Is the luck dwindling? Still some cellar finds

[MangoAve]

Saturday I got out fairly early for a weekend. I went up to the area where many cellars exist. I brought the new machine with me hoping to make some good finds. Out of the 5 cellars that I looked at (all on the same road just one right after the other) I only managed to get 3 worth while finds. Out of the few times I been there, not many go hiking up the old road, so Idk how long ago these cellars were hit. Maybe if there was a way to clear out the area, there is a possibility of more finds. I used the machete to clear some of the briers by hole #3. At the first hole, I did start to use my intuitions. I noticed the landscape across the road and it seems there was a barn there. I was paying attention to the areas of iron. Right near the back of the rocks I found a nice ornate plated spoon. It has a humming bird and flowers on it. There is some maker on the back but I haven't got it with the magnifier. Looks like first three letters are NOV. The listing of silverplate makers doesn't have such.. so idk.

I found two more of those clover theme cone escutcheon pieces, at the same hole. Idk if they are candle stick bottoms or if they have something to do with drinkware. There was glass in the hole where these two were found. I pulled up a suspender clip by the cellar walk out. Seems this one has some gilt left to it. I went to #4 but didn't find much. I tried to walk up to this place listed as HR on the old map. I have no idea what it is. The guy who lives at the bottom of the hill was on his bike up there and did say something about seeing a foundation. He pointed me in the direction but I still never found it. I trekked back to #4 and tried a bit more effort. A darn axe head came up. On the hill side that was built up for the cellar I did get a spoon bowl and this belt cover. Obvi i'ts too think to be a single piece. There must have been more to it.
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Sunday I went a different direction. This was where I found my first matron. Seeing if it wasn't hit that hard before, maybe I could score another. Umm.. high hopes tho. It was a bit overgrown. idk if I need the machete or if the barberry and briers will die down nough to detect around the area. There is a lot of land to still cover so I think I might have to check the less obvious spots. I did get a large flat button and a two piece button. They are semi-cleaned now. The two piece is Young Smith & Co from New York. They are 1830-1858. The tiny button almost rang like iron. It was there sometimes and iron the next. The last pic in this section zooms enough to see the lines in the paint on the shank side of the button. Anyone know if it is a cuff button?
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Any help on the odyssey item? It is a bit deformed on top and bottom. Pulley shape with the center bulged. Its way too thin to be a pulley, however. It is two pieces and possible there is something inside. It rattles, but that doesn't mean something was supposed to be inside. The teal tag, I have no idea. There was farming in the area before but I think it was too early for plastic tags.

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[del]

well "reality" is starting to settle back in Jim :lol: ... thats what this hobby is all about "highs" and "lows" , you'll get another ride very soon my friend until then keep at it .

Dan

[OxShoeDrew]

Looks like there might be some barber coinage at that first sight. :loveit: Looks like turn of the century stuff.
The low points make the highs that much better.

[Digger_O'Dell]

Interesting finds. The "pulley" might be 2 halves that screw together?

[MangoAve]

Dan, yes and no. I think it does have a lot to do with the sites whether it's a high or a low. That farm field didn't look like it got turned yet a barber half was only 2-3" down. I think the first site, which Drew is talking about, used the be frequented by hikers before 2001. My coworker lives in the town, which has a bit of history to why there are so many cellars, and said there used to be more activity up there until the terrorist attacks happened. The only dig holes this year were from me. As I explained to you via PM I am learning the layout a bit easier now. (Now typed here so others can understand the context a bit fuller) The area is a bit hilly so it is a little more difficult to understand. When I got the 3 merry widows tin, it was in this town but in a different area. The ornate floral spoon that came up at a hole there was because I was understanding layout a bit more. There was a land kinda cut out into the corner of a hill but up behind it was a tiered and flat area: Three levels including the flat spot for the cellar. Right on the hilled portion is where the spoon was coughed up. Ugh..I hate how I always try to be thorough and its long-winded. The ONLY hiker I saw Saturday lives nearby. He knew how long I was there because how long my car was parked. He goes through there during the winter and he only saw a few cellars. He was shocked when I showed him the map and how many actually existed just on that single road. You cant see these via satellite. He laughed tho when I showed him I only found a spoon and suspender clip.

The Sunday site there was a hiker with his dog who stopped to talk. He was interested in the hobby. I was given a few tips and now I do have another spot to check out for a cellar. Hoping this one pays off. He had the copy of the old map yet he had not spotted the back cellar hole ( which I think was the blacksmith shop per the map). As in the place was not scoured much by most. The hikers just walk the road and pay no mind to the spots behind the trees. Since I was able to pull up a matron there and all three buttons were in a line, the site wasn't touched as much. That one warrants more investigation.

Drew, those first holes are actually more likely for seated coins if they haven't been all dug up. The towns biggest decline was before the 1900s and would prob be under any iron masking vs the barbers. idk. Neither you nor Dan has wanted to go so it was only me to provide any data from hunting. Granted two different machines were used, two different hunting styles were not.

I did clean up the buttons a little in peroxide. There might be something on the back of the tiny cuff but I forgot it so I could check under a microscope. The suspender clip was hiding just a tad more gilt. The two piece button actually turns out to be my first military button. Its an Infantry button. Looks like the Young.200 (19.4mm dia) one. I can def see the I in the eagle. Guess this reinforces how many of these come up concave. Maybe I'll make it down for a new brass bush soon to try and clean this up more. Idk if I can get it shiny like Dave does.
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The "pulley" might be 2 halves that screw together?
Not so. Oops... I thought I typed about that before here. Must have been on the FB post that I added the explanation. It was def two pieces but I think pressed together and those rings/channels were used to keep it interlocked. First intuition was to try and unscrew it and when I saw it wasn't actually a screw thread is when I realized it was not put together like that. Idk. Strange item.

[Bell-Two]

Well you did get a nice variety of finds and they are interesting to figure out what they all are.