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
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