Late 1600-1920s paper/textile mill finds

[Skrimpy]

My detecting buddy ("Shootncoin" on this forum) and I went out to an old mill we've frequented over the last few years today. It seems to be the only place that we really do well. We usually make a killing on the buttons here. I think we've probably found close to 50 buttons altogether and at least four or five of them have been eagle buttons (two piece and one piece). Among my 9 good finds today 6 were unidentifiable one piece buttons of varying sizes and these three nice pieces. Shoot got a 64 indian and he's soaking it now. We will know if it's an "L" soon.

The first one I think is a two piece dandy button (did they come in two pieces or was this some other kind of button?). It's still has the shank on the back although it's rusted to hell so I didn't take a picture of it. If you look close there is a train with smoke coming out of the smoke stack on it.

The second is a medallion (looks like it might be copper to me) that has a picture of the State Capitol Building on it and reads "New York State Convention Oct 13, 14, 15" and a hole for a necklace that some jerk put in it. I'm fairly sure it's a Constitutional Convention medallion but what year?

The third is some kind of bell that maybe copper but more than likely brass.

There is a picture with all three and George for scale. Thanks for looking.

 

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[Golden1]

Nice digs

HH

G1

 

[jgas]

Good finds. Congrats Skrimpy! jgas

 

[Woodland Detectors]

Can you post the back?
I have found these types of buttons before commonly referred to as "opera buttons"
Although I could be wrong it's just a guess.
If so, it wouldn't be so "cash valuable" than sentimental.
I think they are cool buttons

 

[CRUSADER]

The train is not a dandy button from the 1780s but more likely 1890s, train buttons are fairly collectable but only a couple of $s.

 

[Skrimpy]

Still cool though. I've never seen one. Are they called "train buttons" or is this one just a "train button"?

 

[CRUSADER]

Still cool though. I've never seen one. Are they called "train buttons" or is this one just a "train button"?

Only as a general category, not sure if they fall into any particular class off button other than the railroad type which I don't think yours is. Most likely civilian fashion type.

 

[BuckleBoy]

Nice bell!

 

[Skrimpy]

You like that bell, Buckle? Looks like you have a whole one. What were they for? Dinner bell? Did they carry them on stage coaches? Did they have some kind of use at mills? Salvation Army Santas?. I laughed out loud when it popped out. I always think to myself with things like that, "How does something so large, useful and yet so awkwardly shaped get dropped and then forgotten long enough to become buried?". If it isn't worth anything, I'm going to polish it right up and make it shiny again. Maybe try to find a handle like the one you have there...well, one in little better shape.

 

[CRUSADER]

You like that bell, Buckle? Looks like you have a whole one. What were they for? Dinner bell? Did they carry them on stage coaches? Did they have some kind of use at mills? Salvation Army Santas?. I laughed out loud when it popped out. I always think to myself with things like that, "How does something so large, useful and yet so awkwardly shaped get dropped and then forgotten long enough to become buried?". If it isn't worth anything, I'm going to polish it right up and make it shiny again. Maybe try to find a handle like the one you have there...well, one in little better shape.

horses

 

[Skrimpy]

Are they worth anything? I'd like to polish that sucker up nice (I already gouged it with the digger a little) if it isn't worth all that much anyway. If it's even a little bit valuable, I'll probably leave it as is. If it's worthless, I'll shine it up real nice, get a new clacker and handle just for fun.

 

[Mackaydon]

Anything on the back of the medallion (image, letters or words?)

 

[BuckleBoy]

You like that bell, Buckle? Looks like you have a whole one. What were they for? Dinner bell? Did they carry them on stage coaches? Did they have some kind of use at mills? Salvation Army Santas?. I laughed out loud when it popped out. I always think to myself with things like that, "How does something so large, useful and yet so awkwardly shaped get dropped and then forgotten long enough to become buried?". If it isn't worth anything, I'm going to polish it right up and make it shiny again. Maybe try to find a handle like the one you have there...well, one in little better shape.

horses

Maybe for calling trained horses, but not on any sort of leather as a part of horse tack. These bells are as big at the bottom as your palm, Cru. You're talking about the smaller brass ones, not the larger ones made of white metal. That's a nickel in the photo I posted above.

I don't know what these were used for specifically, but they are most commonly found in homestead sites. Keep in mind that most mills had a homestead nearby where the owner/operator of the mill lived. I like to imagine these bells being used to call kids in from play. But who knows. In terms of being too big to be dropped and forgotten, I will say this: Not all of what we find was lost. A good bit of it was thrown out. Perhaps the handle broke, or the clapper fell off. Who knows.

The material these are made from is similar to tombac. They have the appearance of being turned rather than cast. In other words, I think that your bell looks almost as "shiny" as when it was made. That's why I didn't do anything to mine other than rinse it with water.


Buckles

 

[Skrimpy]

Buckle,
Not this one, it's some kind of copper alloy, bronze maybe. I gouged it a little with the digger and the places I hit it have a coppery shine like a polished penny but not quite so light...a little more red and there is very little green in the patina. It's pretty gray. I think it's some kind of brass or bronze (is there copper in brass? I don't remember). It doesn't really ring, either. It's kind of a dull "clink"

Mackaydon,
The medallion has nothing on the back. It's completely flat. I'm still saying it's commemorating the New York State Constitutional Convention but I can't find out what the actual dates of each of the conventions was, so I'm not sure which one this is for...but that is the State Capitol Building on it. I see the dang thing on TV every day.

 

[CRUSADER]

You like that bell, Buckle? Looks like you have a whole one. What were they for? Dinner bell? Did they carry them on stage coaches? Did they have some kind of use at mills? Salvation Army Santas?. I laughed out loud when it popped out. I always think to myself with things like that, "How does something so large, useful and yet so awkwardly shaped get dropped and then forgotten long enough to become buried?". If it isn't worth anything, I'm going to polish it right up and make it shiny again. Maybe try to find a handle like the one you have there...well, one in little better shape.

horses

Maybe for calling trained horses, but not on any sort of leather as a part of horse tack. These bells are as big at the bottom as your palm, Cru. You're talking about the smaller brass ones, not the larger ones made of white metal. That's a nickel in the photo I posted above.

I don't know what these were used for specifically, but they are most commonly found in homestead sites. Keep in mind that most mills had a homestead nearby where the owner/operator of the mill lived. I like to imagine these bells being used to call kids in from play. But who knows. In terms of being too big to be dropped and forgotten, I will say this: Not all of what we find was lost. A good bit of it was thrown out. Perhaps the handle broke, or the clapper fell off. Who knows.

The material these are made from is similar to tombac. They have the appearance of being turned rather than cast. In other words, I think that your bell looks almost as "shiny" as when it was made. That's why I didn't do anything to mine other than rinse it with water.


Buckles

http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,298739.0.html

I was remembering this post, scroll down. However, they have a different top, so probably not the same function.

 

[Skrimpy]

Yeah Crusader, mine is more like Buckles. I'm sure it had a handle and is probably a hand bell rather than one that was hung on a strap or sting like that other thread. There are four foundations within about 200 yards of the mill...the place is almost like an old ghost town. The bell could have come from anyone of those homes or just someone carrying a bell in their bags. Best piece that's come from the site was an 1887 (I think, could have been 1880) seated dime, also shootncoins find. Only coin I have at the place was a 1905 V nickel.

 

[Silver Searcher]

The train is not a dandy button from the 1780s but more likely 1890s, train buttons are fairly collectable but only a couple of $s.

Talking about Trains, I live less than a Mile away from the first railway, Stockton to Darlington, The ticket office still stands

great finds Skrimpy I like the medallion

SS