All Buttoned Up This Week

[F350Platinum]

Looks like everybody had a good weekend! I really appreciate the folks who post finds from this fascinating hobby. Being one of the more prolific, it's nice to see others. 🙂 Some of you are tough acts to follow. 😀

Detected Friday and today, two different places. Friday I went to my oldest permission, only got to spend about 4 hours there. Didn't get much but got another huge Dandy button, always a thrill for me.

Couple of wheats, drawer pulls, a thimble and a very tiny two hole button. The Dandy has a sun pattern, didn't notice it until I cleaned it up.

Today, I invited a friend along, he wasn't feeling well but managed to get a few cool things. I, on the other hand, was on fire. Yikes! All small stuff but couldn't be more thrilled with the day.

Got there early, it was kinda cold and cloudy. Part of my "luck" if you will is learned land reading, having detected in this area for a couple of years. Today I decided to start at the very edge of this field, and walk along it moving inward, the theory being that in early times when plowing, the farmer would turn at the edges, popping buttons and dropping stuff.

It paid off. Got about 3 buttons, a Buffalo nickel (no date), and a small pierced medal exactly the size of a nickel that has a scene on it:

Not sure what it is, nothing on the back. Could have some religious significance, but it's very old.

One of the buttons looks like Tombac and has "Standard" on the back.

Got a very tiny cuff button with a pattern:

And a mangled flat button.

Next we went to a previously searched area that turned up some cool really old stuff, last week I found a Civil War era button and a small Masonic medal. Thought we'd find a few more items. There is a lot of iron, so I switched to Silver Slayer for a bit, and got an 1875 IHP.

Here I also dug this button:

It says "Wellington London Made". Nothing on the front.

Using Silver Slayer I got the strange object that I think is a rein guide, it seems to allow a rein to be drawn through but cinches it should it be pulled back or the reverse. The "Flapper" in the center appears to have been plated, either silver or nickel:

I'm only assuming the use of this device. Any other ideas?

We took a lunch break, and then headed over to the other side of the farm where the finds are more mid to late 1800s, buttons and such. I got a Cavalry "C" button and a Trime there not too long ago. Got a lock slide, a concave button, and an 1879 IHP:

The concave button is odd, never seen one like this before.

Right after I dug the lock slide I was going up the side of the hill to where the barn was, and got a solid 85, my best find of the day:

Hollow back shankless Virginia button, probably pre-Civil War. I found two of these last spring, one was Civil War, the other like this one but badly corroded. This one is incredible.

Edit: forgot to post the trash. Stuff like this doesn't come easy.

[schoolofhardNox]

Man that '75 Indian is gorgeous. I wouldn't use anything on that but a toothpick, dry only. The Virginia button is sweet too. Great stuff. The reins guide is a Terret, sometimes called a fly terret. The are a lot of discussions about what it's use is.  From superstition and evil spirits, to keeping flies away, mimicking the shimmer of a flies enemy's wing, to purely decorative hardware. Nice finds.

[F350Platinum]

11 minutes ago, schoolofhardNox said:

Man that '75 Indian is gorgeous. I wouldn't use anything on that but a toothpick, dry only. The Virginia button is sweet too. Great stuff. The reins guide is a Terret, sometimes called a fly terret. The are a lot of discussions about what it's use is.  From superstition and evil spirits, to keeping flies away, mimicking the shimmer of a flies enemy's wing, to purely decorative hardware. Nice finds.

Thanks! Led me right to this:

https://www.nationalhorsebrasssociety.org.uk/Core/Horse-Brass/Pages/terrets_swingers-32387.aspx

I stand corrected. 😀

[GB_Amateur]

You're really advancing in your finds.  I attribute that to improved technique.

The token/medal appears to have a ship with three smokestacks with what look like a couple palm trees.  Even if so I still don't know what they mean.  I agree with school that the 1875 IHC appears to be in excellent condition.  That's one a person could drop the value considerably by poor cleaning/restoration methods, but I'm sure that's not you.

 

[dsb]

Great stuff! the small medal looks like a ship, maybe the USS Maine?

[F350Platinum]

4 minutes ago, GB_Amateur said:

You're really advancing in your finds.  I attribute that to improved technique.

The token/medal appears to have a ship with three smokestacks with what look like a couple palm trees.  Even if so I still don't know what they mean.  I agree with school that the 1875 IHC appears to be in excellent condition.  That's one a person could drop the value considerably by poor cleaning/restoration methods, but I'm sure that's not you.

 

Thanks GB,

That little medallion is a mystery for sure. I had your thought of a steamship, they were common here. It could also be a bunch of people in a canoe. 😀 It's a shame time/environment were cruel to it.

I'm not taking any chances with IHPs these days, just lightly wiped it and photographed it as is. When I find that 1877, I'll be even more careful! 🙂

[F350Platinum]

38 minutes ago, NAGANT said:

Great stuff! the small medal looks like a ship, maybe the USS Maine?

That's the hard part, but yes you might have something there. 🤔 Looks like 3 smokestacks on mine tho.

[F350Platinum]

Here's a link for info on the Virginia button:

https://www.virginiarelics.com/brands/virginia-relics/product/pc4752-2/

[strick]

Lots of digging there...you earned those fabulous finds...nice work 350. Liking the Virginia button esp.

strick

[Valens Legacy]

Great finds is all anyone can say about it.

Very nice job on saving the relics and IH, wish you more luck on your next hunt.