Opinion on this "dug" colonial shoe buckle. Update, it's a fake find!
- Thread starter FreeBirdTim
- Start date
cellrdwellr
Elite Member
I have 2 solid silver colonial shoe buckles that were pretty shiny when I found them. Still had a good amount of tarnish though. I gave them both a light rinse with plain water and then put them in display cases. I can't say I've ever found one that the chape wasn't made out of iron. Both brass or silver. I'm by no means an expert, but that buckle looks more modern. This is of course just my opinion, and could be completely inaccurate 
it looks like there is a mark in the bottom portion of the back side, perhaps sterling? That would be the only way I see a buckle that old coming out somewhat untarnished.
it looks like there is a mark in the bottom portion of the back side, perhaps sterling? That would be the only way I see a buckle that old coming out somewhat untarnished.
jimther
Elite Member
Tim
Is any part of that buckle made of iron, i.e., magnetic? Maybe it’s not yours and all you have is the photos of someone else’s ‘dug’ buckle? Do you or the finder know what metal the frame is made of?
Is any part of that buckle made of iron, i.e., magnetic? Maybe it’s not yours and all you have is the photos of someone else’s ‘dug’ buckle? Do you or the finder know what metal the frame is made of?
FreeBirdTim
Elite Member
Yup, the frame on colonial buckles is usually much thinner than that one. He said he dug it from a colonial era cellar hole, but maybe that was just a guess on his part.
I've dug a couple of silver plated colonial era buckles, but they didn't come out of the ground shiny. Here's one I found in 2014. Cleaned up really nice, but prtty grungy out of the ground.
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FreeBirdTim
Elite Member
Found the buckle he "dug" on eBay. He bought it on June 26th! FAKE FIND! Here's a link to the video and to the eBay listing. Disgusting...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTnAROdBW3Q
https://www.ebay.com/itm/314042056975?hash=item491e5d810f%3Ag%3AWCkAAOSwuo9ir7b1&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAAsFeMyHjAWXVy7JA28bdJjWNjWyJh5EzOvdkzk9Z%2BOoUV%2BwuBeIPrDiFjMfCWRTT9hwr%2BDUAGZ%2FwS1Hu42TZaQ2lfobyaIXd31%2FAUUXgWncUCn2Td37Mu4D1h3L3BP7qkp4kbOADsSdddyQiTdGaj08Vz6DT2%2F9ZZiBDMEHRJfDf9VCWN1bnYEoKIIySsYqCDZJbau5PggjCGvWAXhCwcFfsN7nIBPnMp3UMcnaaTUOgD%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR4bOmLm7YA&LH_ItemCondition=4&nma=true&si=vkENwKlRAqTCq6A47zeBd4YKfwo%253D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTnAROdBW3Q
https://www.ebay.com/itm/314042056975?hash=item491e5d810f%3Ag%3AWCkAAOSwuo9ir7b1&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAAsFeMyHjAWXVy7JA28bdJjWNjWyJh5EzOvdkzk9Z%2BOoUV%2BwuBeIPrDiFjMfCWRTT9hwr%2BDUAGZ%2FwS1Hu42TZaQ2lfobyaIXd31%2FAUUXgWncUCn2Td37Mu4D1h3L3BP7qkp4kbOADsSdddyQiTdGaj08Vz6DT2%2F9ZZiBDMEHRJfDf9VCWN1bnYEoKIIySsYqCDZJbau5PggjCGvWAXhCwcFfsN7nIBPnMp3UMcnaaTUOgD%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR4bOmLm7YA&LH_ItemCondition=4&nma=true&si=vkENwKlRAqTCq6A47zeBd4YKfwo%253D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557
Pete e
Elite Member
Not calling him out?
cellrdwellr
Elite Member
Isn't this the same guy who finds silver dollars every hunt?
cellrdwellr
Elite Member
I mean even the wear on the mark Sterling matches, clearly the same buckle. Pathetic...
stetam
Elite Member
What a freaking idiot! He seems to find a lot of big silver. 
Steve
Steve
Some people try to cash in on youtube. It's like a guy who used to be on here digging the jar of silver coins .Man get a job!
diggin4clad
Elite Member
The dialogue alone is bad enough to tell you it's a fake video.
FreeBirdTim
Elite Member
Not yet. If I call him out, he'll just take the video down. I want as many people as possible to see the video!
FreeBirdTim
Elite Member
Yup, he always finds big silver or silver spills, but rarely finds any big coppers. Just not the way it is around here in RI. As Tom knows, big coppers are common as dirt in New England!
markinswpa
Forum Supporter
How sad, whether it be for the views or the need for recognition or both, just a lack of integrity all around. He does need to be called out. Casts a dim shadow on the hobby. Mark
Pete e
Elite Member
Take a few screen shots of him doing the big reveal maybe?
Country Dirt Kid
Elite Member
This is happening too often, this has got to be some kind of mental disorder made possible by social media.
CTpilgrim
Elite Member
He should have been happy enough getting that thing for 15.50$ on EBay. You’re right definitely way too clean coming out of the hole and the sterling mark on the back is an exact match. Not sure why people have to fake finds. If you’re planting finds then you’re definitely in this hobby for all the wrong reasons. Good catch
FreeBirdTim
Elite Member
Thanks! When he posted a video of himself finding a Morgan and a Capped Bust half at the hunt I attended a couple of months ago, I knew something was up. No one found jack squat at that hunt. I didn't even find one coin, but he pulled out two big silvers? No way.
If he had only done it once I might have ignored it, but posting multiple videos of big silver and silver spill finds got to be annoying. Silver coins just aren't that easy to find around here. This state was full of farmers and mill workers back in the 1800's, so most people didn't have jack squat to their name in those days.
markinswpa
Forum Supporter
I remember a year or so back BigD81 called a guy out from up around New England way, he bought a coin on flea-bay and posted it here as a find. I think he called himself MigCol or something like that. Wonder if this is the same guy ?
Maybe we should start a sub-forum called Smokers and Jokers
Ha ha. Just kidding
