Head scratcher relics from a modern soccer field complex

[BTV Digger]

So I decided to poke around in a portion of some modern soccer fields this past Friday evening in a location where my son and I surprisingly found an early 1800s flat button last year. The site has 15 fields (big complex), the field where I found the button being across the street from an early to mid 1800s house, behind a row of thick cedars. No structures shown on this side of the road on any of the old maps, but what the heck, I decided to give it a go seeing there were no games scheduled that evening and I had found the early flat button there. Knew I'd most likely pull modern pull-tabs/clad etc, but seeing I was detecting out on the playing field figured I'd dig any non-ferrous signal figuring most of the pull tabs/clad would be on the sidelines where folks stand. First signal out of the ground was a ladies heart-shaped boot heel with shiny black patina. "What on Earth?" I say. "Why is this stuff here?". Proceeded to my next target, a musket ball, then a Lewis & Tomes early 1800s flat button pops out of my third hole about 10 feet away, again with the same nice shiny black patina. Next found some sort of strange washer, deep...9 inches but not sure of its age. Don't think it's a hem weight but could be I guess. Last mystery item was a brass tag that reads King Bros 858 (blank on back). Anyone care to holler on the identity of that please chime in. I know there was a circus in the 1940s to 1960s or so called King Bros Circus, but this could be something older. Just not sure after coming up blank on my online research. Did find a few modern clad coins, and my token Red Sox earring...seem to find at least one of those every year.
Biggest mystery to me is why is this stuff here? Was there an old barn there and not mapped, or was this stuff buried in some modern fill they brought in when constructing the fields (c. 1985)? Just don't know. Found the boot heel right in front of where the goalie stands. This is why I love MD so much, especially in New England. Everything here has a history and is old. Just some random relics from a random field. Go figure. I'll be heading back at some point. Thanks for reading and best regards.

John

 

[chief5709]

The King Bros tag definitely looks like a cow tag. There is a King Bros. Dairy in New York (Saratoga area).

 

[OxShoeDrew]

I'm not certain that heart plate is a ladies heel plate as I've read that it might have been poker related.
I've also read it may have been ladies in the oldest profession leaving their "calling card" in the sand or dirt. So maybe somebody will chime in who knows for certain. But, I personally think they were worn by men because of where I find them. I've only found those heart plates in the middle of farm fields, nowhere near buildings or towns...and the size of mine seem man sized. I didn't know they had numbers on them! Go Sawxs!

 

[Lodge Scent]

That is a nice cow tag. I like the heel plate too (if that's what it is). Drew has put forth some interesting alternate theories on the seedier origins of those heart shaped plates :crazy:, oops I meant :thinkingabout:. The single heart shaped plate that I have is small, even smaller than yours. I always thought it was from a child's shoe. But I guess it could have been from some poker playing, petite lady of the evening :dontknow:

 

[Isaac]

Love that heel plate! Seems there's stuff everywhere you walk in New England!!!

 

[Full Metal Digger]

The heel plate is from a Union soldier boot. It's actually a clover leaf but it looks like a heart. Lot's of pictures and background of them via Google. Great finds, HH, Dave.

 

[Isaac]

The heel plate is from a Union soldier boot. It's actually a clover leaf but it looks like a heart. Lot's of pictures and background of them via Google. Great finds, HH, Dave.

Someone told me they were plates from boots from prostitutes around the civil war time, they'd leave a trail with that impression for soldiers and other men to follow. :lol: But either way, civil war era find for sure!

 

[BTV Digger]

The King Bros tag definitely looks like a cow tag. There is a King Bros. Dairy in New York (Saratoga area).

Yeah I came across that reference as well. Started operation in 1932, so perhaps a more "modern" dairy tag.

John

 

[BTV Digger]

I'm not certain that heart plate is a ladies heel plate as I've read that it might have been poker related.
I've also read it may have been ladies in the oldest profession leaving their "calling card" in the sand or dirt. So maybe somebody will chime in who knows for certain. But, I personally think they were worn by men because of where I find them. I've only found those heart plates in the middle of farm fields, nowhere near buildings or towns...and the size of mine seem man sized. I didn't know they had numbers on them! Go Sawxs!

Thanks for the input Drew. Yes, I'm probably not sure either, but have come across other references that definitively say it's not from a man's boot, or a soldier boot so not sure. Certainly mid to late 1800s though.

John

 

[BTV Digger]

Someone told me they were plates from boots from prostitutes around the civil war time, they'd leave a trail with that impression for soldiers and other men to follow. :lol: But either way, civil war era find for sure!

I've heard those old stories as well! Probably just stories though. Thanks for the nice comments.

John

 

[del]

John with all that old activity in that field it could only be one of two things .
Dirt or topsoil was trucked in for the field (it would be nice to know just where it came from) or there was an old home very near that location that someone either moved or took down before being on any maps . keep detecting it until the finds stop , it sounds like your going to hit some old coins there pretty soon.

Dan

 

[Bell-Two]

The beauty of this hobby you just never know what will come from the dirt. I think the heel plate story is just that not very logical to think a potential "John" would go out to look for a heel print to follow.

 

[MangoAve]

Check the historical aerial if you can. You might be able to tell how the ground looked back in the 30's and might see a barn. Does it look like it has been graded to make the field or just one side/corner/half built up or removed to make it flat? Maybe that's the way to tell if it was original dirt or fill. Either way you still got some good items and sounds like there isn't much trash in the area so keep hitting it.

The heel plate is from a Union soldier boot. It's actually a clover leaf but it looks like a heart. Lot's of pictures and background of them via Google. Great finds, HH, Dave.

I have actually seen some with a three leaf clover, BUT, in the same pic there was also the boot plate with the heart shape. It was listed as you said as a CW soldier heel plate. There is a star, heart, cross, clover, and a few others. Again, the google results on this comp vary from what I found before so I cant quite copy the link I found showing six or eight plate styles in the same pic.

Someone told me they were plates from boots from prostitutes around the civil war time, they'd leave a trail with that impression for soldiers and other men to follow. But either way, civil war era find for sure!

I'm not certain that heart plate is a ladies heel plate as I've read that it might have been poker related.
I've also read it may have been ladies in the oldest profession leaving their "calling card" in the sand or dirt. So maybe somebody will chime in who knows for certain. But, I personally think they were worn by men because of where I find them. I've only found those heart plates in the middle of farm fields, nowhere near buildings or towns...and the size of mine seem man sized. I didn't know they had numbers on them! Go Sawxs!

Drew and Issac, you must have both watched the same movie. :lol: I vaguely remember seeing this on the TV screen somewhere, sometime. Yup, definitely CW and as I found OL it was a soldier heel plate. Ref the above comment.