Old Iron Pieces ID Help

Fooleeze · Dec 17, 2018

Was able to hunt at an old home site this weekend, with homes dating back to as early as the early to mid 1800s. Found a lot of Iron, Two of them in particular I'm looking to try to identify what they might be.

Look at the circled items in the photo. You can use the Model T coil point piece (middle) or the harmonica reed (top right) or the mason jar lid (off the left edge of the pic) as size references.

The first item, on the left in the image, kinda reminds me of a large buckle of some kind. The long piece to the top left is a crusty old chain, it is NOT attached to the circled item. Just happens to be lying too close to it in the pic.

The second item, on the right, made me wonder (with it's angled point) if it were part of a plow or something. Or a giant sharks tooth from an antique iron shark.

Any help is appreciated.

HistoryHippy · Dec 17, 2018

The piece on the right looks like a broken blade from a sickle bar mower.

ncplumber · Dec 17, 2018

If those decking boards are 5 1/2", it's too large for a sickle mower blade. It looks to me like a lay-off plow point. Some of those were horse drawn.

Fooleeze · Dec 17, 2018

Yeah, that item on the right is about 6+ inches wide.

ncplumber said:
If those decking boards are 5 1/2", it's too large for a sickle mower blade. It looks to me like a lay-off plow point. Some of those were horse drawn.

HistoryHippy · Dec 17, 2018

Yes didnt think about the boards it does look like a plow point!

claddy · Dec 17, 2018

Keep digging!

Fooleeze · Dec 17, 2018

LOL, I KNOW! This is probably the oldest site I've been able to hunt. It had an 1800s home. And this was a lot of firsts for me. I've seen the youtubers pull lots of Model T pieces, oil lamp parts, harmonica reeds, but I've never pulled them. Then in a few hours yesterday afternoon I got all of them at this site. But. . . no coins, buttons, buckles, or jewelry. We did find a large sterling 'nail buffer' from a dresser set from the early 1900s. That was cool. (You can see the bottom of it in the pic).

So yeah, we'll keep digging. It's a large property, but the homeowner is a coworker, and he and his wife were out with me using my backup detector, and they were loving every minute of it. Fun outing.

Country Dirt Kid · Dec 17, 2018

The thing about watching youtube videos it that it sets up an unrealistic perception of metals detecting. What you found is normal and is basically what there is to find on an old farm. Videos of finding gold and silver are popular with youtube viewers. They get a lot of likes, shares and watch time. The youtube machine picks up on this and recommends these videos and they get even more popular. So if you don't find all these silver coins realize that the youtube illusion makes it seem like there is all these silver coins to be found when reality its not that easy. That being said feel free to check out my channel @ Country Dirt Kid.

I would love to find the stuff that you found.

Fooleeze · Dec 17, 2018

I think my expectations are tempered a bit. . . I know the guys I follow on Youtube are spending full days out hunting old cellar holes and farms, and coming away with a ton of iron, some brass relics, and maybe a coin or two or a button or two. Sometimes a silver. Quite rarely some gold. The property I'm hunting is pretty big, had old homes, has been lived on for much of the past 150+ years. I feel pretty confident that once we get past the iron signals, I'll stumble onto an old coin or two, buttons, buckles, or other interesting items.

The oldest coin I've found in my area was an 1891 IHP. The area was settled around 1800, the township was founded in 1818. Some day I'm going to stumble on to a large cent or something like that. I'm still new and learning. But loving every minute of it.

waltr · Dec 18, 2018

Fooleeze said:
I think my expectations are tempered a bit. . . I know the guys I follow on Youtube are spending full days out hunting old cellar holes and farms, and coming away with a ton of iron, some brass relics, and maybe a coin or two or a button or two. Sometimes a silver. Quite rarely some gold. The property I'm hunting is pretty big, had old homes, has been lived on for much of the past 150+ years. I feel pretty confident that once we get past the iron signals, I'll stumble onto an old coin or two, buttons, buckles, or other interesting items.

The oldest coin I've found in my area was an 1891 IHP. The area was settled around 1800, the township was founded in 1818. Some day I'm going to stumble on to a large cent or something like that. I'm still new and learning. But loving every minute of it.

Yep, when you least expect it a great finds shows itself.

HuntinDog · Dec 18, 2018

You've got some cool finds.
Keep hunting and I'm sure some of the better stuff will be found.
Try posting a few shots of the round thing by its self.
You know... front, back and side...
It looks familiar but I'm not sure yet.

Fooleeze · Dec 19, 2018

I added two more pics to the original message above of the left item to help identify it. Thanks for your help!

waltr · Dec 20, 2018

That item looks like it is for a lever. The lever pivots on the pin and the inside limits the movement. The larger arc would have markings for the lever's function in different positions.

Could have come off of various farm equipment.

Maybe electrolysis will clean it up to see markings.

Fooleeze · Dec 20, 2018

Hm. . . I don't disagree with anything you said. Yeah, we'll probably try to electrolysisize it (I have the best words).

waltr said:
That item looks like it is for a lever. The lever pivots on the pin and the inside limits the movement. The larger arc would have markings for the lever's function in different positions.

Could have come off of various farm equipment.

Maybe electrolysis will clean it up to see markings.

Sage · Dec 20, 2018

Don't know the size, but the object on the left looks like a bottle cap opener like you see screwed to the side of a dispenser or on a wall

Fooleeze · Dec 20, 2018

We joked that it looked like a bottle opener, but it is larger than that.

Sage said:
Don't know the size, but the object on the left looks like a bottle cap opener like you see screwed to the side of a dispenser or on a wall

Ron 71 · Dec 20, 2018

Sage said:
Don't know the size, but the object on the left looks like a bottle cap opener like you see screwed to the side of a dispenser or on a wall

I agree... Looks like a bottle opener to me too, even the size looks right, the ones on the front of the old Coke machines were bigger than a hand held opener.

waltr · Dec 21, 2018

Is this the bottle opener you guys are referring to?
https://www.collectorsweekly.com/stories/53272-coca-cole-bottle-opener

If so then I do not agree what the OP found is a bottle opener and I stick with my guess as a pivot and position label for a lever.

Wom 27 · Dec 21, 2018

Bottle opener !

Old Iron Pieces ID Help

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