What do you do with relics found

[littleoldman2]

I live in North Central Al. I have access to about half a county on a regular basis. For the last month I have been researching which MD to get for the type of searching that I want to do. But I will get to that later. Relics and history have all ways been interesting to me. Questions. 1. Do you keep or sell what you find? 2. How do you determine value if you want to sell a piece. These kept coming up as I read the many posts. Thanks "LOM"

 

[VOL1266X]

I have sold a few relics (mostly bullets) but have kept 99.9% for my kids. I have given away many bullets to friends, family, and the landowners who gave me permission to hunt. As to value, I use "The Civil War Collector's Price Guide" published by North South Trader's Civil War. A new edition is due any time. I also confer with local relic dealers. As you will find out, this stuff is hard to come by and you will cherish every relic that you recover. Hope this helps and happy hunting!!!

 

[Jigflipper]

Maybe it's just me but after researching for countless hours. Finding the area that you think the relics are. Asking permission and walking miles and diggin too many holes to count. I just would'nt think about parting with my relics and a part of our countries history. I guess the only way I would let them go would be it I was in bad shape finacially. As for finding their value, there are several websites that sell relics that should give you an idea what they're worth. If not that them maybe check Ebay to see what they have sold for. Hope this helps, just my opinion......Flipper out.

 

[Canewrap]

Flipper is absolutely right. When you put as much time and effort into this as you're going to have to, if you're serious, it'll be more of a question of what shadow box to display them in. You've taken up a tough hobby my friend. I'm not far from Huntsville and I hunt North and South of the Tennessee as well as up in Tennessee and I can tell you, there aren't that many viable sites left. A lot has been destroyed by farmers, developers, and time. Good Luck!

 

[Nemo]

I agree with Flipper. I was beginning to feel like "a voice crying in the wilderness" on this. I document every relic and since I use a GPS, I can tell you where to within a few foot radius I found it and when. Every relic is documented. I am trying to preserve history rather than sell it in the market place.

To me every piece has its own value in terms of research time and effort and it's a price too high for others to afford.

Nemo

 

[waltship]

Donate them to the historical society, if they want them.

 

[littleoldman2]

Thank you all for your comments. Another question how much if any does cleaning or restoration affect both the display and value of the relic. I know that with some antiques the nastier the better. If the patina is messed with the value is diminished. I have been working in the crafting of art and the turning of wooden objects and hollow vessels for over fifty years now. I know what I am talking about when it comes to wood. On the subject of metal relics I am woefully ignorant. Thank you again for your remarks. "LittleOldMan"

 

[Jigflipper]

I clean all of my bullets enough to get the dirt off of them and really show off the patina. I do the same with buttons and brass items. I really like the green and brown look of brass relics.
[attachment 114457 todays_digs.JPG]
I have never took a brass relic all the way back to shine but I'm thinking about cleaning an officers staff button that I found a couple of weeks ago, It was a 3 piece button and all that was there was the face or top part, It has plenty of gilt left and I believe it would look pretty good cleaned.
[attachment 114454 12-14-2008_finds_1.jpg]
On the other hand a few years ago I dug a 13 mm CSA kepi button that still had leather from the strap stuck to the back of the button, I lightly cleaned the front and thought real hard about cleaning the back to see the backmark to see the manufacture. As I started to remove the leather I stopped, It wasn't worth it to me to alter this relic.
[attachment 114458 csabutton.JPG]
I don't have a great big collection as I've only been hunting less than 4 years so each and every one of them hold a memory of a hunt and also puts me kind of in the field of battle or in the middle of the camp with the soldiers. A few weeks ago I also dug a 69 caliber Gardner, I just cleaned it enough to show off the patina, As it's a pretty scarce bullet I decided to leave it as close to original as possible.
[attachment 114453 69_gardner_standing.jpg]
I've not been fortunate enough yet to dig a plate or buckle yet but when if ever I do I will just barely clean it. So like I said LOM, it's just a matter of personal prefrence, After all you dug the relic it's yours. Good luck and happy hunting....Flipper out

 

[RelicDigger1]

I read it somewhere that we never truly "own" a piece of history. We are simply its caretaker. If we stop and think about it then we'd have to admit it's true. If you have a 1692 William and Mary copper or an Edward I hammered silver (minted 1272 to 1307), we'd have to say it's lasted a wee bit longer than we have or will ever last.

Keeping that in mind is the guideline I use to determine if I will clean or not (cleaning is NOT removing green patina from brass/copper), preserve or let stand, never sell.

The generations 100 years from now can view the same relic I found because I was a caretaker, not a restorer.

Just my two pence.

Richard

 

[JCJEXPLORER]

My 7 year old son got an ACE 250 for Christmas. Here is his first button. 4 hole underware button. How could you sell that?? I have not sold any relic I have found. I guess if times got tough I would sell. But would hold off as long as possible.

 

[Bugar In. USA]

I clean the dirt and loose stuff off (Depending on what it is), then whenever i'm satisfied with it i give it a lite coat of aerosol satin polyurethane, i don't restore, this way if i want to remove it, just some lacquer thinner or whatever, and it don't damage the relic or whatever, i display them in my homemade cabinet, and do not sell them, have them tagged, where-what they are, WILL NEVER SELL, few times have given to someone as a gift, theyr'e MINE and that's what I do,

 

[ConfCav]

After 20+ years of hunting I can still identify where I've found my CW relics by maintaining a labeled display case for each area. Coins, brass, and other non-lead or iron objects all go into the cases. My bullets, seperated by type, I keep in mason jars I've collected from sites I've hunted and have each labeled accordingly to the location. Iron objects are kept seperated in labeled plastic or tupperware containers. This way later in life with my grandchildren I can relive the digging stories by associating a specific site. Its already started with my son as we pass commercial areas once undisturbed by progress and he just looks at me in awe of the things I told him I found where a strip mall or housing development now stands (getting kinda misty just thinking about the places that once were and the good times they brought digging history).

For the more unique/rare items, I can still by memory go to the exact spot where the item was dug unless of course it has been overridden by the ever increasing construction wiping out unprotected historic sites in Northern VA.

BTW great CSA button flipper; hoping to add one of those to my cases someday. I would have done the same as you if it had leather or cloth still attached.

HH all.

 

[gobble-gobble]

Now thats what I call a TREASURE, Good for you & your son. Partners forever

 

[GRAY GHOST]

well sir, i take my recoveries home and toothbrush [or fine brass brush] them with straight water, allow 'em to dry, catalogue them, then put on a thin coat of olive oil. i just water brush the lead. the relics are then put inside riker mounts or on a ten shelf bookcase in my den that has a plexiglass door with brass locks on it [or in the safe, depending on what they are] i don't sell any of the relics i find, and believe in preserving them as well as i can, the way they came out the ground. i have given a few away to friends, mostly bullets. but that don't happen very often. good relics are getting hard to find, especially here around petersburg, va. a man's gotta be sharp and quick and have good ears around here.

and then - I DON'T TELL ANYBODY WHAT I GOT OR WHAT I FOUND EXCEPT FOR YA'LL! HH!