🥇 BANNER The Find Of A Lifetime! No Stamp Act Button 1766!!

coinman123

Silver Member
Feb 21, 2013
4,659
5,769
New England, Somewhere Metal Detecting in the Wood
🥇 Banner finds
2
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
Teknetics T2 SE (DST)
Spare Teknetics T2 SE (backup)
15" T2 coil
Pro-Pointer
Bounty Hunter Pioneer 202
Fisher F2
Fisher F-Point
Primary Interest:
Other
I went to another cellar hole today, along a ATV/Snowmobile trail. I was happy with the buttons and buckle parts I was finding, then I found this!!

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I didn't know what it was at first, but saw the bust and writing and knew it was good though. I was fantasizing about it being a George Washington button, but figured that it couldn't be one. When I got it home I looked at it under a light and read, "No Stamp Act 1766". I nearly had a heart attack reading that, I was probably holding the most historic thing I had ever held. I didn't even clean it, I don't want to risk damaging it, but it is looks to be in great shape!

Last one that was dug sold at auction for $9000. I'm not going to sell this one anytime soon though!
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The rest of the stuff I found today, I also found a little cufflink, not in photo though.

Still no coppers for 2018, but this button makes up for that!


Here's the one that sold for $9000 in 2009
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Upvote 133
Amazing Im happy for you that's a museum piece Your museum!!!!!
 

You may as well sell off your detectors now, Doubt you will ever top that. Nice find and congrats!!
 

My philosophy has always been that I'd never sell any of my recoveries. Then again, I've never found anything worth more the $1000. After seeing the value of your magnificent historical button, I've changed my long-held philosophy. Congrats on the banner.
 

congrats on banner
 

:coins:TREASURE!!!:coins:

You better be back there right now digging every last whisper of a signal you can, where there's 1 there is a much higher than average chance that there are more (like GW buttons found in multiples at some cellar holes etc.). Unbelievable rarity of astonishing value, congratulations!
 

Congratulations! Definitely the find of a lifetime. Epic save.
 

:coins:TREASURE!!!:coins:

You better be back there right now digging every last whisper of a signal you can, where there's 1 there is a much higher than average chance that there are more (like GW buttons found in multiples at some cellar holes etc.). Unbelievable rarity of astonishing value, congratulations!

Thanks! I was thinking that too. Based on the size, It appears to be a cuff button though, so it was probably sold as a pair. If the other one is somewhere there though, I intend on finding it!!
 

Are you saying that it is less than 25mm like the auction example you posted? I don't really know much about buttons but an inch seems more than adequate for general-purpose clothes-fastening. Either way there's a better than average chance of finding more there and I hope you do.

Also, I want to remind you that "site poachers" frequently use forums like this to wait for people to post awesome finds or sites, then they do some sleuthing to try to steal sites and hoover everything up. I'm not sure how much could be extrapolated from all you've posted but I bet ya another 1766 Stamp Tax button that there are already several people trying to find your spot right now.

I'm not trying to scare ya, but it's extremely important that you get back there and dig everything you can ASAP. You completely deserve all you can find, subhuman site-pilfering snakes deserve nothing.
 

Thanks! All I did was give it a rinse in water to get the mud off. I'm scared to even hold it though, any ideas how to safely display it? I want it to proudly show it off in the center of a display, or by itself in a display frame, but am scared it would flake. Would it be best to just keep it wrapped in paper towels and in a plastic bag, as it is now?

Another option that seals it in an airtight see through display case is what are known as membrane boxes...

Membrane Box
 

Are you saying that it is less than 25mm like the auction example you posted? I don't really know much about buttons but an inch seems more than adequate for general-purpose clothes-fastening. Either way there's a better than average chance of finding more there and I hope you do.

Also, I want to remind you that "site poachers" frequently use forums like this to wait for people to post awesome finds or sites, then they do some sleuthing to try to steal sites and hoover everything up. I'm not sure how much could be extrapolated from all you've posted but I bet ya another 1766 Stamp Tax button that there are already several people trying to find your spot right now.

I'm not trying to scare ya, but it's extremely important that you get back there and dig everything you can ASAP. You completely deserve all you can find, subhuman site-pilfering snakes deserve nothing.

Thanks. I tried to go back as it was getting dark, but there were some deer hunters up there in a jeep, I doubt they were metal detecting though. I saw them as they were leaving the first time I went there, when I found the button, and it was clear they were hunters (guns in back of Jeep). I checked for Geotags on my photos, and wasn't able to find any, which means that it would be impossible to track it from photos (and not a single photo I have ever posted was taken at the site anyway).

Also, the button is 20mm, which indicates that it would have been more likely a cuff button, based on research, and is a bit rarer than the 25mm example.
 

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Utterly fantastic. In my opinion the best US historical find I've seen on this forum.
 

I forgot BANNER BANNER BANNER BANNER BANNER!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

Just wanted to say congrats from "our" neck of the woods. I saw your post the other day where you said you hadnt found a large cent this year. The metal detecting gods must have with-held your luck til yesterday when you unearthed such a rarity. Id gladly trade my entire coin collection for that button. Congrats. And knowing it was found in New England makes it that much sweeter. I envy the guys in Maryland/Virginia but you put us back on top. Congrats. Pm me again sometime. Id love to see it in person. I swung today and pulled a LC and an indian. Seems trivial to your find yesterday. Enjoy the afterglow!
 

Hey, Awesome button!!! The one you show that was sold at auction looks inverted though like it was a wax seal or stamp. Really cool find :) God Bless! Paul
 

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