Your favorite relics

RustyRelics

RustyRelics

Gold Member
Apr 5, 2019
5,909
32,420
Central PA
Detector(s) used
Equinox 600/Ancient Whites MXT
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
I just love Civil War artifacts! Do you have a favorite? Several favorites? Are all of them a favorite? Post em' here! If you dug it, or bought it, or inherited it, post a pic, and add a line or two about it.

I currently don't have time to do a few of mine, so you guys get a head start!
 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

A Handbook of Civil War Bullets and Cartridges - Grab it through Amazon!
Upvote 0
Ill try to add my GA button that I found last Farther's Day. GA Button 2.jpgGA Button 3.jpg
 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

A History of Mining on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska - Grab it through Amazon!
Davers said:
Now that's what i'm talking about.

You got me thinking , if it was picked up after the battle (soon after) would the patina have come from 150 or so years of air , home , case, exposure .

Or did the patina come from sitting in or on the ground for 25, 50 , 75 years.

Either way it's very historical & special..
Click to expand...

I have noticed that the shinier the lead, the farther back it was picked up. My Antietam musket ball is shiny, and it was dug in 1956. The Gettysburg bullet is very shiny, but it is still white. Un-dug specimens usually are dark gray, but it varies from region to region. Most minie balls found have a chalky white appearance. My guess, is that it was picked up in the 1890's, or 1910's. The only "McPherson" listed in the regiments that fought on little Round Top was James McPherson. He was a member of the 20th Maine, but it does not say if he fought in the battle. However, the 20th Maine may have had a reunion there sometime in the future, and he came to visit the spot. It is a long shot, because I am sure there were many Union vet's named McPherson, who visited Gettysburg, and also his descendants lived in Franklin County PA. I just would like to have a first name!
 

DSC_0618.jpg

This is either a roundball, or a case shot, found on the Pofenberger farm, at Antietam in 1956. The ball was then donated to the Wentworth military Academy, until the collection was sold in 2008.
 

Here is a pipe my dad dug.


DSC_0383.jpg


It's an effigy of Zachary Taylor.
 

DSC_0333.jpg

I bought this bottle earlier this year. If you were a soldier, the last thing you wanted to see, was this bottle. It meant that an amputation was about to begin.
 

these are my 2 favorite that i have found. i only had about a couple of hours to hunt that day because of storms but found these 2 muskets 20180809_120620.jpg
 

I feel like a small fry. I have only been detecting for six whole days, so I have nothing much to offer. I am basically just posting stuff my dad has found, and I have bought.

Here is a blown out Gardner for your enjoyment.


DSC_0788.jpg

DSC_0789.jpg
 

RustyRelics said:
I have noticed that the shinier the lead, the farther back it was picked up. My Antietam musket ball is shiny, and it was dug in 1956. The Gettysburg bullet is very shiny, but it is still white. Un-dug specimens usually are dark gray, but it varies from region to region. Most minie balls found have a chalky white appearance. My guess, is that it was picked up in the 1890's, or 1910's. The only "McPherson" listed in the regiments that fought on little Round Top was James McPherson. He was a member of the 20th Maine, but it does not say if he fought in the battle. However, the 20th Maine may have had a reunion there sometime in the future, and he came to visit the spot. It is a long shot, because I am sure there were many Union vet's named McPherson, who visited Gettysburg, and also his descendants lived in Franklin County PA. I just would like to have a first name!
Click to expand...

First off good luck on your search for "Mr McPherson " there were many with that name even the famous General that was killed in battle at Atlanta, they closed down the Army base named after him some years ago but I did get to spend time there with my Mom when she was in the Army but I was 6-7 y/o at that time.

I also totally trust your assessment of the Minnie's & Round Ball's in your collection.

I'm also glad to see you taking up the passion that your Dad has.
 

Davers said:
Very Cool DFX

I have to ask , how did you preserve them ?
Click to expand...
keep them submerged in water for about a week . run through electrolysis for a short time
i knew the wood would shrink after driying out. but after electrolysis i used gemplers on all metal areas. and after about 1 month of making sure wood was dry i just lightly sealed it with polyurethane
 

Here are two that I have now in my collection! First, we have a high impact bullet found along the Fairfield road in Gettysburg, in 2005. The area it was found was the area that A.P. Hill's corp advanced across, on the morning of July 1, 1863. The site is now under modern construction.

DSC_0793.jpg

DSC_0794.jpg

Did it hit a rock, or dirt?




Next, we have a lil' gem from Culp's hill! Culp's hill was the site of some of the fiercest fighting during the battle of Gettysburg, and is famous for the splattered and flattened bullets that hit rocks and tree's, and in a few cases, other bullets. This bullet was found many years ago, by a local family who visited the hill sometime before the hill became protected. It was passed down through the generations, before it was sold to the dealer, who sold it to me. I'm happy with it! It still has some "battle dirt" in the cavity, along with the remnants of a tiny twig.


DSC_0796.jpg

DSC_0797.jpg

Look at the impact marks on that thing!
 

IMG_0099.jpg

This is my largest, and best artillery shell frag to date. I found this on my fifth day ever of metal detecting. I came to the organised event with one goal in mind: Find Frags. And bullets.

When I got the signal, I knew it was iron. The problem was, I must have dug over 1,000 nails in the same field all day, so I was a little less than enthusiastic about digging another iron signal. I did anyway. I dug down, and didn't even need the pinpointer I had borrowed earlier. I saw the smooth rusty colored iron surface of something big. (big in a term that means anything larger than a nail.) I gently picked it up, and realized it was a piece to a Hotchkiss shell! I screamed "this is what I came for!". I ran sat and took a pic in the hole, then proudly showed it to anybody with a pulse, or anyone who would listen to an incoherent 16 year old who kept gabbering about Hotchkiss shells. I think this will remain in my top favorites for a long while.
 

I came across another rare button find ' for me '.

PA070345.JPG.
 

RustyRelics said:
View attachment 1717222

This is my largest, and best artillery shell frag to date. I found this on my fifth day ever of metal detecting. I came to the organised event with one goal in mind: Find Frags. And bullets.

When I got the signal, I knew it was iron. The problem was, I must have dug over 1,000 nails in the same field all day, so I was a little less than enthusiastic about digging another iron signal. I did anyway. I dug down, and didn't even need the pinpointer I had borrowed earlier. I saw the smooth rusty colored iron surface of something big. (big in a term that means anything larger than a nail.) I gently picked it up, and realized it was a piece to a Hotchkiss shell! I screamed "this is what I came for!". I ran sat and took a pic in the hole, then proudly showed it to anybody with a pulse, or anyone who would listen to an incoherent 16 year old who kept gabbering about Hotchkiss shells. I think this will remain in my top favorites for a long while.
Click to expand...

Nice One.

I'd be proud to dig that any time.
Good Job
 

RustyRelics said:
Here are two that I have now in my collection! First, we have a high impact bullet found along the Fairfield road in Gettysburg, in 2005. The area it was found was the area that A.P. Hill's corp advanced across, on the morning of July 1, 1863. The site is now under modern construction.

View attachment 1717059

View attachment 1717060

Did it hit a rock, or dirt?




Next, we have a lil' gem from Culp's hill! Culp's hill was the site of some of the fiercest fighting during the battle of Gettysburg, and is famous for the splattered and flattened bullets that hit rocks and tree's, and in a few cases, other bullets. This bullet was found many years ago, by a local family who visited the hill sometime before the hill became protected. It was passed down through the generations, before it was sold to the dealer, who sold it to me. I'm happy with it! It still has some "battle dirt" in the cavity, along with the remnants of a tiny twig.


View attachment 1717064

View attachment 1717065

Look at the impact marks on that thing!
Click to expand...

NICE!!!
&
Like I always say "location , location , location".
 

Dfxcobb said:
keep them submerged in water for about a week . run through electrolysis for a short time
i knew the wood would shrink after driying out. but after electrolysis i used gemplers on all metal areas. and after about 1 month of making sure wood was dry i just lightly sealed it with polyurethane
Click to expand...

A job well done.
Thanks for answering my ?.
 

You must log in or register to reply here.

This is good!

⬅️ Previous Thread

Minie ball???

Next Thread ➡️

Top Member Reactions

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 3 (members: 0, guests: 3)

Latest Discussions

Back
Top