Went out yesterday with a friend to do some hunting here in East Tennessee. We hunted a colonial log cabin site dating from the early 1790's (Not something we often get the chance to do here in Tennessee) in which the family had lived in until 1850. This site had never been hunted before and we luckily saw an area there that was freshly bush hogged and enthusiastically decided to start there. As it turned out, it definitely had never been hunted before.
I turned the E-trac on and took two steps to get my very first target which was a clear and strong 12-40. Four inches down, I uncovered a beautiful flat button with a dark green patina. We were stoked! There were genuine colonial relics here! I filled the hole, stood up and immediately got another signal this time reading a 12-13 nickel type signal 5 inches down. I soon saw a coin lying in the hole but after picking it out quickly realized it was not a nickel. It was rather lightweight and between the size of a dime and a nickel. I had no idea what it was. Then I saw the early eagle on the backside and thought I might have found a Civil War token. After flipping it over to see the other side I was even more confused. I could easily see the Capped Bust and date of 1829! We were beginning to get very excited but the problem was it was too light, the wrong size and seemed to be made of a pot metal type material. It soon dawned on me that I probably had unearthed a period counterfeit coin which I found to be almost as good as finding a real one. So, I am not sure if this can be considered my first Capped Bust coin or not but it was just as exciting to find as the real thing.
We then proceeded to find flat button after flat button and ended up finding a total of eleven of them. One of mine was of the Tombac variety which was a first for me. Most of the flatties were ringing up in the teens on the E-Trac. The next signal I got was a slamming 12-45/12-46 signal reading just a few inches down. I figured I would have a clad quarter in the ground but was shocked when I brought to light either a small colonial child's shoe buckle or a knee buckle frame with a deep green patina. Another first for me! Hoping to find the rest of the buckle in the hole I stuck the pinpointer in the hole and it rang off. I ended finding an oval cuff link button, a colonial table knife and section of a cast iron cooking pot.
My friend also pulled a fired three ringer along with a couple pistol balls and buck and ball shot found during the day. Again, this is not something that happens here in Tennessee very often and after finishing for the day we just stood at our vehicles looking at a myriad of artifacts dating from the early beginnings of our country that were laid out on the towel. I felt like I had just hunted with the Stealth Diggers! What a day! We'll be back there 9AM tomorrow. Maybe I can find that shiny bingo Capped this time.
I turned the E-trac on and took two steps to get my very first target which was a clear and strong 12-40. Four inches down, I uncovered a beautiful flat button with a dark green patina. We were stoked! There were genuine colonial relics here! I filled the hole, stood up and immediately got another signal this time reading a 12-13 nickel type signal 5 inches down. I soon saw a coin lying in the hole but after picking it out quickly realized it was not a nickel. It was rather lightweight and between the size of a dime and a nickel. I had no idea what it was. Then I saw the early eagle on the backside and thought I might have found a Civil War token. After flipping it over to see the other side I was even more confused. I could easily see the Capped Bust and date of 1829! We were beginning to get very excited but the problem was it was too light, the wrong size and seemed to be made of a pot metal type material. It soon dawned on me that I probably had unearthed a period counterfeit coin which I found to be almost as good as finding a real one. So, I am not sure if this can be considered my first Capped Bust coin or not but it was just as exciting to find as the real thing.
We then proceeded to find flat button after flat button and ended up finding a total of eleven of them. One of mine was of the Tombac variety which was a first for me. Most of the flatties were ringing up in the teens on the E-Trac. The next signal I got was a slamming 12-45/12-46 signal reading just a few inches down. I figured I would have a clad quarter in the ground but was shocked when I brought to light either a small colonial child's shoe buckle or a knee buckle frame with a deep green patina. Another first for me! Hoping to find the rest of the buckle in the hole I stuck the pinpointer in the hole and it rang off. I ended finding an oval cuff link button, a colonial table knife and section of a cast iron cooking pot.
My friend also pulled a fired three ringer along with a couple pistol balls and buck and ball shot found during the day. Again, this is not something that happens here in Tennessee very often and after finishing for the day we just stood at our vehicles looking at a myriad of artifacts dating from the early beginnings of our country that were laid out on the towel. I felt like I had just hunted with the Stealth Diggers! What a day! We'll be back there 9AM tomorrow. Maybe I can find that shiny bingo Capped this time.
