Finally Got Out And Hit A Hammered Spanish Trail Site

[Cal_Cobra]

1 hour ago, Chase Goldman said:

Yep.  Different back mark though.  So likely made by a different button manufacturer.

It is slightly different, different back mark as you noted, and the button on their site appears to be a one piece, whereas mine is a two piece (which would lead me to believe their one piece is an early version, and mine is a later version as two piece buttons started to come into use).  Also of note is that mine has a twisted rope border whereas their example is plain.  Aside from that the button design is identical, leaving little doubt on the King William IV attribution IMHO.

Interestingly this desert site has produced quite a wide variety of buttons from all around the world.  It was a Spanish outpost, on both an emigrant route and ancient trade route, and there was a trading post either on the site (which we suspect) or nearby that's now inaccessible.  What's fun (to me at least) about this site, is that when Tom and I discovered it about ten years or so ago, we believe it was a virgin site.  For some reason this site just spoke to me, probably due to it's colorful and dark history, and given its seemingly virgin site status, I worked out a deal with Tom ($$$) to keep all the finds so that we could have a fully intact historical context of the site.  It was never an easy site to work, there's been plenty of trips where Tom or I  dug no coins, but always relics.  Tom hasn't been that interested in it for a while because it can be a punishing site.  He seems to favor virgin sites with no modern trash and where the finds are just jumping out of the ground 🧐  Who doesn't, but I'm not afraid to work a site that's interesting to me, and this site has produced a lot of finds over the years.  Dozens of seated silver coins including some high value ones and a mystery seated dime button cache, a rare gold coin, lots of buttons, buckles, some Indian trade silver and Indian trade beads, and Spanish era artifacts such as a myriad of religious medallions, Phoenix buttons, and reales, on to Mexican era coins, and into the Western era.  You rarely find anything past the 19th century there when the site effectively ceased usage.   To me the site has an untold story to tell,  telling it one find at a time.  Eventually I plan to exhibit the collection of artifacts from this site as a whole in my man cave (if I ever get one haha). 

[Tom_in_CA]

2 hours ago, Cal_Cobra said:

The button mystery has been solved, a forum member on another forum nailed it:

https://www.batesandhindmarch.com/product/william-iv-period-court-dress-button-fire-gilt-23mm/

Turns out to be a King William IV court dress button.  King William only ruled from 1830-1837, which dates nicely to this site.

 

 

I keep telling you that there's nothing left at this site.   But now that you've pulled this "one last button", I revise my statement to :  NOW (after this final button) the place is finally worked out.  🤔

 

So now that the site is cleaned out,  can we PPUULLEEAASSEEEEeee move on to other sites now ?   haha 

[Doc Bach]

21 minutes ago, Cal_Cobra said:

It is slightly different, different back mark as you noted, and the button on their site appears to be a one piece, whereas mine is a two piece (which would lead me to believe their one piece is an early version, and mine is a later version as two piece buttons started to come into use).  Also of note is that mine has a twisted rope border whereas their example is plain.  Aside from that the button design is identical, leaving little doubt on the King William IV attribution IMHO.

Interestingly this desert site has produced quite a wide variety of buttons from all around the world.  It was a Spanish outpost, on both an emigrant route and ancient trade route, and there was a trading post either on the site (which we suspect) or nearby that's now inaccessible.  What's fun (to me at least) about this site, is that when Tom and I discovered it about ten years or so ago, we believe it was a virgin site.  For some reason this site just spoke to me, probably due to it's colorful and dark history, and given its seemingly virgin site status, I worked out a deal with Tom ($$$) to keep all the finds so that we could have a fully intact historical context of the site.  It was never an easy site to work, there's been plenty of trips where Tom or I  dug no coins, but always relics.  Tom hasn't been that interested in it for a while because it can be a punishing site.  He seems to favor virgin sites with no modern trash and where the finds are just jumping out of the ground 🧐  Who doesn't, but I'm not afraid to work a site that's interesting to me, and this site has produced a lot of finds over the years.  Dozens of seated silver coins including some high value ones and a mystery seated dime button cache, a rare gold coin, lots of buttons, buckles, some Indian trade silver and Indian trade beads, and Spanish era artifacts such as a myriad of religious medallions, Phoenix buttons, and reales, on to Mexican era coins, and into the Western era.  You rarely find anything past the 19th century there when the site effectively ceased usage.   To me the site has an untold story to tell,  telling it one find at a time.  Eventually I plan to exhibit the collection of artifacts from this site as a whole in my man cave (if I ever get one haha). 

I hit the like button but the fact of the matter is that I am envious of your site beyond words in addition to all of your notable great finds their must be some amazing iron relics and tools such as small Spanish pump drill bits a common trade item and shards to some serious early pontiled bottles being dug as well.D.B.

[Cal_Cobra]

1 hour ago, Doc Bach said:

I hit the like button but the fact of the matter is that I am envious of your site beyond words in addition to all of your notable great finds their must be some amazing iron relics and tools such as small Spanish pump drill bits a common trade item and shards to some serious early pontiled bottles being dug as well.D.B.

Hi Doc Bach,
We do see some old broken glass, but more pottery and porcelain.  I'm sharing photos of the all the finds from just this trip, including the iron implements I dug (except the first iron hook item that was dug a while ago, but is interesting).  I'm sure if one wanted to kill themselves digging iron, there's more interesting relics to be found.

No idea what this hand forged item is (Lincoln cent for scale):

A few Indian trade items from this trip: trade silver snippet, cobalt blue faceted bead, opal glass blown bead and an Indian trade ring:

Surface finds: pottery, doll head parts, and a piece of blue and white porcelain (no idea what the red bit is?):

The trips take for the seemingly endless supply of ammunition shells, some lead, rivets, and whatnot:

Here's some iron implements that were dug on this trip.  The item on the far left appears to be a knife blade, perhaps for shaving?  There's a chisel, iron garment buckle, a button hook, part of scissors or shears, a square nail that's been fashioned into a hook, and some kind of keeper on the far right:

The obligatory harmonica reeds, and I thought the quart pieces might be knapped (Lincoln cent for scale):

[Doc Bach]

Thanks for sharing Cal Cobra and Tom all of things that blow my skirt up so to speak keep at it and do whatever it takes to keep it on the sly.