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USA (kind of long)

A

Anonymous

Guest
Hey all, Haven't been out at all in the last 3 months, been working 7 days a week and finally got a weekend off. I have stopped in and lurked a little when I would have a few minutes and I see you all are still raking in the goodies.
Here is my little story from Saturday. Couldn't wait to get out so I called my TH'ing buddy Colby and made arrangements to meet him at dawn on Saturday. He called back with news of a cellar hole on the farm where we dug the 50 buttons and 15 coins from the late 1700's to mid 1800's. We met one of the farmers and he walked us into the woods about a quarter mile from the road. It looked like a great place but it was really grown up. We hung with it bushwacking and cussing for about 2 hours before the 50 to 100 million mosquitos finally won the battle. Colby picked up a large flat button and we swore we would be back after the snow melt in the spring. So it was on to plan "B", the button field we have beat to death. This field is a hay field and hasn't been plowed in years. We find good stuff from 2" to 8" deep (man I can't wait for them to plow it again and reset the playing field). We were just cruising across the field headed for the hot spot when I got a strong hit lower right side of the screen. I have stopped using my depth meter because in this area it never seems right (soil, moisture, the way the stars line up, hell I don't know it just doesn't work in this field). When I get a good pinpoint when field hunting I usually hold my shovel over the spot and flick out a little dirt off the surface to mark the spot so I don't lose it when I set down my machine to dig. Well I did it and I saw what looked like a small rock on top and just flicked it out of the way. I ran the coil over the spot for a quick double check to see if I had it pinpointed right (haven't used my machine in 3 months) and the target was GONE. So I said to myself "hey stupid that rock looking thing must have been it, now you have to find it again". Well I found it pretty quick and gently picked up a badly corroded pewter button. I turned to Colby and said "hey I just found a button on the surface, and its got something on the front". He came over and took it and was trying to make out what it said when the light hit it just right and I said "hey it says USA". Well I thought he was gonna hit the ground <img src="/metal/html/biggrin.gif" border=0 width=15 height=15 alt=":D"> . He has been talking about finding one of these since we first started detecting together. I really don't know that much about the USA button and haven't had time to do much research yet. I am scared to touch the darn thing let alone clean the dirt off. Any tips on preserving it would be appreciated. Here's the pic, I know its in lousy condition, but it is one of my best colonial finds. <span style="background-color:#ffff00;">THANKS COLBY!! I hope you find yours soon!</span> Thanks for looking all and HH. Arron <IMG SRC="/metal/html/ml.gif" BORDER=0 width=30 height=15 ALT="m~">
 
You are right, you have to be very careful with that one. Not sure how weak the button is at the crack, but usually it doesn't take much for pieces to break off. If I were you I would use something like a water-based urethane (satin clear finish)to seal the back and edges asap. I would than be very careful with a toothpick and try to remove as much dirt as possible from the face, than stabilize it as well. There will likley be a bit of corrosion build up which can be very tough to remove. A brass brush can reduce it but an aggressive action such as that may put your button at serious risk. I think I would be quite happy as is. (especially considering it is not the only problem area) Use the lacquer in a thin coat and wipe right away with a lint free cloth. This will reduce a bit of the shine and maybe even do another coat when it dries. Nice find!
PS Get yourself a button case that has the plastic cups with foam incerts. You can trim the foam at the bottom or cut it out of the top to fit your button perfectly (or both). You really don't want any pressure on a dug pewter button.
 
and mine too. An old silver coin is nice but will never compare to something like a button from the American Revolution.
The good news is if you don't find pewter buttons often you probably don't realize just how well they can hide. These seem to be the last thing found on a site and seem to keep coming as long as you have lots of patience. Anytime a find like your button is made almost anything can show up so I would never count that place out. I have hammered my best sites for near 5 years and one way or the other I always find a way to get more. Where there is one there easily can be more.
 
I have about 20 pieces of USA buttons, dont think many better than yours if any... I used Renascaince wax to clean mine, but like CC said.. might not be a good idea to use anything.
Pewter just doesnt do well in fileds where they use fertilizers..
Best pewter I have actually came from wet areas in silt, alost teh opposite of brass... I think pewter dries out and crumbles in dry ground..
At any rate its a great find...
 
I will try your tips and see if I can preserve the button for my sons who are just now starting to get an appreciation for where they live. I do think a lot about the soldier who may have worn this button. What battles did he see? Did he live to see the freedoms that were won? What did he look like and where was he from? I can under stand Ricks passion that C.C. talks about, my th'ing buddy Colby has impassioned me. I love finding buttons as much as coins. Thanks for the great replys HH Arron
 
without exposing the button to the hot wax for long. Those thigs can melt quite easy.
I wax my brass buttons but not the pewter. For the wax to really take well your item has to be quite hot and I don't know if a pewter button would make it through.
 
I love em too Arron and looks like your post motivated me. <img src="/metal/html/smile.gif" border=0 width=15 height=15 alt=":)"> This is the same idea as your USA, only this was from the other side. Man I love finding buttons.
Not perfect but most of it.
 
its more like a paste, rub it on let it dry and wipe away.. leaves a protective coating and cleans away the dirt.. its expensive and the museums use it
 
but I think you would like the heated result much better. Would also be a much thinner coat. Some buttons don't seem to be able to take much before they start to lose detail.
 
Great post Arron. For all those reading this, a little bit about Arron. When we started hunting together a while ago, I was always trying to convince him to come do my sites. Good virgin 18th century spots. He had always wondered why I was so adamant about these as they are what I have grown up on <img src="/metal/html/confused.gif" border=0 width=15 height=22 alt=":?"> He soon gave in (had no choice) as I wouldn't go the parks or beaches with him. Now when we go, he says, " Let's do your place again!" I about flipped when he showed me the USA button found at one site where the total is now up to about 60 buttons. This is the first uniform button. One that I haven't identified yet is a pewter one with a fleur de lis on it that I'll see about getting a pic in the future. It is about an inch dia. and it covers most of the front. It's barely visible and brittle like the rest from the area. I have greatly enjoyed reading the posts on the forum. I am not a regular as I have one of those other machines. <img src="/metal/html/shocked.gif" border=0 width=15 height=15 alt=":shock"> I know Rick's passion will live on in all our hearts and I had chills reading CC's post. Good Luck out there and dig 'em carefully.
Colby
 
Had to write a bit more. The greatest part about this kind of stuff is when you dig one of these, I hold it and close my eyes and hope for just a split second that my surroundings transform back to that earlier time; camped in tents, food off the campfire,horses stabled, the comraderie of the troops from teens to elders and I wonder how it must have felt knowing your cause was for freedom...taken for granted by so many today. I find this appropriate timing as I salute our troops and all our vets for every freedom of choice I have.
Back to Arron....now he's got this machine pretty well programmed and I'll hear him yell to me,"Oooo sounds like a good one!" and I'll say,"Yeah yeah let me see it after you dig sucker."shaking my fist in the air as I pick up my swing speed to at least have a double.:grin You all know the feeling. But at the end of the day there is nothing like cleaning stuff up and a good shake and pat on the shoulder for some great finds and an unknown story behind everything recovered. Geeze...gettin' charged up. Might have to get out for a while today. <img src="/metal/html/smile.gif" border=0 width=15 height=15 alt=":)"> Hope I didn't bore anyone and that you've enjoyed the read.
Colby
 
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