F350Platinum

5 hours ago, GB_Amateur said:

And no sign of it having broken off? 

 

It sheared off rather cleanly, must have taken quite some force. This photo shows the base of it. No sign of being sawn or clipped, just broken. I have no idea how brittle bronze can be. It's solid all the way through. I'm considering grinding it flat and tapping it for a double ended screw of some sort, then matching it with a wood staff after polishing it.

5 minutes ago, Rick N. MI said:

What is that knob thing in the top right corner? It looks interesting.

I posted it before, guesses are a broken bedpost finial, a cane topper, or a curtain rod end. It weighs about 8 ounces, and appears to be solid bronze or brass. It has no attachment point at its base, no evidence of screw or hole for a rod. It seems a French design, having a row of Fleur de Lis at the base. I also thought at first it was an ox knob but for the same reasons it isn't. 🤔 It's probably going to end up a cane topper, I'm getting old! 😀 That is of course if I decide it isn't worth anything.

Finally finished a grid search of an 1800s house site on the farm in front of my house. Yesterday was in the 50s, but there was a cold 20mph wind blowing the whole time. I had set up the coordinates in Tect-O-Trak based on some stakes in the field that were really old, and searched around it before beginning to verify, literally found nothing outside the plot I set. I was kinda disappointed that I didn't find more stuff but what I did find was pretty cool for someone new to this. As seen in the photo I only found two coins, a Buffalo Nickel with no date, and a 1930 wheat penny. The Eagle D button (not shown) and the bulb-shaped object were the most interesting, as is the horse rein guide (thanks to Georgiadigger who identified it for someone in another post). I had a guest who may identify himself at some point, he found some interesting things too. Mostly I found roof metal and steel, and some tin cans. It was a very trashy site. The bottle cap is from a bottle of Phenobarbital ca. 1941. Yikes! Strong contrast to the 16/1700s finds on the other side of the road. Headed back there soon. Oh, and I found a LOT of those brass grommets 😀

I find a lot of ammo in my area from old to new. Lots of old shotgun shells and pellets. Found a .44 magnum shell a while back! People aren't supposed to hunt with long guns or handguns here, but often use a handgun to "finish". Now you've got me interested in the history of it!

8 hours ago, GB_Amateur said:

In 1861 the two existing U.S. Dragoon regiments were re-designated as the 1st and 2nd Cavalry...

 

Hey GB,

I read this as well, so I researched "Virginia Dragoons". I found records of units named as such (Light Dragoons, etc.) that existed as late as 1916, a few units close to this area. One article mentioned that after units were reorganized to the 1st and 2nd Cav, soldiers still added their old Dragoon buttons to their uniforms. I wonder if The Confederacy recognized these reorganizations anyway 😀

The top photo is from McGuinn/Bazelon "American Military Button Makers and Dealers; Their Backmarks & Dates". Managed to get a brand new updated hardcover edition (2006) after I found my WW1 button. A guy in Virginia was selling them for $25! Imagine my surprise when I saw the very backmark photo in the book!

It's sad it's so mangled.

Thanks!

The thrill for me is being able to identify it, mangled as it is. It is my second two-piece find, I found a Horstmann WW1 jacket button in my back yard on the first day of metal detecting with my Ace 400. Now I need to figure out why I found them here🤔

Out yesterday in 20+ mph wind hunting the Old House part of the field in front of my house. This isn't huge for y'all but it is for me as a total noob. It's also justification for searching in brutal weather! Found this mangled button but was able to identify it, it is a Horstmann Dragoon button ca. 1860-65. From what I could find in my button book, it is the only backmark with that pattern in it, and the "D" can be clearly seen (sorta) in the shield, as well as the wings. Equinox 600 located it as a solid 17.

Totally agree, it's extremely rare to have such a permission literally right out the front door! The farmers are great guys, ran into one of them out doing soil samples and we joked about all the hazards and lead I'm getting out of there for them 😎 Pulled a 2 foot piece of rebar out yesterday that would have trashed a combine! Also found a new large stainless bolt and nut they might be interested in. They are huge landowners here so if I do good there may be more places to go in the future, but the 350ish acres I have right now are going to last a long time.

I did clean it once already but was afraid to go too far. Maybe some dish soap and a tooth brush. No holes in the bottom. The tan stuff is the "blue marle" this area is famous for. Thankfully we have been getting enough rain, when it dries it's like concrete.

Out detecting my huge permission in front of my house today, had a special guest digger with me. 🤔 Over the past few weeks I have averaged about 3 buttons a day, yesterday found the 4 in the first picture. Bottom 3 are all concave buttons, I usually find flat brass or tombac.

We were hunting what I determined to be the site of a house that was on USGS in 1917 (oldest map I can find), so probably much older, and I got a solid 19 on the object in the second photo. It weighs almost 8 ounces and is not magnetic. My best estimation is it is solid bronze, but could be lead although I cannot scratch it easily, and I think it would weigh more for its size of about 1-1/2" at the widest. It has a blush green patina.

I'm thinking a bed finial, cane topper, or door/drawer knob but it shows no attachment point at the base. Seems of French design because of the row of Fleur de Lis on the bottom. Really having a blast out there with the Equinox and the ACE 400!

Nice finds!

I dug my first 0-1 today with the Equinox 600 in the farm. Haven't seen a number like that since I got it, so I was curious. It was a  vertically buried 2' piece of rebar. Might have saved the farmer a bit of a problem!

I'm looking forward to some beach hunting in GA early April. Haven't ever done it.

Tested them out, and for sure they don't stand up. Going to return them. Air tests looked good, but the ground is what matters. Turned them on and off over various targets in the ground, and immediately heard about half the audio literally missing on swings. Performed tests in field 1 and 2.

It was worth a shot I guess. I'll keep looking. Going to talk about it with Avantree, why would someone want to watch TV and not hear others jabbering away ? 😀 Or go jogging and not hear the bus?

13 minutes ago, Chase Goldman said:

The way you can tell if delay is excessive is to put a coin on top of the ground. Now swing over the coin with your Nox (use Park 1 at default settings)...

Thanks for the tip, Chase. Call it newbie enthusiasm. I'm going to check this later, they do claim some sort of codec for low latency. Should I use a clad coin for the test, or a solid one? They really do seem quick. I could try doing this with the coin on edge in field 2 as well.

Hey Badger,

They are the TD-BH01 Headphones. I'd like to use them but where I hunt this time of year I am hunted! I have to wear blaze orange. The hunters are usually nice, but I have heard stories from others. We have a lot of coyotes in the area, and a lot of loose dogs. I shudder to think of those that hunt in the mountains with bears. Good thing I have a sturdy shovel and a high caliber noisemaker. That is why my ultimate headphone would be waterproof bone conduction.

Just checked it out. While the headphones do sound the tone before the number is displayed onscreen, they sadly do not give the + signal when connected. I wonder how important LL really is?  Would BT 5.0 be enough?

I see now from re-reading everything in the specs, questions and reviews that they only claim Aptx LL if paired with a transmitter that matches, otherwise they default to lower spec. And that was from someone who may not have all the info. Avantree does say low latency with LL transmitter. It was the only one anywhere besides the Panasonic and the Aftershokz that mentioned it.

I have a pair of TROND headphones that are Aptx, and verified the + symbol shows up with them. I also have their Aptx transmitter, but don't want to plug it into the headphone jack.

I'm satisfied enough, but Rrrrrrrrrr... Sorry. Thought I had something here. 😵 I'll make sure I have completely researched in the future before posting.

Think I just answered your question. Aftershokz makes a pair called Trekz, they are $151. The pair I found are $59. Not waterproof, but they seem to work well.

https://www.amazon.com/Avantree-Bluetooth-Conduction-Headphones-Housework/dp/B07Y1J7RZT/ref=mp_s_a_1_11?dchild=1&keywords=avantree+aptx+bone+conduction&qid=1609205776

Hey y'all,

The last couple of days I've been out bashing the farm with my new Equinox 600 instead of my ACE 400. First day I went through my yard again, and was surprised I didn't find anything new save for one button where I first started using the ACE.

Yesterday and today I searched the farm where I've been scoring a lot of 1700's stuff, but it has sort of dried up as I've gone inland. Found a nice 1917 buffalo nickel, and a 1981 memorial, but mostly beer cans and buckshot. Think I may have found part of a lead token.

I also went over to one of the other fields to see if I could locate where a house used to be in the 1800s. Really trashy area! I dug everything and found some brick so I knew that I was in the right place. However, I noticed the detector tends to make local dogs bark, and most around here are untied.

A few days ago I thought of what I could do to prevent this problem, but still hear while detecting, particularly now it is hunting season. Might save a life! I remember researching headphones a long time ago, and ran across a certain type of wireless headphone - Bone Conduction. Last week I was able to find a pair that were Aptx Low Latency, perfect for the Equinox, and the only ones out there with this particular protocol that I could find. Others mention BT 5.0 but not Aptx LL. They're not waterproof but they are comfortable and pair easily. Here is a link: https://www.amazon.com/Avantree-Bluetooth-Conduction-Headphones-Housework/dp/B07Y1J7RZT/ref=mp_s_a_1_11?dchild=1&keywords=avantree+aptx+bone+conduction&qid=1609205776

Sorry, Amazon links are long sometimes. They're $59, and they work great. Of course they came after 5 today, so I was running around in the front yard after dark...

I do think the "consumer" models of major brands will produce good results, as long as the user is willing to start with low expectations, and learns to "feel" the machine. I have no regrets about my first detector, and intend to use it in the less trashy areas. About all I ignore is low Iron signals, I have dug enough of them to know what they are - usually horse hoof nails, plow/tractor parts and the like. It makes me laugh when I find beer cans and pull tabs. I dig every shotgun shell because that signal is the same as many buttons.

I now know what I am missing, however ... took the new Equinox 600 out today, using the settings Chase recommended. In two passes of the yard I had searched with the ACE, I found another button and a tiny bronze stud that rang up like gold. At first I was getting a lot of deep 15's, which would indicate my yard has a lot of gold, but after finding nothing at 10" once or twice a quick ground balance fixed things. It got too cold for my hands, I have Reynaud's syndrome in my hands and feet, so I had to quit. Can't take temps under 40 for long.

I am curious as to why my yard and the adjacent farm would have so many old buttons in it. My guess regarding the farm is that originally it was an area people gathered waiting for the steamboats, and/or working loading them up. Could be my yard is involved in that as well. According to the 1917 USGS map my road was in a place further west. I'm hoping the pattern of finds will bear that out. The county plat for my area shows it today along with the new road.

Guess I'll be bouncing back and forth between Minelab and Garrett threads for a while! 

Here is a screenshot of the Tect o Trak app showing the locations of some of my finds, I bought it after I searched the first area which yielded a lot of what is in my photos. The red dots are the tracking, and the stars are find locations. Useful!

Thanks! One of the first things I did was buy "American Military Button Makers and Dealers; Their Backmarks & Dates" and "Discovering Virginia's Colonial Artifacts". The latter stresses how important it is, especially in Colonial areas, to research land grants and patents and find old USGS topo maps of your area. The oldest one I could find is from 1917, and it shows at least 5 house locations that do not exist anymore. I have found one of them so far, where the remains of the house were pushed into the woods. It is a very trashy site so I may explore it with the Minelab, but the ACE 400 did find a couple of coins from the 1940s along the edge of the field on a test hunt. I am also using my county land records database to find out who owns what to contact them for permission. Unfortunately a lot of the farms are rented to out of state people here, who either inherited the land or purchased it for retirement. 

I'm using an app called Tect o Trak, which shows where I've been and allows me to record find photos and GPS information. for $4.99 it is really powerful. It allows for map overlays, a function I haven't tried yet.

I also signed up for the Library of Virginia, which has a lot of information about land patents and grants. Seems to have a lot of stuff but it's a bit tricky to search.

Does anyone have a reference for Colonial buttons? I have found over 30 of them in the last few weeks. the one I found yesterday was right in the middle of a "dead zone", which proved persistence pays off.

I'll start off by letting everyone know I am a total noob at metal detecting. Started back in August looking for nails after a roof replacement. The entire story is in my Meet and Greet entry. I retired in October, and have been outside every day I can with my Garrett ACE 400.

Honestly I didn't have high expectations of what I would find. I read lots of pro advice and decided to start in my yard with the ACE, the AT Pro pinpointer that came with it, and a Lesche Samson shovel. I bought the Samson as it seemed to have the most favorable reviews. I read up a lot on the best ways to use the ACE. I also watched a lot of Hoover Boys videos, and marveled at what they dug up. I had no real expectation of finding the sort of things they do, much less coins.

In the first few passes I found some old colonial buttons, and a WW1 Army jacket button. Just about every day I dug up something that was relevant to the area, mostly colonial artifacts some possibly related to the War of 1812. My county is very old, and still mostly rural farming. I have about 150 acres of farm in front of my house. There was a lot of trash from the construction of my house. Most annoying were little triangles of gutter and flashing aluminum that I found everywhere. For just a yard my results were astonishing! On the coin side of things, not so much, I only found 27 cents, all from about the time my house was built. My yard was entirely "Harley Raked" before we moved in.

Just as I finished my yard, the next day the farmer came to pick up his crop. I was excited as it is much easier to search farmland after a soybean crop than a corn crop. I asked him if I could search the farm, and offered him any finds that he liked. He told me he was in no way sentimentally connected, and I could "have at it" and keep everything I found. He also directed me to 200 other acres they own near me That I could search.

I set up a grid search scheme using 6 6-foot driveway markers from Lowe's that I began using about a quarter of the way through my yard when I decided that trying to figure out where I last was wasn't enough. What I did was place 3 on each side of the field, and moved two on each pass. I always have something to line up on. The later addition of the Tect o Trak app shows me how effective this is. This farm overlooks a river where a Steamboat landing was in the 1800s.

Right away colonial buttons, some copper, some pewter, and some lead started turning up, and about the 10th pass I dug a sun pendant with stones for eyes. Soon I dug a 1/4 cut 2 Real coin, and then another. I also dug a 1890 half cent, and an 1879 Indian head penny. The Indian Head was in excellent shape. I also think I found a very old British copper coin that gives no details, but rings when dropped on a table. Every day it has been something, a silver plated button, a gilt one, and even one that was oval and I think solid silver. After covering about an acre and a half the finds cut off, being more iron bits (there were plenty of them everywhere along with shotgun shells and shot), and beer cans and pull tabs. I pressed on regardless and today found another decorated button which I can only assume is very old.

I really like my ACE. I'm impressed by how many relics I have found. I don't see many articles here about the ACE 400, and am kinda surprised. It is not an AT Pro or Max but it sure does find things, even 10" + deep. Check out my photos, everything was found with this detector. I found the Indian head penny when checking the hole after I found the buckshot I was originally seeing, it was 10" down.  Always check the hole again! One of the quirks the machine has I appreciate is the high tone you get if you pass over a low tone item too fast. I t keeps me in check. I always dig items with mixed signals.

I confess that next week I will be going back over my yard with a Minelab Equinox 600. I'm hooked for sure. I will continue to post finds with the Garrett, as I plan to use it in the farm, the Equinox in the river, or whenever I think I should search an area in the farm again. I have no special settings; Zero discrimination, one bar short of full sensitivity on the farm, two in the yard. I want to hear it all. I think I am doing rather well!

Any comments and suggestions are welcome. I have updated my finds cases, shown below. Merry Christmas and Happy new Year!

Thanks everyone. I'm used to "pics or it didn't happen", forgive my omission in my post. Here are two photos of what I have found so far, forgot to mention the cut Spanish silver 2 Real pieces I found the first day out in the field.

Mr. Goldman,

Thanks for the info! Just ordered the Equinox Handbook. Wish there was a link I could have found here to give Mr. Herschbach a cut of the Amazon purchase. Looked at OnX Hunt, it might be good for the future when I am used to "fixed income". Right now I am well aware of the property lines here - the landowners are pretty stodgy, and some live out of state. I use land records often! It's also Hunting season, so it is quite dangerous to be where I am detecting. Luckily I know a few members of the local hunt club, they have been polite so far asking me if they are getting in MY way. It's ironically the opposite of what I hear from others. I will seriously consider your kind offer. It would be a valuable exchange. Just make sure you have some Blaze Orange and leave the antlers at home!

The reason I was attracted to this forum over others is the knowledgable discussions and polite members. I have read some of Steve's reference material already. I hope I will eventually be an asset rather than a "seeker". I consider myself fortunate already to have a "target-rich environment" at my disposal, not one day has passed that I found nothing. The soil is so good you can almost run your detector wide open.

Hey Mtron,

Good advice above. I just joined the forum today. I have a pacemaker, and have been doing a lot of detecting since August. I have a Minelab Equinox 600 and a Garrett Ace 400, and have spent entire days out in the fields around my house with no ill effects. If anything I am doing much better now with all the exercise I'm getting. I do keep the coil away from me, and keep magnets at a distance. Best of luck to you!

Hello everyone,

This past July I had my roof redone. I decided to research metal detectors to find the nails that inevitably get strewn about after such a job. I decided on a Garrett Ace 400, as it seemed to give the most bang for the buck at a mid-level. My wife and I both agree that one should never buy the least expensive tool to do a job, but not always the most expensive , as it would be a lot of money sitting on a shelf. I only found about 70 nails, a testament to the people that did the job! While I was doing this search I also came upon many videos about metal detecting, and it opened my eyes to the possibilities that I could entertain in my area. I live in a very rural part of one of Virginia's northern peninsulas. As it happens it is a very old county, one of the first established. In addition the War of 1812 happened a bit here as well, particularly in my backyard. I knew I was going to be hooked, as I am also sort of a history buff.

I set up sort of a "grid" system in my backyard using 6 6' blaze orange driveway markers from Lowe's, 3 on each side of the yard spaced 6 feet apart. I use 3 on each end so I can jump one one every pass, so that I always can line up between 2 of them. I use the 6 foot fiberglass rods because they are about the width of a full swing side to side, and all I have to do is lay one down to know where to put it next. Seemed like the best way to "grid" search my yard.

At first I dug up a lot of Iron whatzits, but as I got used to the detector, I started turning up coat and sleeve buttons that are about 200+ years old. I found some musket balls, Shot, and even a WW1 army jacket button. Didn't find any coins until I got to the house, and all were new. Of course I found my share of aluminum, mostly beer and soda cans from the construction of the house. I was starting to get stuff like all the people in the videos, so I was hooked.

Luckily for me there is much more to explore, all of the land in front of my house has always been farm, and was bought from the developer by a farmer due to the housing crash of 2007. I asked for permission to detect the farm two weeks ago when the farmer came to collect the crop, and he said "have at it"! He also directed me to 200 acres more he owns down the road. 

Thus far I have searched about an acre of the 300+ acres I now have permission to. I have found many more buttons, all colonial, copper and Tombac and gilt. I have found three coins, one 1809 half penny, an 1879 Indian head in almost perfect shape, and what I think may be a King George copper that is in "field shape", no identifying marks but rings when dropped on a table. I also have found a sun-face pendant with sparkly stones for eyes, and a lot of horse tack and colonial buckles, some spurs, and other odd stuff.

I also have an 1800s Steamboat landing close by, map locations of a few colonial houses, and an old Baptist Baptism site. The oldest maps I can find so far are from 1917, so I'm working off of them to find the houses. I have already located one that was pushed into the woods on one part of the farm.

Needless to say I guess, I have a lot of work to do! I retired in October, and because some of my search areas are water or river, I bought a Minelab Equinox 600 and waders, because most of my search would have to be in the cold months. I am hoping the Equinox will be a step up, but in going over where I searched with the Ace 400, I didn't find much more. I like the 400's "baseball bat" approach on land. I also downloaded an app called Tect O Trac which is very useful for geolocating my finds, keeping records, and showing patterns of finds.

Looking forward to interacting with y'all! sorry for the tl;dr.