Lead bonanza, March/April 2024

RustyRelics

Gold Member
Apr 5, 2019
5,907
32,390
Central PA
Detector(s) used
Equinox 600/Ancient Whites MXT
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
All March long, going through the first week of April, I took tim off of work to go to a couple organized digs and a private site to search for Civil War relics. And while brass likes to hide from me, I found a couple keepers. What I found out for sure however, is I am very accustomed to the sound of lead on a rented GPX!


Kelly's Ford
The Kelly's Ford hunts were held all March long, and were tough to say the least. Most of the surface finds had been picked up by relic hunters over the last 40 odd years the farm had been hunted, leaving most relics in deep pits that were dug by folks with an excavator. I was a determined lil' bugger however, and with a GPX rented through Fort Bedford metal detectors, hacked my way through the underbrush and scored a few good targets.
Right off the bat, I had found a couple three ringers, one of which was pulled, and the other being my first Washington Arsenal star base!
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However the next target was the find of the hunt, and unexpected Civil War Marine Corps button! I have no idea what it was doing here, but I won't complain about it. Unfortunately, it's quite rough, having been eaten away by the highly mineralized Virginia soil. It still displays nicely.



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A couple of three ringers later, I FINALLY found a yankee eagle button! It's a cuff though, so seven years of detecting, and I'm still without a yankee Eagle coat.


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All in all, not a bad couple of days.

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Upvote 10
Riverland Farm - Digging In Virginia LVI


I attended DIV again and boy, this hunt kicked my ass! Luck was with my group, and not me, which hey, glad to see relics recovered by friends no matter what. Two of my friends found half a belt plate, half a spur and a New York button along with some bullets. I managed to pull a three ringer, a cryer button back, and some odds and ends including a cool looking strip of lead from the 77th N.Y. Infantry camp. Again, not a bad couple of days, on one of the most beautiful farms I've ever had the pleasure of digging on.



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Stevensburg/Brandy Station

These two camps are very close to each other, on properties that border one another, so this might all be from one regiment, at least the same brigade. Although we lost permission for the one, the other property still gives plenty, over 110+ bullets total, not including the near pound of melted lead. Unfortunately, these soldiers didn't wear any uniforms at all, confirmed by the total lack of buttons and other accutrements found there.


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Great Saves all around on the CW lead and all the other relics found. Nice pieces of our American History. Every piece has a story to tell all its own. Thanks for sharing this with us. Congrat's to all on a successful hunt.
 

Well done . Very well done !

Love all the carved pieces as well , they put a bit more of a personal touch on those finds .

& DIV 56 !!! MAN ! where has time gone .

Don't stress I 'm 98% sure I have never dug a Union Coat Eagle but It was Summer of 1864 when they fought , marched & camped (shortly ) in my hunting area N & in Atlanta .

Praying you get one & more types in the future .

Davers ij NW GA
 

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