Post the Finds you SAVED From the Junk Bin

[BuckleBoy]

Hello All! This relates strongly to the work we do in the What is it? section of the forum. I am writing an article for Western and Eastern Treasures Magazine about finds that were saved from the junk bin. I will be writing the text body of the article, but I'd like to open up the possibility for publication of others finds and photo caption-length stories in the article as well. Here's what I'm looking for: 1. Finds which came up in pieces, some of which made it into the junk bin before the relic was identified. 2. Items that were tossed in the junk bin and later identified as great finds. I'm interested in seeing these finds in general, so I will not send anything for publication unless I send you a PM to ask your permission, and ask you to write a short story that can serve as the photo caption. In the meantime, here are a couple of my finds that were saved from the junk bin: http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/todays-finds/127444-mystery-brass-gets-id-great-find.html

 

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[Silver Searcher]

Heh Will I did a few posts on this a while back, you might remember it...found a few nice things in mine over the years I have over looked.

http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/todays-finds/149522-found-scrap-bucket.html

 

[Erik in NJ]

Here's the unlikely story--I'll post the photos later:

In hunting a new site, I found part of a silver dime that had been sliced by a lawnmower. I have come across sliced silver dimes before and once or twice I have been able to find both pices. I searched for the other piece of this dime with no luck. When I took it home and cleaned it I noticed the piece I had had no date on it--that . As I sat there that night--looking at it and thinking that I'd never be able to figure out what year it was, I recalled having dug a small scrap of canslaw (or so I thought) that was with the remainder of the junk in pouch in my car. Then it dawned on me that maybe that sliver of metal was part of the dime--it was a long shot and it was quite late at night by this time, but I figured why not go out and take a look anyway. I walked out into the warm night to my car and with a flashlight retrieved the sliver of metal I had remembered finding. When I got back in I almost fell over when it was another piece of the dime--this one with the full date on it! The piece with the date was quite small and I was still missing about 1/3 of the dime.

My mom came up to visit us the next day and I showed her the "dime" and we joked about how bizarre it was to find that sliver of metal containing the date in my junk pouch and what a minor miracle it would be to unearth the remaining piece. After she left I went back to the site for a couple hours and dug everything. I found some goodies, but had no luck in locating the missing piece of that dime. Then just as it was getting dark I got a shallow signal that I almost couldn't bother to dig--it was hot out and I was tired. I dug anyway. Could it be? I couldn't see it very clearly but it looked like it was silver or aluminum and might possibly be the missing piece of that dime. As I was looking at it and trying to remove the dirt, I dropped it and it was so small and the light was so dim I couldn't find it in the grass! I searched with my pinpointer for about 10 minutes in frustration as it got even darker and it finally buzzed but I still couldn't see it. I finally retrieved the small pie slice shaped piece of metal and hurried home to see if it fit the "puzzle." Sure enough it was a perfect match! What are the odds of recovering a dime that was sliced into three pieces, recovering it in 3 disparate holes over the course of 2 days?

It was all based on that little scrap of metal I recalled that was in my junk pouch.

 

[VOL1266-X]

I dug this brass one 10-12 years ago at a spring near a Confederate Hospital site. Since WW2 maneuvers were present in the area, I just thought it was a handle from a Gillette razor. The inside was hollow with internal threads. Later, I saw it identified as an oil can in Vol. IV of Lord's Civil War Encyclopedia. Since it was brass, I kept it. HH, Quindy.

 

[BuckleBoy]

Great finds, and great stories folks!

 

[Muddyhandz]

B.B.

As you know, I'm big into the fur trade. Every site of importance I document, keep everything together, and restore any iron that belongs to each site collection.
One of the most common finds at these sites are tin and kettle scrap. Each one of these sites had a lot of manufacturing as Natives would cut up metal scrap to make arrow heads, janglers, pendants, and other items.

When it comes to ferrous artifacts, I put a lot of work into restoring them and usually have a pile that I deem not worthy of the work. Like scrap, nails (that are too damaged) and other junky crud that has no relevance to anything.

One such piece of scrap assigned to that pile made me think twice. I searched through the dozen or so ferrous arrow heads and was pleasantly surprised!



Perfect match!

I have found many historic metal points over the years but this is the only one with the accompanying scrap piece that it came from.

I can take more pictures if need be.

Best of luck with your article!

Cheers,
Dave.

 

[BuckleBoy]

B.B.

As you know, I'm big into the fur trade. Every site of importance I document, keep everything together, and restore any iron that belongs to each site collection.
One of the most common finds at these sites are tin and kettle scrap. Each one of these sites had a lot of manufacturing as Natives would cut up metal scrap to make arrow heads, janglers, pendants, and other items.

When it comes to ferrous artifacts, I put a lot of work into restoring them and usually have a pile that I deem not worthy of the work. Like scrap, nails (that are too damaged) and other junky crud that has no relevance to anything.

One such piece of scrap assigned to that pile made me think twice. I searched through the dozen or so ferrous arrow heads and was pleasantly surprised!

View attachment 714079

Perfect match!

I have found many historic metal points over the years but this is the only one with the accompanying scrap piece that it came from.

I can take more pictures if need be.

Best of luck with your article!

Cheers,
Dave.

Dave, I would be honored to include this great find in my article. If you would, take a photo that you'd be proud to have published and post/send to my PM. (the current photo is a little fuzzy at the top).

Thanks for posting, that is quite a cool find. Amazing that you got both pieces!

Best Wishes,


Buck

 

[Breezie]

Buckles, I have 2 items that were saved. The first was my African Slave Trade Bracelet of which I thought was a hippy bracelet or either grandma's arthritis bracelet. Here is the link for that:
http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/todays-finds/255201-african-slave-trade-bracelet-1700-1750-a.html

The other item that went from 0 to 1000+% was my Sambo cap gun. Here is the link for that:

http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/todays-finds/258139-rare-sambo-cap-gun-1897-before-after-pics.html

Good luck on your article; it's a great topic! Breezie

PS: The Slave Trade Bracelet was already in the W&ET magazine, so you might want to go with the Sambo cap gun. Either one or both is fine with me.

 

[watercolor]

Will, great thread!

(And Breezie, wonderful job on conserving that Sambo Cap Pistol)


When I started metal detecting about 7 years ago, I met a fellow detectorist who had been metal detecting since the late 1970's.
Not only did he become a close friend and valued hunting partner, he became an excellent mentor to me as well.
One of the most valuable hunting disciplines I learned from him was the practice of giving all that recovered trash a "second look"
before it was retired to the dumpster. Here are a few things that I managed to save after going through my trash pouch that second time. . .


First photo:
A Copper Culture awl (top), and rolled copper bead (bottom), which were where recovered about two years apart at different sites in wooded,
public park areas along a river.


Second photo:
A 1919 Vehicle License tag (which I thought was aluminum scrap metal) that I recovered from a wooded, public park.


Third photo:
A set of keys from the 1960's with a small 14K gold attachment that was recovered (with permission) from a demolition house down the street from where I live.

 

[BuckleBoy]

Those are such great finds! Breezie, I will want to include that photo of the cap gun for sure! Once I get a caption written, I'll send it to you for your approval in a PM. I will also use Muddy's photo of the point and scrap metal piece it was cut from, once he takes a better photo. Great stuff everyone! It is always amazing to me that some of the great finds I've made haven't ended up in the garbage bin. Always pays to take a second--and sometimes third!--look!

 

[Breezie]

Buckles, sounds like a plan!