we don't have to worry much about that.

 

[Isaac]

I have never personally dug a tudor rose Navy but some friends have, but I have owned several nice ones. There is different variations but the design on yours perfectly fits into the guidelines of what the military used and books show. A decade ago most diggers, even the ones interested in buttons, didn't know this pattern was used for military, but now that it's more common knowledge, along with people trying to make a buck, there's many tudor rose buttons online that are labeled as military when they are not. These include tombac buttons which commonly used the design, as well as cufflinks, even some that are solid silver. Well maybe something like a nice silver cufflink may have been owned by a Naval officer, but it would be pure speculation and you can't base a find on that. Lastly, even the experts don't know everything there is to know about these, or even close, so it's often a judgement call of what seems to be right, and it can be confusing and one example of that is one that was posted maybe two years ago on this site where the style of the design and construction of the button seemed right, but it had an extra rose petal -- meaning it was not a tudor rose. It's actually the 2nd time I seen such a button and was a head scratcher because it seemed right until you counted. I believe that was run by the person who wrote the book where a lot of your info. is being quoted from, and he was scratching his head as well. (I did see earlier today you posted it on his facebook group which I am also a member of) It's great that we can find such interesting items while digging, but not so great that we don't always get a definitive answer. As for being a wood back I can tell you that is rare. There's not a huge market for these so it's not paydirt, but if he writes a 3rd button book someday your button would be worthy of going in. I do think it's likely a banner find, but you already have one up there so we don't have to worry much about that.

Thanks so much man! I have personally never seen a wood-backed button dug so I'm very very glad to have it! As always thank you sharing your knowledge.

 

[Iron Patch]

Thanks so much man! I have personally never seen a wood-backed button dug so I'm very very glad to have it! As always thank you sharing your knowledge.

I only have one, a nice designed one, and it was dug with a dozen Rev War pewters.

 

[pepperj]

I wrote a reply to this then something happens never hit reply, so here it's again great assortment of finds! Seen the similar petal design in silver buttons over in England with 4 & there's a five petal posted up on the finds page, says from Royal Navy.

 

[Iron Patch]

I wrote a reply to this then something happens never hit reply, so here it's again great assortment of finds! Seen the similar petal design in silver buttons over in England with 4 & there's a five petal posted up on the finds page, says from Royal Navy.

Do not go by the Colchester page for these. Totally wrong.