My Detecting Trip To Northeast Usa, Part 1 (long)

[GB_Amateur]

12 hours ago, F350Platinum said:

The brass Dandy button is mid 1700s to early 1800s. Should appear to have a soldered on shank "alpha" style, if any of it is still there. You have to really clean it to see makers marks if any. If it has a waxy smooth feel when cleaned up it is a Tombac and mostly zinc. That would indicate early to mid 1700s.

Thanks, F350P.  Yes, it did still have the remanants of the shank and I think it was soldered (but will need to take a further look; I'll ask the property owner who has it now).  As far as composition, I'm pretty sure from the look and feel that it's a copper alloy, not zinc.  I did find a zinc canning jar lid (it's in the first photo, on the left but covered by the broken milk glass liner).  That lid wasn't in very good shape which is typical of those -- I find them here at home a lot and the ones I find here are badly deteriorated.

I was hoping that large flat button was turn-of-the-Century (late 1700's / early 1800's) so thank you for confirming that.  Interesting that it was under a bush and only a few inches deep -- very loud target.  My guess is that when the bush was planted they inadvertently dug up the button and when they subsequently backfilled the hole the button ended up near the surface.  In one old photo (my guess was that the photo was taken ~1900 but could have been earlier) there is a bush right where the current one is.  I don't know if it's the same bush (how long do they live?).

[rvpopeye]

Interesting hunt.

Hope the next visit is as good ...

[Rick N. MI]

What a great hunt. Great to get out. Doesn't get any better than that.

Now get that Vaquero out and maybe you can beat that Compadre! 🙂

[F350Platinum]

10 hours ago, GB_Amateur said:

 how long do they live?

Depends on the bush. 😀 Not so sure about Yew, but American and English boxwoods last hundreds of years. They also take that long to grow. If the bush has a distinct smell (kinda like a cat box) it is a boxwood.

Yew is more common in New England, I never saw a boxwood until I moved to Virginia.

[Glenn in CO]

On 8/30/2021 at 2:51 PM, GB_Amateur said:

Some of the buckles are chrome plated which I assume (but don't really know) means they are fairly recent, meaning 20th Century.

The buckles might be nickel plated which would make them older.

Great finds and story, thanks for sharing!