Wow, where to start - Amazing week at a new virgin site!

BTV Digger · May 13, 2018

Hi folks and hope you're all getting out and finding the goods. Pics are from 3 hunts over the past week and a half. The first two hunts produced a few goodies including a couple of musket balls, part of a colonial shoe buckle and one of the worst silver coins you'll ever see - an undated Barber Quarter that looks like it was in a fire . This past Thursday I went out to score some new farm field permissions (still haven't hit the 1810 house site yet) since time is quickly running out on those opportunities. One of the field sites had two homes on it, one on either side of the road according to the old maps. The farmer said there was only 1 home and that it had been heavily metal detected through the years, but to check both sides of the road out if I wanted to. I went to that side first since the home site only appeared on the oldest 1857 maps. Were the old maps wrong? Nope!- Another virgin site baby! I only spent about an hour there on Thursday since I had to work and pulled two LCs a silver thimble and about 5 buttons. I then returned with my good friend Joe from Green Mountain Diggers yesterday and tore the place up. Between us we scored 7 more coppers, about 25 more buttons and other doo-dads. Joe also pulled a sweet 1753 half reale - older pillar style. My coins include 1803 and 1807 Draped Bust LCs, an undated Classic Head LC, a Connecticut Copper (1787 var.) and a really nice 1835 Matron LC (small date var.). Joe pulled 4 other coppers (see hand shot pic). Amazingly, those weren't my best finds imo . Those were my first Vermont Civil War militia button (Var. 9A in Albert's pp. 261) and an early 1800s Navy button (Var. 86Av in Albert's pp. 99). There seems to be some uncertainty in when these types of Navy buttons were worn from Albert's, so thinking perhaps War of 1812 or perhaps into the 1830s/40s? Dan/others - any thoughts on that one? The final item is also a mystery and included in the pics. It's has a decorative pattern on the front with attachment loops on the back. Perhaps a belt buckle cover, or an old pin or brooch? Dunno. Thanks for looking and HH!

John