South Carolina button, annular buckle and more goodies

DownNDirty

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Jun 1, 2015
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With the temperatures being so mild lately I have been taking advantage of the good weather by continuing to explore my 2,000 acre permission. A couple of weeks ago a buddy and I went on a scouting expedition that turned up three more home sites. The first one was very close to where I found a Prussian musket butt plate recently. This one was apparently an 1800s site; a few minutes after we found a nail bed he dug an 1873 seated dime. A few minutes later, about 20 feet away I got a good signal and dug a small domed button. After rubbing some dirt off of the front I saw a Palmetto tree

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Later on it cleaned up very well

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It's a South Carolina staff officer's cuff button, SC26 in Albert's book. Probably made during the Civil War or shortly after. There is still a piece of thread wrapped around the shank-pretty cool

Later we headed out to scout a high ridge that had been clear cut; it had home site written all over it. After hiking up that hill we named it "Heartbreak Ridge" because it is one heck of a climb. On the crest of the ridge, sure enough there were sign of a house-pottery shards and brick.

Soon we were digging flat buttons (most without back marks) and square nails so we new we had found another Colonial home site. I found five buttons, and one was a ball button with the back missing. I also found an unusual-looking silver plated disk with a scalloped design-maybe a rosette?

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Here are my finds from the ridge, which included part of a small pair of scissors

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Later in the day we rode an old logging road through the woods and decided to investigate a small semi-cleared area that looked promising. The first signal my buddy dug was an axe; then my first signal was a large iron buckle

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Other than a bunch of iron and a 1940 wheatie that was about it.

A few days later I did a Scrappy dig (less than two hours :laughing7:) at another 1700s site. I managed to find several interesting relics, including a very ornate keyhole cover (possibly from a jewelry box) and the back of a horse harness ornament

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I also found a table knife and the fourth pewter spoon handle from this very early site

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A mystery item was this long, thin iron needle/rod that has split on the end with a small hole through it; any id help would be appreciated

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The next excursion took me back to Heartbreak Ridge to swing the coil on the 18th century site. The hunt produced three flat buttons, one with full silver plating on the front, an iron "D" buckle, a tiny brass buckle and an interesting forged iron hasp

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Last Saturday I once again made the long hike up Heartbreak Ridge, this time carrying my sifter, shovel, probe and magnet, hoping to find and sift a trash pit. By the time I got to the top I was thinking of renaming it "Heart Attack Ridge" :unhappysmiley: Unfortunately I didn't locate a pit but tried a small area with very limited results. I did find part of an embossed 18th century medicine bottle and a broken arrowhead; I wish the bottle had been whole.

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The find of the day was a round buckle that I later learned is called an "annular" buckle-a very early variety. 1720 or before.

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I also found what looks like a lock plate/keyhole with a very ornate silvered brass frame-at least that's what it looks like to me. Any ideas?

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A pewter button and two brass thimbles rounded out the day's finds

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After descending the ridge I looked for a well that the landowner had told me about. I finally found it, in a low spot surrounded by three hills

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To be continued...
 

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Upvote 31
Good hunt man! Some nice individual finds, but I have to agree with you about the annular buckle being the best. Those are quite hard to come by as I can attest. BTW - that cool looking jewelry box lock cover could also possibly be part of a small, early book clasp, but I'm probably leaning more toward your ID. Keep 'em coming ....
 

Wow, that's a very nice collection of finds! That button cleaned up beautifully. A 2000 acre permission will no doubt keep you busy for a while. Good Luck!
 

Very nice SC button! Love seeing that palmetto tree as you wipe the dirt away! Big congrats and good luck diggin!

Yeah that was just my second SC button; it was great to find another military button from my home state.
 

Wow, that's a very nice collection of finds! That button cleaned up beautifully. A 2000 acre permission will no doubt keep you busy for a while. Good Luck!

Thanks SM-I'm having a blast exploring the land, which is actually several tracts that are close together.
 

Good hunt man! Some nice individual finds, but I have to agree with you about the annular buckle being the best. Those are quite hard to come by as I can attest. BTW - that cool looking jewelry box lock cover could also possibly be part of a small, early book clasp, but I'm probably leaning more toward your ID. Keep 'em coming ....

Thanks Bill. That buckle surprised me-I knew the house was built in the 1700s but I was thinking mid-1700s until I found it. Now I'm not sure of the age, but of course the buckle could predate the site by a good bit if it was passed down from generation to generation.
 

DND, Congrat's to you on the S.C. button and the other cool finds as well as the 2000 acre permission hunt area. You will be kept busy.....but in a good way.
 

That's a cool annular buckle,besides all the other goodies you found.
Nice going
 

DND, Congrat's to you on the S.C. button and the other cool finds as well as the 2000 acre permission hunt area. You will be kept busy.....but in a good way.

Thanks devldog-I like to stay busy :laughing7:
 

Quite an assortment Glenn, outstanding colonial though CW era digs. Glad to see your research paying huge dividends on that dirt. SC officer button and keyhole cover my favorite among the group

You need to get up this way sometime-with 2,000 acres I need some help 8-)
 

Killer hunt! The SC button is awesome! Annular buckle too! That "Needle" thingy could be the post of a basic steelyard.
 

Congrats. First annular buckle I recall seeing posted. Ive been finding some sweet buckles lately so I love seeing others
 

Killer hunt! The SC button is awesome! Annular buckle too! That "Needle" thingy could be the post of a basic steelyard.

Thanks for the suggestion-I'll take a look at some.
 

Congrats. First annular buckle I recall seeing posted. Ive been finding some sweet buckles lately so I love seeing others

Thanks-it is definitely a first for me
 

Very nice group of finds.
 

You had me with annular buckle Glenn! That's a cool piece and one I would really like to get my coil over some day. You had a great set of hunts and that SC button is a looker! Congrats
 

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