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Old Ranch Hunt 1860-1916 site.

Fish N Chips

Junior Member
Joined
Jan 10, 2013
Messages
74
Location
California
I returned to a ranch site today I found a while back and got permission for. I took my Dad along for a half day hunt. I went to this site on a scouting mission last week and did ok with some large iron finds, tools and numerous 1880-1900 bullet casings. It was more an exploratory mission to determine where the houses and barns were at. There was supposedly a stage stop and hotel in the area too, but I am still working on locating them. The structures were wood and fires have made sure the only thing left is the nails and rock walls. They are challenging sites due to the iron nails, so I have been working slow and using my small coil around the house and barns, and my larger coil in the old orchard and fields.

My Dad borrowed my Silver Umax and I used my Eldorado 'Umax'. I used the 9x8 coil today as I wanted to hunt some more open areas, but also took it right into the nails. It did well. I could have switched to my 5.75 coil but it was a shorter hunt, and I was on the move. My Dad stuck with the 8" donut coil on the Silver.

I worked today with discrimination just below nickle, sensitivity around 6-7 in the trash and 9 in the fields. I dug only good repeatable signals, and really tried to find the smaller signals although I went ahead and dug some larger signals as well if they really sounded good. I worked around the first home site but did not find much, some iron hooks and brass cases. I moved over to a rock wall and did not find much until I got a screamer signal, very sharp and loud. Out popped a nice brass lock with the mark 1825 on it. I worked over toward the barn and got a second brass lock, this one was in the nails and I almost didn't dig it as it was breaking up slightly, this one was much smaller with a 17 on it. I need to see if I can find the make of these as they do not have a name. We worked the barn site and found a few more tools, axes, lantern parts, shell cases and an odd iron/wire "chain." I thought it was a suspender clip when it first started coming out, but then the assembly just kept coming! Any ideas? I then found a nice rein guide assembly with some chrome plate still on it.

My Dad got a nice axe, some horse shoes and tools. A brass shotgun cartridge, and a decorative broach/adornment piece. I think it may have been plated at one time but rang up around brass/pull tab on the detector. He really likes finding the old tools and was on the search for large iron and had wrought pieces.

We moved over to a second house site and I worked the orchard and along the outer wall. We were running out of day so I turned the discrim up to just below pull tab, as that seems to knock out most the rusty tin which abounds at this site. I went slow and gridded off my area. I found a harmonica reed, a rosette, a brass tube which I think must be off a knife or tool?. Then out pops a first for me, a pocket watch! I wish it was in better shape but was very happy with the find. I found a few harness buckles (I love finding buckles and horse tack).

I work along a get another great signal. I open up the hole and I see something large and round! I knew it looked like a coin, but it turned out to be something just as good. It was an 1908 token medal. It is for the US Fleets visit to San Francisco with Rear Admiral Evans on it. I called my Dad over to show off the find and was reeling. Luckily I rechecked the hole and out comes the top plate for the medal! I was very happy to find both parts. A little research showed it was for the white fleet, and came with a flag ribbon back and a pin. You can make out where the pin was soldiered but it has rusted away. It also had one of the holding rings but it crumbled into rusty dust.

I can not wait to head back up. There is so much area to cover I will be detecting this spot for a long while. No coins yet, but these were poor folks in the area and coins seem scarce to no-existent at most these sites.

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Shotgun Shell

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broach or clip?

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Any idea what the item on top is? Inside of a strap or belt?

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Locks

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Reins guide

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Front

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Back
 
Those finds are great and that medal is pretty spiffy I must say. Seems like a sight with a ton of potential.
 
Very nice batch of cool finds! It's neat that you got such a variety of things, and still recognizable too. I think I should know what that chain thing is but for the life of me can't quite come up with it...
 
I am going to print out some period graphics from the white fleets trip to San Francisco and put it with the medal in a shadow box. It would be neat to find some similar ribbon and put it all back together, although I like the patina and as found look.

I may have found a match on the belt thing. I was going through an old Sears catalog from 1897 while researching the locks and found something similar, well at least part of it. It may be off an "Electric Belt". I have more research to do but if it is a match this is the inner galvanized 'battery' portion of the belt. Although not a perfect match to this brand, the plates and the D ring and clip look very similar so is at least a good lead to research more. It actually has the small holes in it on the other side, but only 3 of them and not four like the print.

I appreciate all the input and advise.

Electric%20Belt_zpswmgom1vy.jpg


Electric%20Belt%202_zps1ubxa7je.jpg
 
Nice hunt. I had a box of old locks like you found only one had a key still attached to a chain that had accumulated over time and added them to a local auction last summer and was surprised at how much they brought I thought I'd be hauling them back home. I never could figure out why the key would be chained to the lock unless it locked an entry door of some kind from the inside someone's version of a deadbolt.
 
Echoing everyone else...that medal is awesome. You said exactly what I was thinking about finding a similar ribbon to match the original and put it back together as much as you can. It would make a great conversation piece in the shadow box or gift for someone that was in the US Navy.

I don't think I would be trying out the "electric belt" though.....yikes. What the heck is that noose for dangling from the front? I will keep my run down feeling thank you very much! :yikes:
 
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