My Best Relic Find

[bigfootokie]

I've had the opportunity in the last 5 weeks to hunt an amazing spot 4 different times which has givin up a lot of mid 1800's military relics. These are VERY unusual and rarely found relics in my part of the country and I feel very privileged to have been able to make these finds. I have always wanted to find a personal item from a CW era soldier and now I have made a recovery that is better than what I could imagine.

This is a hand carved "Grizzly Bear Head" fashioned from a bullet or "camp lead". This relic is one of my top 5 finds in my 44 years of detecting.

These pics are from the same hunt. The far right cone shaped find is part of a coffee bean grinder. Thought that was pretty cool too.

Thanks for looking!

 

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[bigfootokie]

bigfootokie,
My opinion is that it's hand carved. Too many details to be an 'elephant in the sky. Of course, this is just an opinion. You've handled these replies better than most would. People tend to present their opinion's as if they were there when an item was created/lost. No one here knows for fact whether or not it was carved. Actually, your opinion would hold the most weight since you have it in-hand and it sounds like you have more experience than most of the people replying. I wouldn't let the opinions dissuade you from keeping it as one of your top finds.

Our part of the country is much tougher to make good discoveries. When I look through "Today's Finds", I always look for people in the Kansas/Oklahoma/Texas area. It's not often that people here in Oklahoma post about finds. It's kind of depressing to see all the great finds that people in other regions find. Sometimes they find more silver in a day then I'll find all year!

Owassokie

Why Thank You Sir! I still do, and always will, believe that this is something that someone crafted into a bear profile. I worked with molten lead for many years and there were times I would pick up a piece that resembled something and carve on it some. Nothing is set in stone concerning what soldiers sat around and did in camp to pass time.

I bear no grudge over anyone offering their opinion...we all have one. What a GREAT hobby this is, and the bonus of posting our finds to share makes it even better!

 

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[gypsybandit]

Trench art..bear?.. Cool!

 

[bigfootokie]

Not trying to jump your thead but here are is some of my lead finds.
Your thread made me look at my lead. The bear is cool.
This has got me going over all my lead, and I have got some cool stuff let's see if you guys see what I do.

Your lead pieces are very interesting. I think maybe the first one resembles a man's face. The second reminds me of a lions head. The third could be a goat. Holding pieces like these in your hand makes it easier to see what they could be as opposed to looking at the pictures. Nice clear pics by the way.

Am I close to what you see?

 

[got2dig]

Yes you are, but the third to me look's like a hores head. And I still have lot's of lead to go over. That will be one of them days that it's just to cold to hunt.We need to start a thead to post these can of lead on. If you not I will do it. I have to put lights up now for the season. But will try to get it going if you don't start one. I think it will go far. HH

Love the lead.

 

[bigfootokie]

Yes you are, but the third to me look's like a hores head. And I still have lot's of lead to go over. That will be one of them days that it's just to cold to hunt.We need to start a thead to post these can of lead on. If you not I will do it. I have to put lights up now for the season. But will try to get it going if you don't start one. I think it will go far. HH

Love the lead.

Interesting idea, but I can't be of much help since I have just started relic hunting and only have maybe 1/2 a handful of camp lead. It might fly though since a lot of folks won't be able to get out hunting much for the next few months...might give them something to do with their old lead finds.

 

[wheatfinder13]

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