15 Years of Relics

[Iron Patch]

Just realized I've now been detecting 15 years and it's insane how fast the time has gone since my 10 year post.... so here's my update which I'll always do every 5 years. I guess this will be part 1, the relics. No close up shots, will save that for when I hit 20 years and really go crazy. http://tnet.forumfoundry.com/forums/images/smilies/smiley.gif



Pic 1 is what I use to get the job done, my Explorer SE, and Ace 250 for back up. Sadly put away for the year. The shelf above is where I keep my finds through the year before they go into my cases. This is definitely the most organized I've ever been, and wish I could say the same for my coins, but that will be done this Winter... along with cleaning my iron!



Not sure what order the pics will appear in, but should be pretty straight forward. On the floor is my junk trunk, or misc. relics trunk, the ones that don't quite make the grade, but have to admit I stole from it to add some stuff to the sparsely filled mics. case shown somewhere below. Then there's my iron and bullet corner, with the trade axes on the bottom. My French marked ball is no question the best find among them. The large rectangle wood case is my better misc. relics. Then another large riker case with misc. military that also acts as my overflow when I bump a button from my other cases. Another Riker with my best designed buttons, and lastly, another with my earliest finds from early to mid. 18th century sites. Then is my 3 button cases, 2 metal black ones, and the wood is my "good case"... and has been for pretty much all of my 15 years. It's funny to think back to when I was just trying to fill it with any military. Time sure flies. One final picture is my crusty copper display, and my button jar in the middle. I would easily have a couple of those filled by now but used to sell my plain buttons. In fact, I've sold doubles of military, common relics like jews harps, and lots of "junk"... and if I still had it all I'd have a few more cases and probably a few more piles, but less is more when it's the good stuff. http://tnet.forumfoundry.com/forums/images/smilies/smiley.gif

[del]

:shocked05::shocked05::drool::omg::wow: That pretty much sums it up Patch , :perfect10:

:beerbuddy: heres to another successful 15 years my friend !!

Dan

[Digger_O'Dell]

I'm amazed at how much I have acquired in less than a year of detecting-I can only imagine the pile I will have after 15 years! Nicely organized and some sweet displays, well done! Sort of reminds me of a museum.:wow:

[Lodge Scent]

What are the visiting hours for the IP Museum ?

Definitely one of the best dug collections of pre Civil War military buttons.

[OxShoeDrew]

Amazing quality and quantity!!! I like the arrangements too. You are amazing!! Thank you for the beautiful posts... and for all the information you offer to our members!!

[fyrffytr1]

I've been hunting for over 40 years on and off and my collection is vastly inferior in size and quality to yours. I'll just be over here in the corner watching.

[Gaspipe101]

Great post and thanks for sharing.Do you keep track of the sites your individual finds are from?

[Restoring Your Finds]

Very impressive. Love the arrangements ! Thanks for sharing.

[chief5709]

:notworthy: :notworthy: museum worthy for sure. Beautiful collection. Very impressive.

[Iron Patch]

I'm amazed at how much I have acquired in less than a year of detecting-I can only imagine the pile I will have after 15 years! Nicely organized and some sweet displays, well done! Sort of reminds me of a museum.:wow:


What you see above is the best, and only a small fraction of what I have dug, so yes a person can accurate a pretty large pile of stuff. A good example of this is if you count the plan buttons, or ones with designs that didn't make the case, that would be a pile of several thousand. Also, days like the day I dug 180 enfield bullets. :) I've sold doubles of my military buttons, keeping the best of course, so could fill 2 or 3 more cases of those. And then all the misc. relics, could likely have that trunk near full. I'm happy with the choices I've made along the way, but at the same time having a ton of stuff is pretty damn cool too. I do have all my coins.

[Iron Patch]

What are the visiting hours for the IP Museum ?

Definitely one of the best dug collections of pre Civil War military buttons.


3/4 of my good case are Rev War Loyalist and British. Most of the pewters aren't too pretty but I like them just the same. It will be pretty hard bumping a button out of there now but will be fun trying.

[Iron Patch]

Amazing quality and quantity!!! I like the arrangements too. You are amazing!! Thank you for the beautiful posts... and for all the information you offer to our members!!


Thanks! I actually meant to be more active here than I have been.... New years resolution! :) But will have to wait until Spring.

[Iron Patch]

I've been hunting for over 40 years on and off and my collection is vastly inferior in size and quality to yours. I'll just be over here in the corner watching.


I had it, and have it pretty good here. The people before me left all the best sites, and only a small amount of people who shared in hunting those sites, of which I was/am one.

[Iron Patch]

Great post and thanks for sharing.Do you keep track of the sites your individual finds are from?


Unfortunately only by memory which I realize was a mistake. I'm actually quite surprised how much I can recall, but still many items i have no idea. I'll always remember the best stuff, but this Winter I'll write down what i know now just so I don't lose that in the next 10-15 years. My problem is mainly for buttons that I've found multiples of, they don't stand out like when it's just one.

[MangoAve]

Wow. That's a lot. I keep saying this...:lol:...but I need to invest in some display cases. Prob best to get more than two hunting seasons in to get a more accurate guess on what I'd need. Each season brings different items, and usually more coins. Some of those non-segregated buttons even caught my eye. Like the silver cross-weave and a few others. I wonder if anyone has ever tried playing one of the Jew's harp (jaw's harp) that they have found. After cleaning it of course.


Unfortunately only by memory which I realize was a mistake. I'm actually quite surprised how much I can recall, but still many items i have no idea.

I have a guy that is in the club whom I have detected with a few times. He's always rattling off places where he got his items. The majority of items I can recollect, but I haven't been doing it for 15 years and I can already tell you the large junk items that are saved until I choose to throw away I prob can't recollect.

[Iron Patch]

Wow. That's a lot. I keep saying this...:lol:...but I need to invest in some display cases. Prob best to get more than two hunting seasons in to get a more accurate guess on what I'd need. Each season brings different items, and usually more coins. Some of those non-segregated buttons even caught my eye. Like the silver cross-weave and a few others. I wonder if anyone has ever tried playing one of the Jew's harp (jaw's harp) that they have found. After cleaning it of course.



I have a guy that is in the club whom I have detected with a few times. He's always rattling off places where he got his items. The majority of items I can recollect, but I haven't been doing it for 15 years and I can already tell you the large junk items that are saved until I choose to throw away I prob can't recollect.



A few weeks ago I dug a 2 piece 15th Regiment cuff button, wasn't pretty but still made my day as I like adding something different to my collection. The same night I dug it I grabbed my cases to put it in, and pop something out, and while deciding I see a coat size 15th in very nice condition. :) I had completely forgot about it. Part of the reason is my main interest for many years was the early stuff, but now I'm liking the mid. and later 1800s stuff too, when I am able to find it... but still can't believe I forgot I had one.

[fsa46]

Awesome collection and love the presentation . Thanks for sharing.

[aloldstuff]

OK its official....everybody sell their detectors, Patch has already found everything...:lol:.

Simply amazing, great displays. I could spend a lot of time looking at everything and then more time asking about everything.

Would you know if there is any way to keep items displayed in a Riker from moving around. I have to stack my Rikers but would like to possibly hang some on walls.

[Iron Patch]

OK its official....everybody sell their detectors, Patch has already found everything...:lol:.

Simply amazing, great displays. I could spend a lot of time looking at everything and then more time asking about everything.

Would you know if there is any way to keep items displayed in a Riker from moving around. I have to stack my Rikers but would like to possibly hang some on walls.


I don't know of any good way to keep things in place other than wire, and it's not really something I'd be interested in dealing with, plus I'm pretty sure would not come out looking real good. Plus I like being able to keep my cases put away, not that I could ever imagine they'd be the targets for a thief, but I'd rather not take that chance even if very slight.


Here is my 10 year pic. I've always been pretty good at keeping my military buttons organized but the rest was sort of just thrown in cases, and what was not in a case was in a box and put away. Now all I have left is to get a lot of my coins in 2x2s, and in a box I already have ready to go.... and once that is done I will consider myself 100% organized. My friend who I have basically hunted with since day 1 has as much as I do, but has done very little so feels pretty overwhelmed at the thought of getting it all organized. I'm sure some day he will. I have fun doing it so not like work, but it has taken me 15 years. :)

[BTV Digger]

What an awesome display Iron Patch. That's a quite a few deep knee bends over the years! Keep up the great work and best of luck in 2016.

John