Flintlock Surprise

[Venner]

With this crazy, unseasonably warm weather here in Ohio, I got out yesterday to hunt a property that has yielded me some nice finds in the past. I noticed that one of the local maps I've dug up (1874) shows another spur on the old road that crosses the swampy, now-forested area. I found a too-straight (I'm guessing man-made) ridge in that forest that I think was probably the road. After finding a nice Indian head penny on top of the ridge -- and the normal boatload of 19th and early 20th century shotgun head stamps and old rifle cartridges -- I got a strong iron signal with just a hint of something else down by the edge of the swamp. I'm not a relic hunter, so I generally only dig iron signals to get an idea about a site. E.g., to see if it's a square nail or forged iron, or something else to indicate age.

This time I was surprised and excited to dig a gun lock -- only about 3 inches down -- and then doubly excited when I realized it was a flintlock mechanism, flint still firmly held in the jaw. Wow. Mostly intact, just the frizzen and part of the spring is missing. I just swished it around in some water to get the worst of the mud off, as I didn't want it disintegrating in my hands; looks better in person. Neat stuff. The French were through here early on, but this could date anywhere from the early 1700s through about the 1840s. Anyone an expert on flintlocks?

I may try some electrolysis on it once the winter weather decides to come back from vacation.

 

[bootyhoundpa]

Very cool and the flint is still in it...congrats..

 

[togg77]

Areal piece of American history---wonder what the ole boy was doing when he lost his piece?

 

[JC99328]

I would be back looking for the rest of it. Neat find !!

 

[jim tn]

Really neat find on the flintlock and the Indian looks to be in great shape. Looks like a good spot you have. HH jim tn

 

[Sataro]

Neat find on the Indian. Very nice find on that flintlock, especially with that flint still in it.

 

[kansa54]

Great find on the flintlock. I would do electrolysis at least on the sideplate to see if there is a makers mark. Really cool that the flint is still intact. Can't tell from the picture where the flint is from though. Dark colored flint is usually from England and honey colored is French.
I'm always amazed when something this unique is found that it gets so few remarks from forum members. You could have posted a mercury dime, which is about the most common silver around and you would have received twice the comments.

 

[Venner]

Great find on the flintlock. I would do electrolysis at least on the sideplate to see if there is a makers mark. Really cool that the flint is still intact. Can't tell from the picture where the flint is from though. Dark colored flint is usually from England and honey colored is French.

The flint appears to be a very light, milky grey and looks like the grey British flints a Google search turned up for sale here. I've been out the last couple of evenings for brief hunts of the vicinity -- I hate how short the days are this time of year -- and haven't found anything else yet aside from about 40 shotgun headstamps from the 1880s - 1920s.

But speaking of flint, tonight I did stumble on a nice archaic or early woodland-period notched arrowhead sitting right on top of the forest floor. Wish a metal detector was helpful in finding more of those things!

 

[kansa54]

Great find on the stone point Venner. We get excited finding a hundred year old coin but that stone point is at least 1500 yrs old, probably older. What's the length and width of it?

 

[Venner]

This one is 2.5" x 1.5" and looks like Flint Ridge flint, which comes from about 100 miles away.

 

[Maine_Capt]

Hmmm... Does it look like that flintlock was in cocked position?

You sure have made some incredible finds Venner!!

CONGRATS!

 

[Venner]

Hmmm... Does it look like that flintlock was in c0cked position?

I had not thought about it, but it certainly does look like it is fully c0cked; the flint is parallel to the lockplate. Unc0cked it would rest against the frizzen at about a 45° angle, and half-c0cked (locked for loading), it would be in-between. Interesting observation Maine_Capt! I've searched all around where I found it, but nothing hints at a buried barrel.

I got out one more time this evening, finally figued out where another part of the old road bed was, and found one more fascinating find at the site before winter closes back in. A brass button, about 4 inches down in the bank of a shallow ditch; after cleaning, it reads "Cleveland Police" on the front and "Chas. D. Reese" on the reverse, and still has a little bit of fabric caught in the loop.

Cleveland is about 40 miles from here, so it's certainly an interesting find. The last reference to this "road" I can find on a map is in 1905 and it looks like C.D.Reese was manufacturing uniform buttons from about 1900 to 1920. Wonder how it got there, eh?