Vernon in Virginia~Formerly Alaska
New member
[size=large]A few days ago, a relic detecting friend of mine named Chris has a brother who was coming down from New Jersey, he wanted to go Civil War relic hunting. He had never been detecting before so his brother Chris bought a used MXT for him to use while he was down here. When he got to the house, Chris showed him the fundamentals of using the MXT. The next day we all met up in a field for his first relic hunt. I soon got a bullet signal and called him over to dig it, since he'd never dug a Civil War relic. He dug it and was very excited at his first Civil War bullet. His brother Chris also located a bullet and called him over to dig it. After that he went on to dig 3 bullets on his own, plus a pouch full of decaying shotgun brass, rusted nails, horse shoes, etc. He was so pumped relic hunting that he stayed an extra day instead of going back to New Jersey. So the next morning we were all going to go and hunt some woods I had permission on that has turned up some relics. We were going to meet at 10 am. Well they got an earlier start, and to kill time they stopped and hunted a yard at a deserted house over near where Chris lives. Well not knowing any better, Chris' brother started detecting along the edge of the road along the sidewalk... you know, where all the shredded pop cans, beer cans and pull tabs are. After a few minutes he pops up this 1850 militia belt plate! Chris calls me on the phone, "Hey... you'll never believe what my brother just found." "What?" I said. "A really cool belt plate with a big eagle on it." "SHUT UP! HE DID NOT!" I said. Sure enough when we all met up a little later, he showed me the plate. Actually it's in really good shape. A few slight bends but no creases; it can be easily straightened, and clean up beautifully. It's an 1850's militia pressed, belt plate. You just don't dig 3 bullets then start digging belt plates. [/size]
[attachment 134403 beltplate.jpg]
[size=large] Then to add injury to insult, he wanders over onto the old Post Office property a little bit and digs this 2" x 3" sash plate depicting a guy and a goat (the guys at the relic meeting jokingly called it the West Virginia belt plate).
Well I'm glad he found the stuff, but I still tell you this is so not right. I started to detect that yard where he found the eagle plate about a year ago. I wasn't feeling well and went home, never went back. Just irks me to no end...
Vernon
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[attachment 134404 shashbuckle.jpg]
[attachment 134403 beltplate.jpg]
[size=large] Then to add injury to insult, he wanders over onto the old Post Office property a little bit and digs this 2" x 3" sash plate depicting a guy and a goat (the guys at the relic meeting jokingly called it the West Virginia belt plate).
Well I'm glad he found the stuff, but I still tell you this is so not right. I started to detect that yard where he found the eagle plate about a year ago. I wasn't feeling well and went home, never went back. Just irks me to no end...
Vernon
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[attachment 134404 shashbuckle.jpg]