Old finds found today

[cowboykelly]

I was cutting out some tree limbs today that had broken because of the ice storm in West Texas and the home owner (a family friend) started telling me how she use to metal detect with her father before he passed away. "Well, actually he would detect and I would dig," she explained. She then explained that to "do something" with all the old stuff her dad dug up, she had a bunch of it pushed into the concrete sidewalk they just had poured (as a decoration on the edges). Interest and worry both struck my face. As she showed me the sidewalk I saw things from cheap jewelry to toy cars to old buttons...some of which display an eagle. She then showed me the box that all of it came from. The box is full of other stuff, including old bullets, coins, etc. My knowledge is limited to mostly what I have seen on this forum, so I told her about the Treasurenet and asked if I could come back over one evening so we could figure out just what exactly she has. She was excited at the idea and said she has even more boxes of his stuff in storage some where. So next chance I get I will be going back to take pictures and see if there is anything I can ID immediately for her. She did show me two round iron balls she believed to be musket balls, though they were much too big for a musket. I believe they are perhaps grape shot, but again my knowledge is limited. So here I have a chance to sort through the finds of a fellow fallen detectorist and help his daughter truly appreciate the collection he has obviously spent hours upon hours building! I can't wait! Pictures will soon follow!

 

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[phantomfinder]

I can't wait to see the photo's , WTG

 

[tuatara]

Good on ya for standing up for the collection. The story made me shudder. Probably it'll be the best solution if that old lady hands it over to someone (like yourself ) who appreciates before she sticks everything else into concrete.

 

[kuger]

Cant wait to see pics,even though I am sure some may cause one to cringe!Musket balls were not made of Iron,grapeshot I do not know

 

[vayank54]

Same here on the pics. I'd like to see them but will probably get sick. Like Kuger said, musket balls were made of lead. Canister and grape shot from cannons were made of iron.

 

[BuckleBoy]

Save those relics from the Concrete. Please.

 

[hikeinmts]

WHAT!!! You're not over at the lady's, but sitting here reading my message? Get going guy!!!
We are drooling at the thought of what you are going to show us!!!
Really, help that lady out. Could be some valuable or semivaluable stuff that would make her life a whole lot easier.
Perhaps a shadow box that would serve as a reminder of her husband, and what he loved to do.
Do it right, in memory of a fellow treasure hunter, and out of respect for her. And give us a treat, and let us see
some of the stuff that he found.

 

[kenley]

Reminds me; About 1986 the water level at Falcon Lake on the Tx Mx boarder droped far enough that the old Rio Grande river channel was visible and also the old town of Zapata.
When the dam was being built, 20 plus miles down river, the resident of Old Zapata were told that they would have to move to the New Zapata in about three years when the lake would back up to their town.
Anyhoo there came a flood and people were trucked out in the middle of the night and there homes were blasted to ground level so they wouldn't hinder boat traffic.
There was a foundation of a house uncovered that had a concrete poured porch with pillers and about 50 feet of sidewalk. Every inch of the concrete had arrowheads imbedded in it.
People tried to chip them out, but I don't think any were successful.

 

[cowboykelly]

Ok, so went up last night and visited with her and her husband (the collection belonged to her father). I took some pictures of the stuff left in the box. I didn't make it through but half of the collection in the 2 hours I was there. Though I do think I made it through all the old stuff...the rest of the collection is two little boxes full of jewelry. Here's some of the goods...

 

[kuger]

I see enough indicators there to really make me wanna see whats in that wall!!!

 

[cowboykelly]

here's some more pics

 

[MaineRelic]

He was definitely a serious M. DER. He had a lot of nice finds ! You should talk to the couple about making a display with all those nice finds in memory of her father ! and perhaps if you do you should get an Honorable Mention from T-net !! Kudos to you !! MaineRelic.

 

[cowboykelly]

I was kind of wondering what the info is on some of the buttons there, as I am not familiar with buttons in the least...

 

[Moonshadow]

Holy Crap!! Sweet collection of finds! Gosh, can you imagine being a detectorist 20 or 30 years ago.....all the amazing finds that were there?

Kudos to you for helping this gal out! I think your collaboration with her will result in a some really cool shadow boxes that she can pass down to other family members! WTG Buddy!!

HH,
Moon

 

[wwwtimmcp]

the eagle globe anchor is definately marine corp. the harp is a military musician

 

[vayank54]

Wow that is a cool stuff. Like wwwtimmcp the pin with the eagle and globe is Marine Corp, probably WWI or WWII
The 2 buttons with the C's are US cavalry buttons and may be civil war or a bit later. They have a curved serif ( curely thing end) at the top of the C. The earlier eagle C buttons will not have that. That goes for any of the eagle buttons with letters. The bigger diameter bullets with 3 rings in the pics. are civil war period .58 or .54 mini's From the pic they look like .58
Like someone said that stuff should be put up in a display.
By the way if the C buttons are civil war the book for about $50 to $75 each. If they are post civil war a lot less maybe $10 or 15. You will have to tell if they are civil war by the backmarks.