Ole man Digger
Greenie
- Sep 10, 2019
- 11
- 23
- Detector(s) used
- Minelab Nox 800
Whites Spectrum XLT
- Primary Interest:
- All Treasure Hunting
I had and still have the great excitement and enthusiasim of digging these very rare and stunning buttons. ( Note the newest coin of the 8 dug at this site was 1788)
I was fortunate to find a very old cellar hole for it was not on any old map that was made and I used LIDAR to locate it and it was still not easy to locate.
I will have to say someone else found the site first that is over 1/2 mile from the nearest public road and he or she left about 12 holes half filled in so I was disappointed not about the unfilled holes but that it was not a virgin site. But none the less I was excited to start detecting. My first trip there I dug a 1786 Vermontensium variety of Vermont copper then I dug a 1787 Nova Caesarea and then a French 6 Denier 1710-12 no date visible. I also dug a few Tombac and general flat buttons and some other bits and pieces of buckles etc. The next trip I invited a friend to go along and He had a great day by digging another 1787 Nova Caesarea and a 1787? French coin and other bits and parts of buckles and flat buttons.
My 3rd trip I invited yet another friend who did find 2 coins a KGIII 1788 and a wiped copper along with the usual common flat buttons and Dandy buttons.
After a long time without detecting about 2 -3 months went by I couldnt detect due to back surgery and finally I decided to then go back to this site one more time. Thats when I found a holed Nova Caesarea pretty wiped but a thrill anyway then came the first of these VERY RARE buttons. I didnt get a very good VDI # from the Nox 800 and the tone was not very good either I think it was a 12-14 if I remember correctly, then I am staring at an anchor on this small button.
After I found out that this button is listed in Albert`s Button Book on pages 86-87 and listed as US Continental Navy NA 2 . This cuff size button measures 15.6 mm and is made of a yellow metal after I lightly scraped the plain back to see any metal color. this button matches the larger coat button which is 25 mm but is listed as being Pewter.
I went back to see if I could find any more buttons and I did, 2 of them and both are the same size cuf bttons as the first one, one is the same "yellow metal " and the other is a Pewter button tha that has not been finished for use after coming from the mold. Theres no hole as youcan see in the photos and the sprue is still intact. I have been in contact with the Naval museums (3) and now with a West Point curator to discuss and compare any known examples they may have. I also want to point out the "barbs" at the ends of the anchor points that a collector pointed out to me which are not something the French buttons have or the British so theres that to keep in mind.
I was fortunate to find a very old cellar hole for it was not on any old map that was made and I used LIDAR to locate it and it was still not easy to locate.
I will have to say someone else found the site first that is over 1/2 mile from the nearest public road and he or she left about 12 holes half filled in so I was disappointed not about the unfilled holes but that it was not a virgin site. But none the less I was excited to start detecting. My first trip there I dug a 1786 Vermontensium variety of Vermont copper then I dug a 1787 Nova Caesarea and then a French 6 Denier 1710-12 no date visible. I also dug a few Tombac and general flat buttons and some other bits and pieces of buckles etc. The next trip I invited a friend to go along and He had a great day by digging another 1787 Nova Caesarea and a 1787? French coin and other bits and parts of buckles and flat buttons.
My 3rd trip I invited yet another friend who did find 2 coins a KGIII 1788 and a wiped copper along with the usual common flat buttons and Dandy buttons.
After a long time without detecting about 2 -3 months went by I couldnt detect due to back surgery and finally I decided to then go back to this site one more time. Thats when I found a holed Nova Caesarea pretty wiped but a thrill anyway then came the first of these VERY RARE buttons. I didnt get a very good VDI # from the Nox 800 and the tone was not very good either I think it was a 12-14 if I remember correctly, then I am staring at an anchor on this small button.
After I found out that this button is listed in Albert`s Button Book on pages 86-87 and listed as US Continental Navy NA 2 . This cuff size button measures 15.6 mm and is made of a yellow metal after I lightly scraped the plain back to see any metal color. this button matches the larger coat button which is 25 mm but is listed as being Pewter.
I went back to see if I could find any more buttons and I did, 2 of them and both are the same size cuf bttons as the first one, one is the same "yellow metal " and the other is a Pewter button tha that has not been finished for use after coming from the mold. Theres no hole as youcan see in the photos and the sprue is still intact. I have been in contact with the Naval museums (3) and now with a West Point curator to discuss and compare any known examples they may have. I also want to point out the "barbs" at the ends of the anchor points that a collector pointed out to me which are not something the French buttons have or the British so theres that to keep in mind.
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