QUICK HUNT YIELDS A BEAUTIFUL EAGLE BREAST PLATE AND NOT MUCH ELSE

[joeyfresh]

I've been out a bunch in the past couple of months but haven't really found anything earth shattering. For the past 7 years I've strictly been researching and detecting (trying anyway) early colonial sites and ceased even looking for Civil War sites to hunt. The area where I live was heavily traversed by both sides of the Civil War and there have been major battles within mere miles of my house. That being said, there are so many Civil War relic hunters around here that I just don't really bother looking for Civil War relics anymore. That doesn't mean if an opportunity presents itself i won't try. A good friend of mine builds houses in the area and this past Sunday I saw a cleared lot with his builder sign out front and I knew the area was a good site to look for relics. I pulled into the lot an immediately hit a bunch of trash and iron. I did a quick grid of the small lot and found a couple of period civilian two-piece buttons but not much else. I decided to hunt along the road back to my car and got an overload signal and dug it in spite of the fact that I already had dug a handful of aluminum cans. Not even two inches down I uncovered what I immediately knew was a breast plate.

I probably wouldn't have posted it here if it weren't for the beautiful condition. The hooks are rusted off but other than that I couldn't have asked for an eagle breastplate in better condition.

 

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[Rubka888]

Wow that is the nicest one I have ever seen! And an awesome picture of it with the button. I would like to see this up top! I am voting banner

 

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[462]

Wow, that's a beauty!

 

[Carolina Tom]

Excellent recovery sir!

Was there CW activity there last week? That thing looks brand new!

Congrats on a really nice piece of US history. Very well played.

 

[joeyfresh]

Freaking gorgeous plate man, congratulations on such a fine specimen!

10 feet from a road and 2 inches deep, I'm surprised it lasted at all never-mind being in awesome condition.

 

[Bill D. (VA)]

Joey - if you look closely at the back I think you'll see where it says "Repro made in Brooklyn" . Kidding aside, man that thing is in immaculate condition and way better than any I've found or most of what you see posted. Glad you got your fix in May before the summer doldrums set in big time. Wish we could snap our fingers and make it October. But I guess at my age I shouldn't be talking such foolishness.

 

[joeyfresh]

All the way from Brooklyn to you.
Congrats on a truly incredible find.

It would be cool to pin down the exact location of the store or factory

 

[pepperj]

What a beautiful plate, congratulations on your save. Liking the backdrop for the photo.

 

[The Aluminum Monster]

That is by far the most beautiful one of these I've seen dug. Incredible save!

 

[Patriot Relics]

Still can't get over the condition of that plate Joey, looks like it was dropped yesterday- centerpiece of any CW era display

 

[joeyfresh]

You got to be kidding me man. That's hands down the nicest dug plate I've seen. Great job with these two pictures too... I really like how you took them. Incredible!

Thanks man. I let my daughter choose the site of the photo shoot, she has good artistic eye for that stuff.

 

[texjim]

Awesome finds.. Love the pics... Calendar quality.

 

[Relicific]

Wow that's a beauty.
Congrats

 

[CASPER-2]

 

[parsonwalker]

Like everybody else, I am stunned at the condition. You gotta love well-drained Virginia sand! I'm super jealous, because I've never snagged even a PIECE of a breastplate. But I found a U.S. buckle a few years ago, in the same kind of condition in a sandy Cold Harbor Trench. Same backmark, brass as sweet as yours, and back ALMOST as sweet as yours. I have an Eagle plate my dad found in the early 1960s, and yours is just as good. For me, one in that condition really SHOULD be a banner find.

 

[joeyfresh]

Like everybody else, I am stunned at the condition. You gotta love well-drained Virginia sand! I'm super jealous, because I've never snagged even a PIECE of a breastplate. But I found a U.S. buckle a few years ago, in the same kind of condition in a sandy Cold Harbor Trench. Same backmark, brass as sweet as yours, and back ALMOST as sweet as yours. I have an Eagle plate my dad found in the early 1960s, and yours is just as good. For me, one in that condition really SHOULD be a banner find.

Thank you for your kind words. This, too, was found close to Cold Harbor.

 

[joeyfresh]

Joey - if you look closely at the back I think you'll see where it says "Repro made in Brooklyn" . Kidding aside, man that thing is in immaculate condition and way better than any I've found or most of what you see posted. Glad you got your fix in May before the summer doldrums set in big time. Wish we could snap our fingers and make it October. But I guess at my age I shouldn't be talking such foolishness.

Bill, you're in better shape than most 20 year olds and have a trophy room to prove it!

 

[DownNDirty]

Wow, what an incredible plate-and I like the way you set up the clean pics. Congrats!

 

[mlutz]

Holy cow!!! That is beautiful. Congrats.

 

[basque-man]

One Word.............Gorgeous!!!!!

 

[Davers]

I've been out a bunch in the past couple of months but haven't really found anything earth shattering. For the past 7 years I've strictly been researching and detecting (trying anyway) early colonial sites and ceased even looking for Civil War sites to hunt. The area where I live was heavily traversed by both sides of the Civil War and there have been major battles within mere miles of my house. That being said, there are so many Civil War relic hunters around here that I just don't really bother looking for Civil War relics anymore. That doesn't mean if an opportunity presents itself i won't try. A good friend of mine builds houses in the area and this past Sunday I saw a cleared lot with his builder sign out front and I knew the area was a good site to look for relics. I pulled into the lot an immediately hit a bunch of trash and iron. I did a quick grid of the small lot and found a couple of period civilian two-piece buttons but not much else. I decided to hunt along the road back to my car and got an overload signal and dug it in spite of the fact that I already had dug a handful of aluminum cans. Not even two inches down I uncovered what I immediately knew was a breast plate.

I probably wouldn't have posted it here if it weren't for the beautiful condition. The hooks are rusted off but other than that I couldn't have asked for an eagle breastplate in better condition.

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WOW!
Forget the Hooks ( but they would be nice) that thing is beautiful & Back Marked to!
Keep digging those Cans.
Again WOW That's Purdy.