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View Full Version : 2019 Wrap Up - the better stuff



BTV Digger
01-17-2020, 02:01 PM
Hi all! Hope this New Year is starting of well and prosperous for you. Thought I'd share some of my better stuff from 2019, and also include 1 shot from 2 recent January hunts up here - a very uncommon thing indeed. Best of luck to all of you in the coming year. As always, you also can find me on YT and IG under the BTV Digger handle.

John

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Buckles never disappoint, whether they're iron or brass. I'm nearly guaranteed to find at least a few each year. Still awaiting my first complete colonial buckle, but know that will eventually come someday!

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I also found plenty of junk (not shown) that probably filled two 10 gallon buckets. Anyway, here's a shot of some of my better relics from last year. The nearly complete colonial fork and mouth harp top the list, though the piece with the little Yorkie Terrier also intrigues me. Not sure what that went to.

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I always like finding old lead and ammo. Here's a few bale seals, bullets and other doo-dads to add to that collection.

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Buttons...quite a few for me last year. I can't compete with Jared on the old military buttons, but I'll take another 120 or so to add to the heap. The huge dandy with flower motif near the top center probably is my favorite of this bunch.

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Small coppers...can't complain. Two 2 centers, two flying eagles, 8 beat up indians and 5 wheats. The 2 centers always hold up so well in the ground after all these years, likely attributable to being made of bronze.

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8 pieces of silver. Alas, I hunt mainly colonial and 1800s-era field sites so the more modern Mercs, Rosies and Barbers don't show up too often. My favorite is of course the 1820 Bust Dime, though the thimble monogrammed "Edna" is also neat. This may surprise you, but I've yet to dig a silver Rosie in my 6 years of detecting! I told my detecting buddies that I'll buy them a beer if they'll give me the next one they find. I just can't seem to get my coil over one as weird as that may sound.

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Large coppers...added 35 to the coffers last year, giving 3 away to farmers who were gracious in letting me tromp through their fields. Crossed off several bucket listers including my first 2 Vermont Coppers, a NJ Copper and a quite uncommon Irish Evasion Copper from the mid-18th century. My favorite by far though is the wiped KG2 half penny monogrammed as a love token or gift with the initials L & B near top center. Such a special and personal piece, though to date I've yet to find a potential original owner after searching many possible daughters, daughter in laws, wives, female children etc from the cabin site at which it was found.

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Here's a close-up of my favorite large coppers.

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Finally, got in two separate hunts in over the past few weeks up here...in January! That's so rare up here in these parts as winter is typically quite rough from mid-December onward into March (we typically average 80-120" of snow a winter, and that's in the lower elevations). Here's a wide shot from those hunts, the second of which I nabbed another cent trifecta (1850 Braided Hair LC, 1899 and shot 1893 IHs and a 1917 Wheatie).

Bucknut
01-17-2020, 03:13 PM
Excellent year and awesome pics too! I feel so bad for you not being able to find a Rosie...instead you seem to only find those darn big coppers. Rubbing a Rosie is so satisfying too!

With all those buttons you dug, are any of them military?

Lodge Scent
01-17-2020, 05:27 PM
A lot of great finds there John. Yeah that KG love token is pretty darn cool. What's that other token with the big date? I am jealous of those barrel taps, I can't seem to put my coil over one. I see a few crotals and no conestogas....not the usual 15 or 20 you find each year. :envious::envious::envious:

OxShoeDrew
01-17-2020, 07:02 PM
You had a stellar year, John! I have one flying eagle in the last 10 years! :envious::notworthy: ...and I wish I found three crotals last year! Looks like you put ren-wax on those coppers...they look purty! :thumbsup01: . Hey, what's YT and IG? Congrats!!

BTV Digger
01-18-2020, 03:54 AM
Excellent year and awesome pics too! I feel so bad for you not being able to find a Rosie...instead you seem to only find those darn big coppers. Rubbing a Rosie is so satisfying too!

With all those buttons you dug, are any of them military?

Thanks Jared! Only two are military. One late 1800s general svc and a late 1800s Norwich U. cadet button.


A lot of great finds there John. Yeah that KG love token is pretty darn cool. What's that other token with the big date? I am jealous of those barrel taps, I can't seem to put my coil over one. I see a few crotals and no conestogas....not the usual 15 or 20 you find each year. :envious::envious::envious:

Ha ha, thanks Jeff! Yeah, my conestoga count plummeted this year. Not sure what's up with that...need to get back in the zone man! The large date copper is an 1833 Canadian "plow style" token. Many varieties of Canadian tokens circulated in the early to mid 1800s and I find several every year. This one was found w/i a few miles of the border.


You had a stellar year, John! I have one flying eagle in the last 10 years! :envious::notworthy: ...and I wish I found three crotals last year! Looks like you put ren-wax on those coppers...they look purty! :thumbsup01: . Hey, what's YT and IG? Congrats!!

Thanks Drew! Actually no Ren-Wax...just careful cleaning when appropriate. I need to get some of that though. YT and IG...YouTube and Instagram.

catskillcomics
01-18-2020, 07:27 AM
Wow, lots of great finds, and most of your coppers are in nice shape

del
01-18-2020, 01:17 PM
:notworthy: great year John , some incredible looking finds sir . Thanks for sharing

Digger Don
01-18-2020, 01:17 PM
WOW, that was just one year? Amazing!!!!:congrats:

wisconsin digger
01-19-2020, 12:05 AM
Wow, amazing finds especially all the large coppers. Congrats on a great year. WD

aloldstuff
01-21-2020, 01:30 PM
Another great year John. Congrats on your VT coppers as I remember you mentioned you were still waiting for one of them to get under your coil. As far as rosies go.....send me your address and I'll mail you one.