Birthday Weekend hunts yield some nice colonial relics

[RIdirtdigger]

Saturday was my birthday (turned 19) so I didn't have time to do a ton of digging. I went deer hunting with my dad in the morning, and then went kt to lunch so that left me a few hours in the afternoon to head out. I decided to head to a local cellar hole I've been hitting since May of 2014. This was the site I hit last week and scored some buttons and a colonial thimble. I actually went here on Friday as well but had to leave cause my detector was having some issues. I still managed to score a really nice dandy button wit with a ton of gold gilt. It was in an area with a lot of downed trees which was probably why I didn't dig it in the past, I was too lazy. Only was one inch deep. On Saturday in the same brush covered area I got a nice high tone and was surprised to dig a shot gun shell. I didn't think it was the target so I swung the detector again and got a nice shallow high tone. Too shallow perhaps cause I scratched it, a nice colonial shoe buckle frame. After that I scored some buttons, and a whats it furniture piece or something. Sunday I headed up to Massachusetts to hit a cabin site that dates back to the 17th century. I've hit this site before many times, since discovering it last fall. Some of my oldest stuff has come from this site including one of my 2 oldest coins, a 1694 halfpenny. I thought I had hit the site pretty well but still felt there was stuff there. I used Zero discrimination, a tactic I have been using lately with great success at sites I've hit before. Scored what looks to be an early button and what Ive been told is a colonial horse thing. I then dug a very early knee buckle, probably one of my favorite buckles of all time. It has an iron tongue and chape but it's all there 100% complete. Otherwise I got mostly lead but did manage a musket ball. One of my last signals was a nice high tone but it was just a memorial . I'm happy with my hunt though. Not a lot of finds but a small amount of nice ones. Happy hunting everyone!

[RIdirtdigger]

I forgot to mention that lately I have been doing some research on the site in Massachusetts. As of right now, the location of the site leads me to believe it was the home site of the 2nd settler of this particular town. Obviously I may be wrong but all signs seem to be pointing to this. I just think this is very cool knowing one of the first inhabitants of this town lived in that home (despite this town being settled late by Massachusetts standards).

[aloldstuff]

Love the buckles and buttons.....HAPPY BIRTHDAY also. Hope that site you are researching pans out.

[RIdirtdigger]

Love the buckles and buttons.....HAPPY BIRTHDAY also. Hope that site you are researching pans out.

Thank you! And the site I've been researching is the site I hit today. I've been hitting this site for over a year. So Yes it has panned out. Lol

[Digger_O'Dell]

Happy B-Day, and congrats on those "presents" you found! Looks like you had a great day. Yes, research can definitely pay off.

[Cheap Thrills]

Happy Birthday and what a great one it was . Best of luck to you on the site you are researching . Nice work on your pictures and write up .You are wise beyond your years .

[OxShoeDrew]

Nice buckles Jim and happy birthday. Intricate design on that knee buckle,

[aloldstuff]

Thank you! And the site I've been researching is the site I hit today. I've been hitting this site for over a year. So Yes it has panned out. Lol

Sorry, misread it. I'm old and confused

[10X]

Happy birthday and congrats on some great colonial finds.

[MangoAve]

Nice Dandy. You gonna clean it up more to see the gilt? Buckle is pretty nice too.
...So the area I PMed you about was prob already a site everyone knows about? (maybe you didn't correlate FB to AD)

[RIdirtdigger]

Nice Dandy. You gonna clean it up more to see the gilt? Buckle is pretty nice too.
...So the area I PMed you about was prob already a site everyone knows about? (maybe you didn't correlate FB to AD)

Thanks but I'm not sure exactly what you mean. Neither of these sites are in CT. I'm a little confused lol.

[Digger Don]

Happy Birthday.
Saturday was my Birthday as well. I turned 19 x 3

[RIdirtdigger]

And I can't really clean up the dandy any more. It had zero gilt showing when I dug it and it took a lot of aluminum jelly to make it come through. It's about as good as I can get it without the gilt being destroyed

[Isaac]

The spoon bowl is from a late 17th century trifed brass spoon bowl. Based on its size and shape.

[GA1dad]

Happy Birthday.
Saturday was my Birthday as well. I turned 19 x 3

Happy Birthday to the both of you,,, but looks like RIdirtdigger's day might have been just a liiiittle bit happier!

[del]

congrats on the shoe buckle frame and knee buckle Jim and Happy Birthday.

[RIdirtdigger]

Thanks everyone for the comments!

[Lodge Scent]

Some nice B-Day finds! Congrats. Interesting little knee buckle.

[MangoAve]

Thanks but I'm not sure exactly what you mean. Neither of these sites are in CT. I'm a little confused lol.
And I can't really clean up the dandy any more. It had zero gilt showing when I dug it and it took a lot of aluminum jelly to make it come through. It's about as good as I can get it without the gilt being destroyed

Lol. So you did realize that FB messenger was me. I was the one looking in CT. idk exactly what lead me to look a little in the RI area. It could have just been cuz lately my google maps have been putting North in a different direction when I open the app and I don't realize the direction I am actually scrolling. That point is regardless.. I just happened to see the odd tree formations that looked like they were cut for fields at some point and it was now a park. I mentioned it to you seeing if you ever looked into the area. It is quite large so I can easily see a small community was there once and cellar holes now exist.

And ok. I thought this was just cleaned with a toothbrush and maybe some peroxide. The green patina looked like it might have been hiding more as I could see some silver wash on the pattern. I didn't know how extensive you cleaned it, whether you used the aluminum jelly, and maybe the diluted CLR would have brought more silver gilt forth.

[BTV Digger]

Nice finds Jim. I use all metal mode almost exclusively went I hunt now, and turn the disc. up and down depending on whether it's trashy or not. This is a well known technique and glad you're using it and I'll definitely pay off for you. It just comes down to whether you can tolerate all the iron chatter. I'm willing to do so as this method has really helped me around "hunted out" sites. Really love the shoe buckle frame. I've yet to find one up here in all my hours of searching!

John