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Who Needs A Detector??

AirmetTango

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Joined
Apr 14, 2017
Messages
3,111
Location
NW Ohio
I got out to my favorite farm field for a couple hours on Friday. It was slow going, but I ended up with a nice group of relics and a nicely detailed 1899 Indian.

A couple of the most interesting relics I didn't even need a detector for...they were eyeball finds right on the surface! First was the handle for (I think) a fancy butter knife - tons of scroll work on the handle, and it was clearly gilt originally...too bad it wasn't whole!

The next eyeball find was the whiffletree tip - I saw it from about 10 yards away! I gotta admit, I spent a minute or two trying to clean the "dirt" out from the socket before I realized it was actually the remains of the wooden crossbar! And how did I know it was a whiffletree tip?? I happened to see it as I was leafing through my recently received 1897 Sears catalog reprint a few days ago!! Thanks again for posting about that, teotwawki...that's two positive IDs using it since I got it after the New Year :cool:

The Indian was a no-doubt-about-it signal, and only about 2" down - it was in an area I'm sure I hit before with my previous detector, but the field's been chisel plowed since Spring. For coming out of a field, I was pleasantly surprised to see nice detail on both sides of the Indian - usually one side or the other takes more of a beating from exposure. The field pics show the coin still in the plug, and then after I flicked it down a bit with my finger...always a thrilling moment :yes:

The lock back was a mystery until I found some vague lettering on the side after cleaning. Turns out it's back of a D K Miller Lock Co pancake lock, and it's intriguing that it appears to have vice teeth marks and case damage consistent with an attempt to break the lock. Considering I only have half of the lock, maybe they were successful :lol: Anyway, if nothing else, it looks like I have another half of the lock to hunt for :grin:

Other interesting relics include a couple small buckles, a couple of shotshell headstamps that date to the late 1890s to early 1900s, and some odds and ends.
 

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Looks like a great mixed bag hunt Ben, those are always my favorite. Nice save on the IHP. I think I might have to order one of those catalogs. Glad to see you got out. HH Mark
 
Looks like a great mixed bag hunt Ben, those are always my favorite. Nice save on the IHP. I think I might have to order one of those catalogs. Glad to see you got out. HH Mark

Thanks, Mark! I really enjoy the hunts that bring up a variety of finds, too - no doubt keeps things interesting! And yep, I highly recommend that catalog...not just for the help in identifying finds, but also it's just amazing to leaf through and see how much things have changed (and stayed the same) over the years.

Nice bunch of finds.

Thanks, waltr!

A very nice outing Ben. Congrats on the great looking Indian and all the rest. Trapper

Thanks, Trapper!

Nive finds, had to google wiffletree.

I know, right? Almost like a made up thing! Honestly, it was sheer luck that I happened to see that exact item in that catalog just a couple days before eyeballing it in the field - otherwise, I wouldn't have had any real idea what it was :grin: The catalog ad says theirs are "silver plated". The one I found seems to have evidence that it may have been gilt - a few spots still seem to have a little gold on the surface.
 
I love relic hunting, never know what's going to come out of the ground. Great finds!
 
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