Rainman
Junior Member
My wife and I purchased a 1775 cape on the Maine coast a few years ago and this summer I finally went an picked up a detector, though most often I sift any place I am seriously digging. After 25 years in the antiques business in both furniture and home restoration I am still amazed at what can be found in the the ground of an old home. Our house was a homestead expanded upon by a Revolutionary war Minute man, then a lease property for a generation or two... then a farm with 6 green houses and farm stand and again a rental property for 40 + years and now us. Almost forgot it's had two fires in which it seems all the fire refuse was shoveled out mixed and buried around the house and driveway... now covered in 4"-6" topsoil
Keeping in mind that of the 225+ years this home has stood most of the time the household refuse was buried. So, while using a metal detector on our property has turned up some fun, interesting and valuable finds, I am always left wondering just how much junk is truly in the ground around our home and weather I live on what should be called historical land or a land fill. Using a detector here is a careful orchestration of patience & curiosity.
Aside from thousands of pottery shards and countless zinc, copper and other metal flashing etc... I have found forks, knives, gun parts, purses, buttons, car parts, tractor parts, wads of molten silver, clock parts, whale oil lamps, snuff boxes, 57 marbles (they're everywhere)... and of course coins... So far the front walkway has the oldest item a "1758" copper Russian 2 Kopel piece and biggest silver piece an 1858 English silver Florin. I found a 1828 lg Amer. penny by the original well.... still working that area but it has had many layers of soil added so I expect I'll find more there in time.
I know many people love hunting historic homes and old farms but when you own one and it has as much in the ground as this one does, if you don't keep a sense of humor you'll go bonkers because what comes out of the ground sometimes will either make your eyes cross or sponsor a belly good laugh.
Keeping in mind that of the 225+ years this home has stood most of the time the household refuse was buried. So, while using a metal detector on our property has turned up some fun, interesting and valuable finds, I am always left wondering just how much junk is truly in the ground around our home and weather I live on what should be called historical land or a land fill. Using a detector here is a careful orchestration of patience & curiosity.
Aside from thousands of pottery shards and countless zinc, copper and other metal flashing etc... I have found forks, knives, gun parts, purses, buttons, car parts, tractor parts, wads of molten silver, clock parts, whale oil lamps, snuff boxes, 57 marbles (they're everywhere)... and of course coins... So far the front walkway has the oldest item a "1758" copper Russian 2 Kopel piece and biggest silver piece an 1858 English silver Florin. I found a 1828 lg Amer. penny by the original well.... still working that area but it has had many layers of soil added so I expect I'll find more there in time.
I know many people love hunting historic homes and old farms but when you own one and it has as much in the ground as this one does, if you don't keep a sense of humor you'll go bonkers because what comes out of the ground sometimes will either make your eyes cross or sponsor a belly good laugh.
