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Confederate Bucket Lister On Improbable February Pa Relic Hunt


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6 minutes ago, Chase Goldman said:

It is a 2-piece button with a tin or iron back which corrodes easily making it very fragile.  Not uncommon for these to simply disintegrate upon recovery or during restoration. Sealing it up soonest as-is to preserve its integrity.

Ok, Its a nice one and it look like a one piece.. Few weeks ago I dug one and it was a one piece, But I all most cry when I pop it out of the hole, broke it with the shovel...

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1 hour ago, DetectorMoe said:

Ok, Its a nice one and it look like a one piece.. Few weeks ago I dug one and it was a one piece, But I all most cry when I pop it out of the hole, broke it with the shovel...

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Oh man, that is a heartbreaker.  Mine looks like corroded hell on the back and no shank.

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More great finds for you Chase, what year is the dime.

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Just curious, Chase.  How does a 1944 (well-worn) Mercury dime end up on a Civil War battlefield?

 

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13 hours ago, GB_Amateur said:

Just curious, Chase.  How does a 1944 (well-worn) Mercury dime end up on a Civil War battlefield?

 

Actually, the more pertinent question is how both Union and Confederate civil war military artifacts are showing up in a nondescript corn field up on a hill in the middle of a small, rural Pennsylvania town 30 miles from the nearest known major Civil War engagement and north of the Mason-Dixon line.  The non-military artifacts we have recovered like the hundreds of coins ranging from the mid-1700's all the way up to modern clad and just about everything in between including Spanish and Mexican silver, early 19th century US silver, and early mid-19th century US and Mexican gold coins, 19th and 20th century buried coin caches in glass jars, gold and silver rings, spoons, apothecary weights, colonial era tombac flat buttons, crotal bells, zippo lighters, modern bullets, and aluminum cans all reflect the normal comings and goings of a vibrant small, rural colonial Pennsylvania town and the various long gone home and business structures that likely stood near a probable center of commerce and a number of homes with great views of the surrounding countryside.

This is where the archaeological detective work aspect of metal detecting (which I enjoy) comes into play as we have speculated on how those CW items got there.  It is probably not a battle engagement site but a likely picket/observation post that both armies probably utilized  due to the tactical advantage of the terrain.  It was gentle sloping high ground with road access (the road likely existing since colonial times) ready access to water and enabled the occupants to observe the nearby major railroad stop without being observed themselves.  It is possible that before and after Gettysburg, the local area was regularly guarded by Union troops, likely cavalry based on the military artifacts found (carbine bullets, military Eagle "R" and "C" buttons typically worn by cavalry) and it is also possible that Confederate cavalry raids by units from JEB Stuart's Confederate Cavalry Division "visited" the town, and the area is near a known retreat path for Confederate infantry divisions following the battle of Gettysburg (which might explain the "I" button).  Very few fired CW bullets and glass have been recovered CW artifacts are concentrated in relatively small area of the property.  Nearby "surveys" of neighboring farms have yielded no civil war stuff.  This indicates that it was likely neither an engagement site nor a long term encampment (encampment sites would have a lot more period trash and even fired bullets as units typically set up firing ranges at long term encampment sites for target practice).  

The variety of possible finds is why I refer to this site as a metal detectorist's amusement park as you can find just about anything of interest to most detectorists here including some rare CW military cartridge box and belt plates and buttons for both Confederate and Union troops.  I love getting invited to this site and have to have something really pressing in "real life" to turn down the rare invitation to visit.

So, in summary, we know how the Merc got there (just like any other lost coin like the SLQ I recovered at the previous visit), it is a mystery how the civil war stuff got there, but we have a pretty good idea why and how.

The site resides on a plowed field, so we are just going to enjoy it as long as the farmer keeps moving long buried targets up nearer the surface with the plow and disc.

HTH 

 

 

 

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Things are starting to peter out for the season.  Need a good spring plowing :smile:

But still managed a few keepers including a 1901 V nickle, minie balls, and a couple flat buttons (red background below) .  Orx still getting it done...

This site has been an amazing find in itself.  My finds over the past several visits.  Most recovered using Deus/Orx, but that large Eagle Plate, some of the silvers, coppers, buttons, brass and bullets were also recovered with my trusty Equinox (I'd say a little less than 20% of the total finds shown).  Deus/Orx seems to tolerate the iron, mineralization, and aluminum junk better (foil is much more spread out from brass on Orx, TID wise) so that has been my go to lately as the site has gotten more stingy.

Anyway, enjoy the pics.

 

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That was a great hunt Chase!  Nice array of finds,  your riker case is getting full,  congrats on the sweet bucket lister! 

That's an impossible find out west. 

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9 hours ago, Cal_Cobra said:

That was a great hunt Chase!  Nice array of finds,  your riker case is getting full,  congrats on the sweet bucket lister! 

That's an impossible find out west. 

Thanks.  Yeah, regarding the case, since each visit there has resulted in walking away with something interesting, I decided to see what it looked like gathered all in one place so I threw it in the largest riker I had and was surprised that it filled it.   Probably the most productive site per sq. yard that I have access to.

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