Hi folks,
Here's a quick summary of some of my better stuff from last year. A very small percentage (< 2%) include items found in late December 2017, but since winter came early this year and I've had only one chance to hunt since mid-November I don't consider it a big deal. It was a wonderful year for me and my only regret is that I didn't find these sites sooner. Three of them were virgin and even in my relative newness to the hobby (5 yrs) it was obvious they'd never seen a metal detector before. Just wonderful stuff popped out of the ground at these sites, one of which had coppers literally lying on the surface! Insanity. Can't wait 'til the snow melts and I'll be out trekking around once again. Thanks for looking!
John
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I found 40 1/2 coppers this year, including quite the variety of early American, British and Canadian examples.
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Here they are stacked. I look to look at them this way!
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10 of those were Draped Busts (including an 1804 half cent)...or 10 1/2 if you count the cut 1803 at top. :lol:
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Here are my three favorites. The VF 1803 at left could fetch a few bucks, though the etched 1798 with the initials I.(or J) D.M. takes the cake.
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IHs and Wheats...well I certainly can't compete with the big dogs on this or other forums. A toast to the mid-westerners Don, Noah, Jared! Alas, I hunt very old sites so nearly all of these were random drops from farmers/hunters etc.
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Only a few silvers this year but three were, I must say, beauties! 1779 and 1784 two Reales and a sharp 1900-O Barber Half.
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Buttons - geez, where to start...at least 200. Not all are shown here but dare I say I dug many!
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I few of my favs, mostly military. The Vermont CW at top right tops the list, though the two 1830s era Navy cuffs just below it aren't far behind.
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I also had the pleasure to dig a number of nice whole and partial crotals and conestogas, though the ginormous one you may remember I found in a river while kayaking. Jeff, that one's for you! :)
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Buckles and clips - mostly standard fare here. The early 1800s Order of Odd Fellows clip at bottom right definitely tops this assortment.
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A collection of early ammo. Had the privilege of hitting a new permission site of mine last fall with Digger Dame of Stealth Digger nation fame. He lives up in my neck of the woods. One of the sites on this property coughed up a number of early CW-era minie balls and Williams Cleaners. Those were a nice surprise.
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A few special finds include two medallions - an 1820s-40s religious at top (possibly John the Baptist) & a Beehive medal c. early 1800s at right given to early school children for hard work. Really like that one. Also had the pleasure of unearthing an early c. 1850 RR tag. That one's worth some bucks, but as many of you know, I don't sell! With all that said, the 1850s era New York militia belt plate at center I consider my find of the year. Still amazed I dug it and such a personal item.
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Now what to do with all this stuff! The items from the three virgin sites I kept separate from the other generic field finds with the plan that someday I'll donate these to the respective towns' historical societies. Those are shown at 1) top left white paper towel, 2) bottom left paper towel, and 3) right two paper towels. Hoping 2019 brings joy and happiness to all of you. In the meantime, if the soil is thawed the the weather permits, get out there and get diggin'!! I'll be living vicariously through you for the next few months!
