1864 indian head, brass relics, and cellar holes!

This week is finals week at URI but I don't have any exams until next week so this opened up some time to detect (and study of course). On Friday morning I left the house at the crack of dawn to head to an old foundation I had discovered on a hiking trail during the summer. The place was way to overgrown during the summer but was much better now. My first signal was in the low 80's and I dug up an old Waterbury CT clock part. It had the patent label and everything. I then swing my detector near a tree and get a solid 81-82 signal. I dig down and for a second, I see a silver edge but it turned out to just be a 1935 wheat penny. I then venture up a hill a little ways away from the old foundation and stumble upon another foundation and then onto a massive, trash dump. There are bottles, plates, pottery, metal, and almost everything imaginable scattered around the hillside behind the foundation. Most of the bottles are broken but I took home two of them. I'm gonna go back there sometime and dig the place up to hopefully get some more bottles. The bottles are all pre 1970 but there's some old stuff there as well. Later on I moved away from the dump area and dug a piece of brass that has the words BCI CO Pat. Feb 9 92. I looked it up online and found out that's it the brass piece to a wooden gun cleaning rod, so that pretty cool. I got a lot of trash from that site too.

On Saturday I headed up to Massachusetts to meet up with SamC. We went to a public hiking trail and detecting around some old cellars. The entire area is really iron infested and also has been dug likely many times before. I didn't get any good non-ferrous targets from the first cellar so we decided to walk up an old cartpath to the next cellar. On the cartpath I dug what looks to be a pistol ball or small musketball. I faired much better at the next cellar. I dug a few shell casings before moving over to the old path that went right by the cellar. I get a 69-71 signal only about 1 inch deep. I decide to dig it but don't really expect much. To my surprise I see a coin right next to the plug I dug. I pick it up, gently rub it and notice its not a wheat penny! I shout "I think its an indian" and call SamC over. I hand him the coin and he tells me the date is 1864. An 1864 Indian head penny! I was super excited. It was my oldest indian and first since the Spring. Later on I dug a strange relic that has an ornate design. SamC got some buttons and a horse tack buckle. I had a lot of fun detecting and Sam's company made it even better!
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Wow, great looking finds. That IH is incredible! No signs of corrosion. That's a real nice keeper for sure. HH, Dave.

great finds with great company Congrats on an awesome couple of days!!! :thumbsup02:

Good looking indian for these parts! I'm glad you got out and scored some keepers!

Yes OxShoeDrew, the Indian turned out really nice. It was caked with dirt when I pulled it out but a quick wash and toothpicking made it all come off leaving just the green patina underneath.

nice pictures , the cellar looks like a large "newer- full" type cellar probably for a homesite around 1830 or newer. these types usually have an older partial cellar or even a cabin site attached to them and if they don't then there is usually a "starter" homesite not to far away on the property somewhere. congrats on the indian!

Dan

What a beautiful 1864 Indian Head Cent! It sure did clean up well! :thumbsup02:

I am very curious about that "strange relic that has an ornate design". It is very interesting! I wonder what it could be? :thinkingabout:

Yes that is a sweet Indian and what an unusual relic would love to know what it is!

The unidentified relic is the part to a rare miniature finger lamp with a cahoon burner (also known as Tom Thumb burner). This the handle of the burner. The relic states SHA'S W. CAHOON PAT D Feb 19th. & Dec 3rd 1861

This is what the lamp would have looked like

WTG on getting that beautiful IH and some neat relics.

Good job on the ID, RIdirtdigger! You nailed it! That's exactly what it is, although somewhat bent.

Very cool! :clapping:

Thanks Tony and everyone for the wonderful comments. I have final exams this week so wish me luck!

Congrats on all your finds, but that Indian is a really beauty. Extremely nice condition for its age.
:congrats:

i think i see the l on the indian. that stands for longrace and makes it a little more valuble. willy

The IH is in great shape but I really love the lamp handle. Great finds :thumbsup02:

very nice finds! maybe there was a silver coin in the hole with the wheatie? hope you rechecked that hole

You guys do an awesome job ID'ing whatzit's. Cool finds!!

Heavy metal nut, I rechecked that hole, unfortunately it didn't have any friends

Great shape and patina on the IH. I've got an 1889 IH in similar condition and it's so green and shiny I consider it one of my best coins still. Congrats.

John