Hit a town poor farm today - a few relics and a very nice 2 center

[BTV Digger]

Hi all. Well, after a much needed 2 week vacation to California, I'm back home in northern New England. Problem is, I work 13 out of the next 14 days (self-induced pain I might add - covering for others' vacation now ). Since this was the only day I could get some solid detecting in I was out the door at 600 am sharp. Started at the place I nabbed the strange Egyptian coin several weeks back and within 5 minutes a car pulled up and stopped. Only a few camps on this old road, and lo and behold it was one of the owners. Had a great chat with him and after a few minutes he told me about an old cellar hole back up in the woods on his property that was once the Town Poor Farm back in the 1800s and to have at it. I'd seen this spot on the 1857 map, but figured 1) I'd have to find the property owner at some point, and 2) those old maps aren't always accurate and if I was successful on #1 I'd also need to do some serious searching. Well, problem solved my friends! He pointed me right to it - about 300 yds back into the woods. Spent most of the morning there (~ 4 hours). Finds were fairly thin, but I did nab a few nice keepers including an intact ball button and a really sharp looking 1865 2 center. Also pulled a decent looking suspender clip along with a few other relics. Bazinga of the day was the item at lower left on the green felt in the wide shot. Only the top (green portion) was sticking out of the dirt when it popped out and I was sure I'd nabbed another largie. What disappointment! I just had to laugh. Thickness on the edge is exactly the same as a braided hair LC and rang up a 75. Go figure. As a side note, I hear sometimes those ball buttons are referred to as Zuoave Buttons from the Civil War, but looking online, there's also references to just plain ball buttons. Any way to know one way or the other? Experts, chime is as time permits!

John

[Tony Two-Cent]

You made good use of your detecting day! How fortuitous that the landowner directed you to the exact spot of the poor farm. You got some nice period relics and a really sharp 2 Cent Piece!

That green edge would have fooled me too. What a heart breaker! At least you found some goodies to make up for it.

[del]

Great day John , I recommend hitting that place again in the fall after the ferns die back as it will open some areas up for you and again in the spring . This will mat all the leaves down and show you the subtle pathways and out building "foot-prints" squarish rock outlines . Congrats on the 2 cent coin and the relics and don't work that hard the next week or so !

[Lodge Scent]

Good digs John. Nice looking 2-center. It that a tap in the upper right?

[BTV Digger]

You made good use of your detecting day! How fortuitous that the landowner directed you to the exact spot of the poor farm. You got some nice period relics and a really sharp 2 Cent Piece!

That green edge would have fooled me too. What a heart breaker! At least you found some goodies to make up for it.

Thanks Tony! Indeed it was fortuitous. I haven't posted the Youtube video yet, but in it I just start laughing after I called LC and out pops that bazinga. That was only 15 minutes after finding the 2 center, so a gentle humbling, though humorous reminder not to get overly confident in this hobby!

Great day John , I recommend hitting that place again in the fall after the ferns die back as it will open some areas up for you and again in the spring . This will mat all the leaves down and show you the subtle pathways and out building "foot-prints" squarish rock outlines . Congrats on the 2 cent coin and the relics and don't work that hard the next week or so !

Will do Dan and thanks for the congrats. The bugs at that place were also near intolerable. I'll definitely be back later in the year. A very large complex, with a few more good targets likely lurking.

Good digs John. Nice looking 2-center. It that a tap in the upper right?

Thanks Jeff. Yeah, a white metal (lead alloy) barrel/keg tap. Probably 1800s, though arguably into the first decade of the 20th century. That's when the poor farm was in use.

[Digger_O'Dell]

Lots of very cool finds. That 2 cent piece is a nice one! Great score on that suspended buckle and ball button.

[calabash digger]

great find! looks like a great spot.

[BTV Digger]

Lots of very cool finds. That 2 cent piece is a nice one! Great score on that suspended buckle and ball button.

Thanks much D O'D!

great find! looks like a great spot.

Thanks CD!

[DavidGC]

So, now the landowners come to you to give their permissions? Nice!

Don't bother going back, John. After seeing that beautiful 2-center, I went over there and got everything. Nothing left. No reason to visit. Just move along.

Seriously, nice coin (and the bazanga video had me totally fooled, too).

[Digger_O'Dell]

Bazinga? Starting to sound like the Hoover Boys!

[aloldstuff]

John, welcome back and sorry to hear about your self-induced work schedule. Its been quite awhile since I've gotten a 2 cent but the 2 that I do have are both 1865. Yours looks very nice.

[BTV Digger]

So, now the landowners come to you to give their permissions? Nice!

Don't bother going back, John. After seeing that beautiful 2-center, I went over there and got everything. Nothing left. No reason to visit. Just move along.

Seriously, nice coin (and the bazanga video had me totally fooled, too).

Ha ha! Thanks much my friend. If we hit that site again at some point I'll show you where it is. Its an impressively large structure.

Bazinga? Starting to sound like the Hoover Boys!

Agreed! It sorta just came out spontaneously when I was filming the dig and I guess it stuck!

John, welcome back and sorry to hear about your self-induced work schedule. Its been quite awhile since I've gotten a 2 cent but the 2 that I do have are both 1865. Yours looks very nice.

Thanks much Al. I've been lucky to find 3 over the past 5 years since I've started detecting - the first two before I joined the forum (2 1865s and an 1864). This one is definitely in the best shape of the three.

[Digger Don]

Great bunch of finds John. Love that 2 Center!!
Could you send me a PM and tell me how I can get the home owners to come to me. I havent been able to figure that one out yet

Great Hunt!!

[OxShoeDrew]

Wow, John...good looking site! I'm on vacation now in Cali!

[MangoAve]

Nice two center. Grats on that find. I've had plenty of let downs with brass discs fooling me. No one chimed in. It looks like a zouave by the shape and shank. The relicman site doesn't specify how they knew a ball button was used as a zouave or bullet button or cadet. They were actually made pre-cw. One thing I have states 1812-1830. The relicman site states most are 1830s (like the tail end of my first reference) and a few from the 1840's. The two I found along with my trime were about the same as your button. I think mine say extra rich on the back. Does yours have some back mark?

[BTV Digger]

Wow, John...good looking site! I'm on vacation now in Cali!

Thanks Drew. How funny. Enjoy the Golden State!

Nice two center. Grats on that find. I've had plenty of let downs with brass discs fooling me. No one chimed in. It looks like a zouave by the shape and shank. The relicman site doesn't specify how they knew a ball button was used as a zouave or bullet button or cadet. They were actually made pre-cw. One thing I have states 1812-1830. The relicman site states most are 1830s (like the tail end of my first reference) and a few from the 1840's. The two I found along with my trime were about the same as your button. I think mine say extra rich on the back. Does yours have some back mark?

Thanks much Jim. I was thinking 1830-1850 as well. No backmark on it, just a plain Jane. I think the time period you state is a good guess. Civil War??? Hard to prove.

[chief5709]

Hey John, nice outing. Congrats on the two-center, its a nice one. Like the tap too! haven't found one of those yet.