Old Copper Complex Hatchet Head Suprise!

[Centsless Detecting]

I will simply never get tired of finding these ancient copper relics. I'm so fortunate to live in an area where these artifacts are more prevalent. Even more so than Silver US Half Dollars in my experience. It blows my mind.

Yesterday was another one of those mind blowing days. We went to a recently abandoned 1000 acre farm field. Hills, fields, woods and stone walls galore. I just so happened to pick the two lines that produced some quality old copper complex finds.

The first good target was a nice 34-36 on the nox 800. It was too big to be a half dollar. Called my buddy over and out popped a very nice piece of float copper. It weighs 63 grams and is about 3 inches long. It does not appear to be worked by man. Could have been dropped by a glacier or lost by a native before it could have been worked. We will never know but it gave me hopes to find a worked relic.

Much to my surprise that worked copper relic showed up half an hour later. I was walking through the woods and came across one of the stone walls. Just a few feet uphill from the wall I got a tight, SCREAMING 37-39 on the nox. This has to have been the best sounding target I've ever had in 4 years with the nox. Carefully I cut my plug and scanned the hole, nothing. Scanned the plug, nothing. Looked at the dirt on my shovel and BAM! Some choice words flew out of my mouth as I picked it up. I realized that the Hatchet was probably nearly vertical in the ground and I just barely messed hitting it.

That's when the adrenaline kicked in and I ran probably 100 yards uphill through the woods to find my buddy. I got within 30 yards of him and yelled "BINGO!" He just turned and said "Congratulations!" before I even hand dropped it on him. He already knew it was something good.. Once he saw it all he could say was "Wow! What kind of signal?" I waved it over his AT Pro coil and it was pegged 98-99. Then we walked back to my machine and checked the area. We didn't find anything else notable for the rest of the day but that's OK. We will definitely be back. With 1000 acres I can only imagine what else is there. The Hatchet is 3 and 3/8 inches long and weighs 108 grams. It is missing a corner of the cutting edge. It would have been more symmetrical.

OK that's enough blabbing from me. Enjoy some pics! I'm trying to figure out how to take some decent photos with the light box I have. I'm open to suggestions.

The piece of float copper that looks like a bear supporting the Hatchet was found a few months ago.

This is the float copper from yesterday with the Hatchet.

Mercury dime for scale.

I bit the bullet and pulled the trigger on a Manticore last Friday. Just couldn't pass up on the crazy sale. I think this last hunt was the Equinox's way of saying "Hey don't for forget about me and all of our finds, I'll be here when you need me."

Thanks for looking everyone. Good luck out there and happy hunting!

 

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[tamrock]

What a unique find.

 

[pepperj]

Congratulations on the hatchet.
Certainly a top shelf recovery for many.

 

[newnan man]

Excellent & rare find.

 

[Bamasteve]

Outstanding find, congrats!

 

[ToddsPoint]

Congrats on that Celt! A young guy in my area started looking for Indian artifacts. I told him he needs to think outside the box for ways to find them. Walking fields not as productive now with modern farming. He came back a few months later with a copper celt. He got a detector and hunted a Hopewell site with an old plowed down mound. The place had been picked clean of points after 100 yrs of people hunting but the copper celt was still there.

 

[Centsless Detecting]

What a unique find.

Thanks tamrock. It's really something to hold and imagine who used it last.

 

[Centsless Detecting]

Congratulations on the hatchet.
Certainly a top shelf recovery for many.

Thank you pepperj. Another off the bucket list I didn't know I had. I'm going to have to get a shadow box for everything now.

 

[Centsless Detecting]

Excellent & rare find.

Thanks newnan man. Going to have to do some research on how old it could be. But it may be hard to narrow down.

 

[Centsless Detecting]

Outstanding find, congrats!

Much appreciated Bamasteve. Very happy to add this to the collection.

 

[Centsless Detecting]

Congrats on that Celt! A young guy in my area started looking for Indian artifacts. I told him he needs to think outside the box for ways to find them. Walking fields not as productive now with modern farming. He came back a few months later with a copper celt. He got a detector and hunted a Hopewell site with an old plowed down mound. The place had been picked clean of points after 100 yrs of people hunting but the copper celt was still there.

Thanks ToddsPoint. Don't forget about some pure dumb luck as well. You know I still have yet to find a stone point or shard of any kind? Not complaining I'm just surprised I haven't found any. Maybe one day. Where this Celt was in location to the stone wall, I'm wondering if the farmer just tossed it in the pile? My spear point was found near a pile of field stone as well.

 

[dognose]

Very nice celt.

ToddsPoint pegged it correctly as a celt.

A scarce relic for sure.

Congratulations on such a great find!

 

[Centsless Detecting]

Very nice celt.

ToddsPoint pegged it correctly as a celt.

A scarce relic for sure.

Congratulations on such a great find!

Thanks dognose. My buddy and I were debating whether it was a chisel or hatchet. I was leaning towards Hatchet just because there was no damage from it being pounded on. But a celt it is. I still have so much to learn. How does one pronounce the word? Is it Kelt or Selt? Or neither?