First Hunt 2022, Ihp's And More Buttons

[F350Platinum]

Yesterday it rained something fierce, remnants of the storm that trashed Colorado and some of the southern states. The Blue Ridge mountains are a saving grace, storm lines coming due East get ripped up, so we get a break. A low formed off the coast to meet that other low, and snow is coming along with the first day below 36 we've had all winter. We usually get something by now.

I'm retired, the backyard is soupy, it was a warm but cloudy day, so what better to do than return to my new fields that are producing!

There is a distinct difference between fields that are turbo tilled as opposed to fields that are deep tilled. Today 2 inches of rain kept me out of the deep field again, it was muddy the last time but not as bad as today. I stuck to the larger bean field where Chase and I found some great stuff, but went to places I hadn't been. It's sandy clay, and drains pretty fast.

Today's haul wasn't spectacular, but I still got some decent stuff:

First off, I stepped out of the truck, unloaded my gear, fired up my headphones and Equinox, and in two swings I got a 15/16, what usually means a button here. Imagine my surprise when I dug an 1883 IHP. 🤔

Maybe the wet ground or ground balance had something to do with it, but most of the buttons I found later were the same as the second IHP, I think it's an 1864. It was fat but put the red in red cent. 😁

1884 or 1864?

I think the big round buckle is some sort of sash buckle, but please any input is welcomed.

Got one big convex Tombac, here is the back:

And one of the oddest things, the little ball of unknown metal that sparkles, has apparent facets, and appears to be sintered. Might be a buckshot ball, I found two of them, both 10/11.

I got one stud that spears to be either pewter or silver, I'll have to test it. The other is brass.

I hit a spot where either someone had difficulty with a horse, or where they rested after racing. I'll have to ask the landowner. The other stuff looks like parts of tack. Not bad for a short random hunt! I probably won't get back out there for about a week.

[JCR]

Really great hunting. Thanks.

[Valens Legacy]

Another fine hunt for you.

Glad to see some people out there when I am unable to get out of the house due to the weather.

Good luck on your next hunt.

[Cal_Cobra]

Nice assortment of finds! 

[strick]

What’s cool also is you don’t have to go  far for them either. I’ve had the Indians come in around 18 when I can see the screen through the glare...always thought they would be in the low 20s for some reason. 

Strick

[GB_Amateur]

No dropoff for you going from 2021 to 2022.  We usually have your weather a day before you (although the Atlantic affects yours) so I understand why you think it might be a week before you get out again.  (Tomorrow here is our best hope until the weekend so keep an eye on Wednesday.)  I predict an even more productive year for you.

12 hours ago, F350Platinum said:

I got a 15/16, what usually means a button here. Imagine my surprise when I dug an 1883 IHP.

9 hours ago, strick said:

I’ve had the Indians come in around 18 when I can see the screen through the glare...always thought they would be in the low 20s for some reason.

I'm once again planning on ID'ing IHP's I have in my collection which haven't been in the ground.  Ditto early Lincolns.  My hypothesis has and continues to be that the chemicals in the ground are the biggest factor in where they ID.  When I was in SE PA on a hunt with dogodog it did seem that the Wheaties were hitting lower than in my S IN sites.  I wonder if the ground mineralization also affect the dTID's.  (If that's the case then checking them after they come out of the ground should easily show whether or not that is true.  I didn't do that.  )

I will be (in the next couple days) doing my 2021 wrapup and will be showing my lowest ever dTID IHP, which hit mostly 18 on the ML Eqx.  If it hadn't given a couple faint peeps at 20 (which is where my high tone started) I likely would never have noticed it.  I lowered my high tone starting bin to 19 after that (and have dug more corroded Zincolns but so far no more IHP's....)

F350P, where did that very crusty 1864/84 IHP come in on the dTID scale?

[F350Platinum]

5 hours ago, GB_Amateur said:

F350P, where did that very crusty 1864/84 IHP come in on the dTID scale?

Hey GB,

The crusty one, which you can see by the photo is definitely an 1864 (fat) was a 14/15 in air and in the ground. Odd. The 1883 is an 18/19 out of the ground but the hole filled in with water after I dug it, I distinctly remember a 15/16, what most of the copper buttons came in as.

It will be a week because we got 4" of snow today, and I have to take my dog to the groomer (an all day affair) on Wednesday, when it will be 52 and sunny. 🤣 

[dogodog]

Nice finds there 350, You know how you are with the rosie thing I'm that way with IH's. I've been on a drought with those dreaded beautiful coins. I swear where I live they held onto them for dear life, I'll find barber silver before IH's. That buck shot/ball is interesting. I have found some balls that were almost pearlescent overall but not in a faceted way. that's a really nice find. I think depending the soil it can make the lead rust turn into a shiny kinda calcified surface. look into finding a way to preserve that patina because that's a one in a million if it's a regular buck or ball.

[F350Platinum]

16 minutes ago, dogodog said:

Nice finds there 350, You know how you are with the rosie thing I'm that way with IH's. I've been on a drought with those dreaded beautiful coins. I swear where I live they held onto them for dear life, I'll find barber silver before IH's. That buck shot/ball is interesting. I have found some balls that were almost pearlescent overall but not in a faceted way. that's a really nice find. I think depending the soil it can make the lead rust turn into a shiny kinda calcified surface. look into finding a way to preserve that patina because that's a one in a million if it's a regular buck or ball.

Oh yeah, I find tons of lead "Buckys"  both old and new. 😀 Check out my trash when I post it, don't want to miss those Tombacs.

Do they make sintered stainless buckshot? The two balls were in the ground for a long time. I don't hunt, so I don't know the types of shot. I do have a 12ga, but it's for another reason 🙄 I do know military breaching rounds are steel in a binder.

[GB_Amateur]

1 hour ago, F350Platinum said:

The crusty one, which you can see by the photo is definitely an 1864 (fat) was a 14/15 in air and in the ground. Odd. The 1883 is an 18/19 out of the ground but the hole filled in with water after I dug it...

1864 was the transition year between the earlier 12% Ni, 88% Cu (which looked kinda white, or light gray) and the 95% Cu, 5% {Ti+Zn} bronze cents -- both versions had 1864 dates.  I recall 'fatty' refers specifically to the nickel version which is consistent with your dTID's.