War of 1812 in Alta California? Please be Seated as this story unfolds...

I attempted to capitalize on my success from our New Years Day hunt where my first coin of 2022 was a beautiful 1825 reale ([youtu.be]). On that trip I removed a large section of brush that low and behold gave up several good targets once cleared. This general area produced several Phoenix buttons, a reale, green copper, flat buttons, relics, etc. This trip I tried removing more brush right in what was previously a hot zone, but I was shocked after busting my hump that the thicket of bushes wasn't hiding a single target. Tom likewise cleared out a large swath of overgrowth and after he went through with his Deus and got nothing (camp lead and shotgun butts perhaps), I went though it with the EQX and I did get what sounded like a good chance to be a deep coin, but it ended up being a deep shotgun shell. I don't recall shotgun shell being punishing on previous hunts there, but they were on this one, and I see that Tom also got an equally larger number of them.

Then I moved to the area that I had cleared out on the last trip and thought it made good sense to continue expanding my pocket and aside from a couple pieces of large iron, it was devoid of targets. While I was bushwhacking Tom decided to freestyle it on the deer trails. This would prove to be a good move, as he soon started having success.

Finally after Tom had bagged TWO Phoenix buttons and a flat button, I started working my way to where I thought he was, but the bottom line is I spent the majority of the hunt either bushwhacking dud areas, or exploring an entirely different area from where Tom was that ended up being practically devoid of targets. Tom kept texting me, hey I got another flat button, hey another phoenix button, hey a small birdcage button. Geesh he was killing it.

I ended up with a single flat button way out in the bush, and when I finally returned closer to the "zone", BAM I landed a neat button! How it got there is completely beyond me?? I researched it and it's what's commonly referred to as a War of 1812 Royal Navy Officer 15mm gilt brass flat button. This Royal Navy Officers one piece button was manufactured between 1798-1812. What's that doing in Alta California?? Anyone in California ever find one of these? I know when Spain wasn't looking the British were trading there, and when Alta California was under Mexican authority, the British could trade there.

On our way out we wanted to check an area that I sampled last trip and it produced a flat button or two. We were more thorough this time and hit an interesting little patch. Tom pulled a flat button and some big bronze foot to a candlestick or chalice or? Not far from him I got these two little silver buckles. Funky signal, silver screamer with other signals mixed in, pulled several targets out of this little area mixed in with junk. Got the little silver D buckle first, then the larger silver buckle second. Then I waded through some (gasp) clad and got a screaming flutey silver tone, and saw a little silver disc fly out of the hole!! Ended up being a seated half dime, a nice early one too from 1838. To bad it wasn't an Orleans mint mark, it'd be a high dollar little coin then, but it's still a killer find from early Alta California.





Nothing else too exciting to be honest, Tom was on fire! I believe he ended up with something like nine period flat buttons, and 2 Phoenix buttons, and a bunch of period green copper. Hopefully he'll post his finds here.

Thanks for looking!
GL&HH,
Cal

Here's 2 phoenix buttons from Saturday's hunt :

All told, I got 11 period buttons (gilt buttons, plain flats, a bird-cage cufflink, etc...)

And here some other age indicators : Green copper-smithed slag, pistol ball, etc....

And the obligatory modern junk :

Lots of British navy 1-piece gilt buttons end up in CA. But I don't recall that particular design. Good sleuthing ID work !

Are you sure those buckles are "silver" ?

Fun hunt !

A nice hunt together. All that work pays off in the end. If not with finds then in memories for when you get too old to Bushwhack detect.

Chris

JCR Wrote:
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> .... All that work pays off in th
> e end. If not with finds then in memories for when
> you get too old to Bushwhack detect.


Interesting point. Yes, in 10 or 20 yrs, we'll be in our rocking chairs telling our kids about the crazy antics we did. The chase is half the fun !

Wow, guys, you sure do know how to research -- and find -- the OLD sites in California, and you get rewarded handsomely for it!

WAY TO GO, yet again!

Steve

Sometimes you have to be aggressive. Clearing a site and ((BINGO))little treasures are uncovered. Well done fellas!!

ozzie Wrote:
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> Sometimes you have to be aggressive. Clearing a si
> te and ((BINGO))little treasures are uncovered. We
> ll done fellas!!


Hey, if it were easy, then it wouldn't be half-the-fun, eh ? Like fishing: If the lunkers weren't wily and evasive, then ..... they wouldn't be half as fun to catch, eh ?

Tom_in_CA Wrote:
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> ozzie Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Sometimes you have to be aggressive. Clearing a
> si
> > te and ((BINGO))little treasures are uncovered.
> We
> > ll done fellas!!
>
>
> Hey, if it were easy, then it wouldn't be half-the
> -fun, eh ? Like fishing: If the lunkers weren'
> t wily and evasive, then ..... they wouldn't be ha
> lf as fun to catch, eh ?


There is some degree of truth in that, unfortunately!

Steve

steveg Wrote:
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> ....
>
>
> There is some degree of truth in that, unfortunate
> ly!
>
> Steve

Here's another analogy : Anyone can go buy a big fat heavy gold ring. Right ? BUT if you are an NFL player, you will have a different sentiment to a super bowl ring. Even though a similar gold ring which you could have simply purchased. And have had the exact same weight of gold. Ie.: Even though each ring might look the same, etc....

Why ? Because the super bowl ring represents years and years of hard work and competition. Very few can attain that. While ANYONE can go buy a gold ring. Some of those NFL guys trace their discipline (self restraint, rigorous training, etc...) all the way back to high school. So when they finally achieve that, the ring represents all those years of work. And you can bet they show that off with pride. And you can bet that when their friends come over for a social event, they're gonna say "Can I see your super bowl ring".

So too is it with a gold coin or rare buttons, seateds, etc.... You had to spend years learning your craft, your hobby, your research, your trial-&-error, etc....

Tom-in-CA --

Good points/good analogies. I have to agree.

Steve