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View Full Version : Diggin' with Dan & Drew - 6/27



Trooper Bri
06-30-2015, 06:58 PM
Almost exactly a year ago, two very nice guys from a great detecting forum introduced a detecting newbie to his first cellar holes. He wasn't geared right, or dressed right, but he had a great day learning a few things, and finding a few bits too. Hooked!
So I was excited when Dan PM'ed me last week asking if I was interested in a hunt with him and Drew on Saturday. Heck yeah! Drew described the hike perfectly. Some decent bushwhacking for a bit, and then the huge old site opened up to some very easy swinging for the most part.

It's been hit, so finds weren't flying out of the ground. Drew definitely had the hot coil though, and I enjoyed watching Dan dig that crisp large cent.
First find in some shrubs not far from the hole is this padlock. D.M. & Co stamped on the hole cover. Davenport & Mallory.
48504

I cast around for a while, ignoring all the iron except when it was deep, then I'd stop and dig a quick plug and see if it would turn into a tone. There's a lot of deep iron there, so I did that a bunch. Poked my coil into some more shrubbery and got my first real tone. Mid-50's and smallish. Big button maybe? Nope. This thingy: It's about 1 5/8" tall, 1 3/8" wide, and plain on the back.
48505

I didn't get anything else worth mentioning at that site, and finally started digging anything small that was brave enough to show it's face in my +VDI side. Which was iron of course. We walked out of the woods with Drew, and on the way home Dan and I stopped at a spot he mentioned.
Knocked a harmonica reed off my bucket list, and got a lantern spill. Woohoo! :lol:
Had a great time diggin' with the fellas, THANK YOU!, and next time I'll be tailing Drew like a hawk. :hystericallaugh:
48506

Bell-Two
06-30-2015, 07:02 PM
Trooper I think that "thingy" is a frame for an early photograph such as Daguerreotype or tintype.

del
06-30-2015, 07:13 PM
Brian , you sure had some perseverance to find that brass frame amongst all that stubble in that field and I'm glad you got to hear that copper before it was dug up. the lock is a great find and we should be able to date it with the initials on the dust cover , nice keeper.

here is a link with one that is very close (2nd one down )
http://antique-padlocks.com/smoke_dm&co.htm

Davenport & Mallory Co., 1852-57
Davenport, Mallory & Lockwood, 1858-60
Davenport, Mallory & Co., 1861-64


I think Tony is right but how early did they start with this type of photography Tony this site was gone by late 1830's or 40's .

OxShoeDrew
06-30-2015, 07:22 PM
Brian, I didn't know you dug that lock. I love those things. I just googled this-

Davenport & Mallory Co., 1852-57
Davenport, Mallory & Lockwood, 1858-60
Davenport, Mallory & Co., 1861-64

So I guess yours would be 1861-64.
I bet Tony is right about the thingy.
You can tail me but I move quick :lol: Seriously though, I sometimes have to remind myself to slow down.
We have to do it again real soon!

Trooper Bri
06-30-2015, 07:30 PM
I know we wondered if it was a frame while looking at it. And there's good detailing my phone didn't quite get.

With all the vast areas to swing in there, you'd be crazy not to dedicate time to those shrubby areas in the site people don't want to bother with. Hind sight being what it is, I should have worked those harder instead of passing through them.

Lodge Scent
06-30-2015, 08:53 PM
Congrats on some nice digs. I do like that frame !