Stu

Hi, that's a nice find. I have one from a clock or furniture ornament. Typically French, they are normally described as Empire period. That being (for mine and others like it) c1860ish Napeoleon III of France, rather than Napoleonic which has a different meaning. The wingspan just over 16cm

Still a nice ring. I've hit the books to try and find the engraved design - some pictures attached. The bird, which is described as a 'martlet', looks like a swallow as is a martin (but for some reason without legs?). The chapeau - I just wanted to show a couple different livery designs to put the idea across. And then the livery button of the Blake family. I couldn't find anything to figure out why that livery belonged to Blake but in the list of livery buttons I have it was a match. Possibly could be another family, but the livery looks like a match.

That's a nice ring. The engraved design looks very much like a 'livery', a design that denotes a family, perhaps a titled family but perhaps a family trying to look titled (but not) and without a full coat of arms. The chapeau, the flat type hat beneath the bird, and the bird (possibly a stylised swallow - with split forked tail) could be searched on to try and find the family. There are a few books, the best of which is called 'Fairburn's Crests' might help to narrow down the family. If you've ever found a button with a similar type on, you'd have found a 'livery button'. A few internet searches may reveal the family name linked to the livery - but it definitely looks like a livery, and nicely engraved. Possibly a seal also. Nice ring though.

Hi, these are brilliant little coils for getting in among lots of signals, I've used mine on the Laser B1 and an Outlaw. Mainly in target dense areas like old rubbish tips or bottle dumps, on stream beds - where flexibility of movement is key and school playing fields. The Tesoro 4inch coil is excellent to use and excels at fine sifting, and for the size is pretty sensitive - I always find reasonably deep for how big it is.

Hi, does look like half a womans dress buckle. I happened to have a whole buckle on my desk - took a while to find the coin for scale. Only the reverse pictured, the front could be anything, it's the rear that's the giveaway - wide loop for wide belt, tongue and loop clip.

HI, it's a 'skirt lifter' - it sounds dramatic and possibly something you might get arrested for talking about, but that's the phrase I couldn't remember. Luckily Wikipedia has a write up, but a general Google search on Victorian Skirt Lifter will bring up a variety of pictures - some simple, some more ornate. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skirt_lifter

Hi, this looks like the clip that keeps a ladies dress folds held up off the ground - so similar idea to the grip for a cape already suggested. I've completely forgotten the actual phrase that describes these things (so no useful internet links), but having found a few broken pieces of these from c1880 - c1910ish sites, from the period of fashionably puffed out and masses of material dresses that would need some adjustment dependent on the wearer etc. The loop (which would be to the top) hanging from like a waist chord or belt (hidden inside the folds of the dress so not seen from the outside). That's what this little thing looks like.

The design looks good, and it clearly works. Simple but effective. I think I'd have gone for some loops in a material strip at say 45degrees, and hung from a coat hanger - or some such - but that's just me. I am worried about those PP3 battery terminals though. Flat enough to have something fall across, they go from cold to hot very quickly. I once had one melt through my fleece coat pocket when it shorted across a stray coin. Just a thought.

Ah - you could well be right. I always thought the Mars universal stem was the same one used on the Deus. My Mars stem came from an XP Adventis so it may be different in some way,

Hi, yes you can - kind of. I did it myself back in November 2020. Its remarkably comfortable, and strong but I'm not sure if this is exactly what your question is meaning. https://www.detectorprospector.com/profile/6301-stu/content/#:~:text=minelab equinox-,Equinox S Stem Using The Mars Universal / Deus Shaft %26 Some Curtain Pole,-Stu posted a

Hi, I looked at my only reference book for American badges by Evans E Kerrigan (published 1967) thinking I has seen something similar. There are lots of bar shaped badges, lots with crossed rifles and or crossed pistols etc. and there are similar bar topped medal type badges. I took a photo of the section with the best looking shooting badges, and the text which says there were lots more - and those would warrant a book. Hope this helps.

Thanks for that. I think I was so caught up thinking it was a quarter that I hadn't looked hard enough at the half reale sizing. That's now sparked the memory that different arrangement of local currency valuation - so the 8reale was valued at near enough 5 shillings UK - continued long after in history to be the foundation of difference between the $ (US) and the £sterling. This one was pretty well in the middle of the field, but those shady areas are always looked at, and the areas where the shade used to be. Any ploughed out hedges, or any holly bushes in live hedges - which are sometimes a sign that a tree used to be nearby long ago.

For my favourite field this was the very last visit of this years season, the ploughing and seeding happening in the last few days I won't return until after whatever grows is harvested. On this last visit a few odd buttons, a couple small copper coins and a very healthy looking silver coin. Healthy being round, the older hammered silver coins when found normally a little bit clipped - and not quite round. I was nowhere near a colonial site, and for a UK find this was completely unexpected. I was suddenly taken to being on a quest to find some Discovery channel lost treasure. The pillars and crown much seen on the detector prospector forum as the sought after reale - but this one a fraction of some kind, and I suspect a quarter reale? Date looks to be 1802. The mint mark only partial, perhaps an R, but the coin diameter 16mm - very much the same size as a British 3d (3 old pence, or quarter shilling). None of my books has anything much on Spanish coins (not really found much over here) - so any expert help appreciated. Close up pictures, threepence 16mm coin is laying over the top and the edge of the Spanish silver is just visible at the top. ?

Hi, yes Victoria 1900 six pence will be .925 silver. The British silver coins dropped to .500 in 1920 then no silver in 1947 - both dates significant as a couple years after the end of the respective World Wars and the same reason - to help pay the war debt.

Hi, so that has all the basic appearances of a piece of 'sword belt hanging furniture'. The best pictures of these are in reference books that are all in copyright still, but there are a few similar to be found doing an internet search. The main feature is a swirly leafy shape, small fixing holes near the extremities forming a triangle, and an uplift to the part that has snapped off that would have been a flattened hook - in essence your picture is upside down to how it would have been worn performing its function. https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/358176976593006761/ This was the best online picture I could find quickly, but for the items you are finding - all of which are something - I would recommend a book such as 'Identifying Metal Artefacts: No1' by Brian Read. At the same time period in England not everybody would have worn a dagger or sword so finding a piece like this is a vague clue to social class - and always a good sign for higher value (coinage etc.) losses. It may have been different in the early colonies - I guess everybody would have worn a sword? One thing is for sure over here, for the type and size of small silver coins in use and tiny artefacts, and parts of artefacts - headphones needed for sure. Difficult to explain exactly how or why, it isn't about volume, but the sound just comes to life more. Stu

Hi, the little brass item is a harness/belt stud or decoration. They are essentially small shiny brass shapes sometimes silver plated, sometimes tin or white metal plated, to decorate up a leather belt and would normally have 2 hooked tangs on the back to fix in leather a bit like a staple. One of the tangs is broken on yours - not uncommon and sometimes part of the reason they fell off. Typically they range in date from the 1600's but are difficult to pin down exactly in time as like all things like that they were used over a long period. Shapes vary, but they are good sign of age and people - as are all the other bits you are finding. Can you do a close up of the flowery/leafy/scroll curvy type thing? This looks like something that has a name, but a close up would be good to see to be sure. Stu

Hi Tim I use the 6inch coil nearly all the time, and I also noticed it seems better with the sensitivity down to mid teens or lower. It may just be the ground but it seemed to work better. I completely agree a site is never worked out. I see the suggestion of aerial photos has just been made, on a similar line can you access maps going back over time. Along with building changes sometimes subtle things change like entrances and pathways. Any old trees that used to be there (back in 1915) for which there may be no obvious sign nowadays. Any outdoor seating. If there is a water run off, is it near the school or is there a channel leading to it. Children love to jump these things and have the coins shake out their pockets when they land - both now and in the past. Best of luck on your quest.

A very interesting read, and some great depth of thought going on. I do have to wonder why a cheap and easy plug and play S shaft solution isn't on the market yet - and I'm thinking along the lines of adapting the right size alloy tube with a pipe bender, and drill. A solution that's already in use (it's out there on the web somewhere). For some it makes no difference either way (straight or S). For me a vintage arm injury, and just what might be termed 'muscle memory' - and that's not just arm muscle, but eyes watching the ground and feet movement in relation to slow and low coil sweep. As a very awkward customer S shaft works for me - so I made my own using what I had to hand - after all wood is the original carbon fibre Equinox S Stem Using The Mars Universal / Deus Shaft & Some Curtain Pole

Hi Steven, yes I still have this, it has pride of place in my box of odd things.

I exclusively use wired headphones. The thought of a wireless link, the adding complexity to a complex system for me gives more concern than any benefit it might bring. The connection by wire gives good sound, and never fails. I've never tripped on a headphone cable yet!

Model coin included for scale (top right copper coin 10mm diameter). These tiny little silver coins are difficult comprehend when clean, let alone when still mixed with mud. The smallest (the rosette one) is a half penny of James 1st about 1620, others are a bit earlier.

Nice coin. Charles II from 1670s. The edge should read Carolvs a Carolo (Charles twice). These were made from a particular copper, from memory mined from Welsh copper mines - and they normally go a distinctive pink colour (some of which you have on the edges of yours). Minted somewhere from 1672 to 1679.

Hi, just for a bit of added interest a book from the same era, or probably just after 1941. I've never seen one of those medals in the UK so I wonder if they may have been a part of a wider wartime propaganda effort from before the end of 1941 - to try and promote more understanding or feeling of partnership.

Thanks Steve, good link and good to see another. I tried an internet search - but its one of those things with getting the words just right. Stu

OK so gold nuggets may be the wrong phrase. I'm not quite sure on the words as mainly detect muddy fields looking for old silver coins. I also look for coins in sales and antique shops and I bought this some years ago with some quite nice US silver coins in a lot that all came together. The coins were unusual in that I don't see many good US coins from the 1860's. I put this little locket to one side and didn't give it much thought. Then tidying some things together I looked at it again - and realised that the glass is old, it has degraded. And the contents are tiny bits of gold. The frame I guess is also gold, but no hallmarks so only a guess. It is well made and holds together with a tiny fixing screw. Has anyone seen one of these before? Is it just a common bit of prospecting 'look what I found in California' item, or did the prospectors sell these to the tourists - a bit like opal (and gold) in Australian airports. Is it just me that has never seen one of these before?