🥇 BANNER Its a little too early for champagne buuuuttt ...

[CoilyGirl]

It's a little too early for champagne buuuuttt ...

Please join me in my excitement this morning as yesterday I dug a perfectly beautiful rare CSA Atlanta Arsenal style belt buckle! It was my first target of the afternoon and while I'm amazed at my find, I just happened to be at the right place at the right time. The first CSA buckle like this I had ever seen was a few months ago at the Middle Tennessee Metal Detecting Club meeting and our very own DMan Doug was the proud owner. This is the Atlanta Arsenal style CSA rectangle and was probably issued in Dalton, Georgia in 1863. My buckle even had a little bit of black leather still attached under the two main hooks because copper sulfite was used to cast the plate and it inhibited decay and infestation of insects. I still can't believe my incredible luck this morning. It was laying face up and as soon as I saw the "A" it registered in my mind what I had unearthed and I just had to sit there in reverence a minute before I could get up and go show it to my husband who was equally as shocked and happy.

 

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[717fly]

I'm speechless! Amazing find!!!!!

 

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[Garrett424]

Awesome find.
Congratulations. Drink the champagne. You've earned it!!

 

[pickaway]

Oh hell yeah way to go...

 

[Msbeepbeep]

That is a truly AMAZING find! WTG.GIRL!!!!!!!
Mega congrats on making Banner, I think you set a speed record!
Well deserved!

I told ya there would be a ton of banner finds made while I'm internet less !
I wish I could have been there for that one!

 

[doc-d]

Truly amazing and congratulations……..

 

[texasred777]

Congratulations on the Banner! Great!

 

[Trezurehunter]

Outstanding !

 

[Silver Tree Chaser]

A big congrats to you! I'm glad you stopped for a minute to take in the experience of recovering such a tremendous find.

 

[filo]

Amazing find. Congrats! Has anyone talked about how much something like this is worth? I have no sense of it.

 

[AU Seeker]

CoilyGirl,

Sorry to be late to your congratulatory party and Banner celebration, couldn't of happen to a nicer person, IMHO.

MAN THAT'S ONE AWESOME PLATE YOU HAVE FOUND!!!!

Congratulations!!!

 

[StormSurge]

... "I think we're all a special kind of breed though because I know that even the most mundane of everyday things people used in the past are fascinating to true diggers and don't have to be worth a lot to still be valuable. It's the experiences we have more than anything and the bonds we make through treasure hunting."

Well said !

 

[Zodiacdiverdave]

Wow Coilygirl, a big congrats to you. I haven't been on the site much lately and now I am blown away by your find. AMAZING. Also congrats on making the Banner too. Keep it coming girl.
ZDD

 

[parsonwalker]

Thanks for the vote for banner and all your nice comments, I'm still in LaLa land! I guess y'all know what I'm changing my avatar to. I almost didn't believe it was authentic at first but because of the color but must have been the right mixture of dirt to keep it preserved so well. I met DMan a few months ago and he is still just as proud of his now as he was when he dug his and he's a heckuva nice fellow to boot.

CGirl - been outta the loop and just saw this. Woulda had MY vote . . . but you sure didn't need it!! Once in a lifetime. No doubt. Once in a lifetime. Just wow.

 

[CheathamHill]

Please join me in my excitement this morning as yesterday I dug a perfectly beautiful rare CSA Atlanta Arsenal style belt buckle! It was my first target of the afternoon and while I'm amazed at my find, I just happened to be at the right place at the right time. The first CSA buckle like this I had ever seen was a few months ago at the Middle Tennessee Metal Detecting Club meeting and our very own DMan Doug was the proud owner. This is the Atlanta Arsenal style CSA rectangle and was probably issued in Dalton, Georgia in 1863. My buckle even had a little bit of black leather still attached under the two main hooks because copper sulfite was used to cast the plate and it inhibited decay and infestation of insects. I still can't believe my incredible luck this morning. It was laying face up and as soon as I saw the "A" it registered in my mind what I had unearthed and I just had to sit there in reverence a minute before I could get up and go show it to my husband who was equally as shocked and happy.

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You had me at Atlanta. Gorgeous, rare and 'living' piece of history...cliche statement now: If that thing could talk! Was this dug around the Nashville area? Love all western theater finds!

 

[BurntBear]

Amazing find!

 

[CoilyGirl]

You had me at Atlanta. Gorgeous, rare and 'living' piece of history...cliche statement now: If that thing could talk! Was this dug around the Nashville area? Love all western theater finds!

Yes it was dug in the BON area. Relics are still coming up out of those hallowed grounds for sure,just not as readily in other states where skirmishes were frequent like Virginia. I just must be incredibly lucky I guess. The last few hunts have yielded nada though. I guess in everything there is balance .

 

[Limitool]

What ya gonna do with it lady?

I remember going to the gas station late winter early spring just down the road from me over here in Hickman Co. The attendant friend of mine said you ought to see what that guy just found Brad that walked out. I asked what it was and he said an old belt buckle or something like that. So he runs outside and asked him to show it to me. So this 16-17 year old kid comes in and he has a CSA buckle just like yours. And it was in great shape also. I asked where he got it and he said he used an old MD he borrowed yesterday and found it about 2 hrs. ago not far off the square here in Centerville. It was still filthy dirty but in good shape. He just said I gotta go... stuffed it in his pants pocket and ran out. Go figure....!!!!! All I find is horseshoes and chains.

 

[Vonclemen29]

Congrats! I actually just found one like it, it's been hit by a disk or something. Congrats!! I was also so very ecstatic!! I was shakin like a leaf on a tree!

 

[Thommy]

Don't clean the patina off of brass/bronze/copper/silver/iron/steel or any metal. You lower the value of an item when you "clean" it. Looked much better in it's dug condition.

 

[CoilyGirl]

Don't clean the patina off of brass/bronze/copper/silver/iron/steel or any metal. You lower the value of an item when you "clean" it. Looked much better in it's dug condition.

All I did was lightly brush the dirt off and a quick wash in a little mild detergent because I know that cleaning too hard lowers the value for sure.The banner photo I took does not do it justice,under fluorescent lighting, totally bad photo,looks uber shiny I know but I was just so excited. The natural patina on it is a beautiful chocolate brown,check out my avatar,much better picture of it. The back is perfect too and still has a little but if leather under two of the hooks.