Yesterdays Hunt

[WessThompson]

Well I didn't manage any fancy old coins yesterday really. The best coins I got were the 1906 quarter, 1914 large cent, and a 1913 fishie all of which came from a park.

After that we hit a plowed field.

The field coughed up some flat buttons...some of which are half the size of a fishscale!

My best find of the day was this military button. It reads "Lower Canada Militia". Looks like pewter? I think it's 1812 period, but can anyone confirm this and give me any more info on it!? Are these fairly common?? Sadly it's missing a piece

I also found this huge lead piece which appears to be a bullet. It's larger than a 3 ringer and way heavier...more so than any musketball or bullet I have ever found. It looks to have a couple rings near the bottom and also a lead plug in the bottom. The really strange part is that the top is flat!?!? Any ideas on what this is and how old it might be!?

Thanks for looking!

Wess

 

[Craig in Alabama]

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[Brian(upstateNY)]

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[Brandon/ny]

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[Ed SW Fla]

..... the flat piece in the bottom of the bullet is likely zinc. When fired, would have expanded and was to clean the rifle grooves in the barrel. Lot's of soldiers didn't trust cleaner rounds in battle and would throw them away. Sometimes they were carved, beat upon, or just thrown away.

In our Civil War, in the beginning, 1 round per 10 in a box were cleaners. At the end it was 3 per 10.

 

[General Ray]

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[Lawrence in Alabama]

Wess, do you ever have a bad day I am always envious of the finds you come up with

 

[WessThompson]

Thanks Lawrence...I actually haven't had too many bad days to be honest. I always come home with a coupld keepers. I can only think of 2 times where I have got skunked.

This year has been phenomenal for me so far....I've been pretty damn lucky. Thanks for looking and for your comments

Wess

 

[WessThompson]

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[WessThompson]

this was suggested to me by 2 others as well...but they can't confirm it for sure. Certainly would be nice to know without a doubt...but i guess that makes the hobby fun sometimes. Thanks for the little history lesson

Wess

 

[WessThompson]

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[WessThompson]

It's awfully wet here too....but I don't mind. Makes it interesting *hah*

 

[WessThompson]

the baby (Hailey) is doing just great! Thanks for asking. She'll be 6 months old in a few days. Wow time flies!! I'm still getting used to being someones dad *ehehe* but it's great and I wouldn't change it for the world!

Happy hunting my friend!

 

[Chris in Hamilton (Canada)]

I've found similar ones but they say Canadian Miltia and have roses & thistles surounding the GR. They aren't common but I've always found 2-3 in one spot and then won't find any for a long time. Never found one in good condition. Probably cheap pewter.

 

[Dean (Whitby Canada)]

If the plate at the bottom is zinc it should be the same size as the body of the round ( as on the Williams cleaning round) also there should be the remains of the washer that scraped out the barrel...it must be .75 cal and I have never heard of such a round..but maybe..

Dean

 

[Butch in Colorado]

There were three (sorry if you already know this) Williams cleaner bullets. All are the "standard" 58 caliber rounds. And none look like that one with the groves so close together. Type I had the aggregate connected to the post. Type II was the full size 58 cal bullet with the zinc disk and Type III was the smaller 58 cal round with the zinc disk.

If it is a cleaner it does not follow the pattern defined by M&M. I'll look tonight to see if there were others noted.