AMERICAN DIGGER MAGAZINE

Figure 13: Bottles found by the author.

that were found in a couple of different dumping spots in Figure 14: Japanese Phoenix teacup plate.
the woods. So far, I have discovered four dumping grounds
that are all located in front of the stone walls that border the
property. In these grounds, I have found broken pottery, scrap
metal, and a few treasures. In figure 10, you can see a bracelet
that has a pretty border and flowers. In figure 11, you can see a
brooch/cameo of a lady with flowing hair and a flower wreath

Figure 12:Mid-19th
century buttons.

on her head. Figure 12 shows two buttons found that were on
a path in the woods to the dumping grounds.

In the dumping sites, I have dug up a lot of broken glass
and pottery. Luckily, I was able to recover a good number of
bottles and glass that were still intact. Others I was able to glue
back together.

In figure 13, you can see the several bottles found. These
bottles have a large age span, ranging from the 1840s to
the 1940s. The bottles consist mostly of medical remedies,

March-April 2021 American Digger® 49

Figure 15: Skeleton Key

Figure 16: Padlock and key

“If I can give you any advice, it is this: don’t else being here besides pieces of farming equipment. It really
stop searching! There will be days and weeks unlocked my drive to discover several lifetimes of inhabitants
on this land. I am still metal detecting the property today as I
where all you find is scrap metal.” know there is more to recover. I am excited to see what else I
_____ will find.

condiments, soda, and perfume. The oldest, from 1842, is an I know as a detectorist it can become frustrating if you
Atwood’s Jaundice Bitters bottle produced by the Manhattan aren’t finding what you want. If I can give you any advice, it is
Medical Company. Other companies include AD Ashley’s, this: don’t stop searching! There will be days and weeks where
Rawleigh’s, Heinz, Buckley’s, Larkin Soaps, Owen-Illinois, and all you find is scrap metal. The more I spend time digging every
so many more! Most pottery I find is usually in pieces. I was signal, the more I am able to learn about my detector and be-
able to reconstruct one plate, as seen in figure 14. This plate come familiar with the sounds and readings. The more familiar
was manufactured during World War II; it is a small Japanese you are with your detector, the more you will know what to dig
and what to skip over.
LPhoenix teacup plate.
astly, figures 15 and 16 show two keys and a lock. I Resources:
wanted to mention this because the key in figure 15 www.jmbullion.com/coin-info/cents/two-cents/1864-two-
really unlocked the discovery of all of these objects. I cent/https://coins.nd.edu/ColCoin/ColCoinIntros/Fugio.intro.
have found several iron parts but this was the first item htmlhttps://sha.org/bottle/
I found that really opened my eyes to the concept of something
Holly Colombo started
50 American Digger® Vol. 17, Issue 2 her metal detecting
journey at the age of
10 and has now been at
it for 15 years. Hailing
from Middleborough,
Massachusetts, she says,
“Metal detecting has al-
ways fascinated me as
you are discovering a
piece of history that has
been under your feet.”

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Civil War Surplus 662-423-3484 865-693-3007
2879 Main St. armyoftennesseerelics.com Mechanicsville Relics
Kennesaw, GA 30144 Missouri & Display Cases
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Acworth of SW MO Hwy. 66, Sevierville, TN Williamsburg Antique Mall)
Bookstore 2958 B E Division Street 800-251-9306 (Ext 173) 500 Lightfoot Rd
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Acworth, GA
678-403-1355 417-414-8622
treasurechief.com
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& Decor New Hampshire Want to sell America’s most popular detecting
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March-April 2021 American Digger® 51
603-876-4443

ELI WHITNEY BULLET
MOLDS FOR RIFLES & RIFLE

MUSKETS

By Dean Thomas

Above, the Whitney firearms factory in 1827 as painted by
William G. Munson. Left, a mid-1800s label from the armory.

Photos Courtesy Wikimedia Commons
___________

Famous for their firearms, bullet
molds were a related product made
by Eli Whitney’s Whitneyville
Armory located near New Haven,
Connecticut. Learning about their
Civil War-era bullet molds helps
to better understand some unusual
rounds excavated by relic hunters.

52 American Digger® Vol. 17, Issue 2

Bullets cast in Whitney molds, left to right:
.54 cal. Miss Rifle - 440 grains, .540” diameter, 1.01” length.
.58 cal. rifle musket - 540 grains, .572” diameter, 1.05” length
.69 cal. rifled musket - 690 grains, 685” diameter, 1.10” length.
All have cone-shaped cavities and are nose cast.

Often overlooked are Civil War-era bullet molds manu- Whitney .58 cal. rifle musket mold.
factured by Eli Whitney’s Whitneyville Armory, locat-
ed two miles north of New Haven, Connecticut. The (.54 cal.), the new M1855 rifle muskets (.58 cal.), and the soon-
reason of course is that they are scarce and unmarked, and over- to-be-rifled smoothbore muskets (.69 cal.).
shadowed by the weapons they were intended to accompany.
As development of the new projectiles progressed in 1855,
Beginning during the Mexican War, Whitney made near- Eli Whitney queried Chief of Ordnance H.K. Craig about how
ly 30,000 rifles for the United States Government, with a large he could get involved in making bullet molds. Not wanting to
number of them being issued to the “First Regiment Mississippi actually design new bullets, Whitney wrote to Craig on January
Riflemen” commanded by Colonel Jefferson Davis. Known of- 27, 1855:
ficially as the .54 cal. Model of 1841 Rifle, because of Davis’s regi-
ment’s use, the nickname “Mississippi Rifle” has stuck. “...I would like to make the Bullet Molds (for the Pritchett
Ball) for the Muskets you propose to have rifled ....” 1
The gun initially employed the patched round ball to allow
for the bores that varied from .536 inch to .545 inch. In 1856, Craig responded on January 30th:
however, new elongated bullets were adopted for all U.S. rifles

“Your letter of the 27th inst. has been received and the contents
noted. No answer can be made at this time to your propositions of
Rifling Muskets, furnishing Sights, Bullet Molds, and Rifling Ma-
chines, other than that the present prospect is, that we will be able
to do the work as fast as required at the Armories & Arsenals.” 2

Three weeks later, on February 23, Whitney again wrote to
Craig:

Whitney .69 cal. rifled musket mold. Has it yet been decided as to the number of Bullet Molds re-
quired for the Muskets of the Model of 1842?” 3
Photos courtesy of The Horse Soldier
Craig advised in no uncertain terms on March 1 that Whit-
ney’s assistance was not then needed:

“The Department is now engaged in making trials, of differ-
ent kinds of Rifle Grooving and also in arranging a new Model
Musket etc. Until these matters are settled no engagements with
private manufactories for such work as you mention. I am inclined
to think that we have the means at our Armouries and Arsenals

March-April 2021 American Digger® 53

for accomplishing all such work.” 4 Whitney .54 cal. Mississippi rifle
But things changed in mid-April and Craig wrote to Whit- mold with matching dug ball.

ney: Courtesy Barney Tyree

“It is possible this Department may require at an early day
about 500 cast steel carbine Barrels rifled ....

Can you deliver a portion or all of the Rifles still due under
your contract with this Department, with Sword Bayonets, Hind
sights for long ranges, and ramrods for pointed Bullets?” 5

Whitney replied in no time on April 14:

“On Monday will begin the alterations required on the Rifle “I send you a rough sample of Minié Ball Mold made of Mal-
Ram Rods ....I should like a Contract for making leaf back sights & leable Iron but it will answer to show the plan of construction, as
Minié Bullet Molds not only for the Muskets intended to be rifled, well as for practicable purposes. I am intending to patent it if I am
but for all the U.S. Rifles on hand.” 6 entitled to do so, & hence will thank you not to show it where I
would be apt to be interfered with... When you have examined the
Three days later Craig had little to say to Whitney other Bullet Mold please let me have your views as to its fitness for Govt.
than that Whitney’s propositions were noted and would be duly use. It is copied from the French imported mold with the exception
considered. He’d let Whitney know. No mention was made of of the improvement of dispensing with the handle etc.” 9
bullet molds. 7
For whatever the reasons, the Ordnance Department did
Eli Whitney wrote again to Craig on May 28, 1855, but un- not correspond with Whitney with regard to bullet molds;
fortunately this letter has not been located. Nevertheless, Craig through at least the middle of January 1856, the “talk” was only
did reply two days later: about altering ramrods and rifles. Whitney never received a
patent for his bullet mold because the Patent Office determined
“Your letter of the 28th inst. has been received .... With regard that it had no “novelty.” Nevertheless, and without any govern-
to Bullet Molds I have to say that if you will send one to this office, ment contracts, Whitney did proceed to manufacture his bullet
with its swedge for finishing, and it shall be found on examination molds for longarms in three different calibers: .54, .58, and .69
to possess advantages over those we make at the armories, the pro-
priety of purchasing will be considered.” 8

Interestingly, Whitney did not have a bullet mold readily
available that he could send to Craig, but by June 18 it was:

Whitney .54 cal. Mississippi rifle mold with a “Von Lenk”
bullet, courtesy of Steve Strickland. It is a perfect fit.

Courtesy Barney Tyree collection.

54 American Digger® Vol. 17, Issue 2

inch. Most were sold to the states and individuals before _______________
the Civil War. An attempt by the state of North Caroli- Above, “Von Lenk Guncotton” bullets dug in Camp Quantico
na to buy some “Minnie Molds” from the Whitneyville by Kevin Ambrose. Camp Quantico was the 1861-62 winter
Armory in January 1861 was unsuccessful. None of the camp of the 1st Texas. Below, page 134 from Roundball to
three different calibers of Whitney molds can be called
common. They were without doubt not produced in very Rimfire, Part One, lists the same bullet as “unknown.”
large quantities, however, the .54 cal. Mississippi bullets _______________
cast in Whitney molds do appear with some regularity
in Confederate sites, although the laboratories or arsenals Dean Thomas has been recovering artifacts since 1968, and
where these balls were made have not been determined. has conducted intensive studies concerning Civil War small
arms ammunition. He is also the author of several notable
This writer has never noted an excavated example books, including two widely acclaimed series, Roundball
of a .69 cal. rifled musket projectile cast in the Whitney to Rimfire: History of Civil War Small Arms Ammunition and
mold illustrated here. It can be seen that the new casting
is pretty much of U.S. regulation size except it has a deep- Confederate Arsenals, Laboratories, and Ordnance Depots.
er cavity and is nose cast. The mold itself appears more March-April 2021 American Digger® 55
finished than the other two, especially with the wood-
capped cavity forming plug.

The .58 cal. mold and the elongated ball cast in it are
unexceptional. The cavity forming plug, which is not the
correct one for this specific mold, is the common cylin-
der type. These friction-fit plugs become extremely hot
to the touch after casting only a few bullets. The funnel-
shaped sprue cutter is the well-known feature identifying
Whitney molds.

I had never seen a .54 cal. Whitney mold until Al-
abama detective and digger Barney Tyree showed me
the specimen here that he had just purchased. Unfortu-
nately, it is without its cavity forming plug, but as such
can better illustrate one of its prior uses. With a modi-
fied base plug, the .54 cal. Whitney mold was used to
make an experimental projectile with a center hole in
its base – .18” in diameter and .90” deep. It is presumed
a wooden stick was inserted into the hole like the Aus-
trian Von Lenk and wrapped with guncotton to form a
cartridge. Or perhaps Gomez and Mills used this bullet
in experiments with their white powder substance that
was likewise wound on a stick? Sadly, we may never
know for sure. However, these bullets have been found
predominantly in the northern Virginia and Manassas
areas associated with Texas troops. This is yet another
example of how non-dug artifacts help diggers under-
stand more about what they find.
NOTES

1. Whitney to Craig, 1/27/55, NARA (National Archives and Records
Administration), RG156, Entry 21 - “W” 1855
2. Craig to Whitney, 1/30/55, NARA, RG 156, Entry 3 - Vol. 45
3. Whitney to Craig, 2/23/55, NARA, RGl 56, Entry 21 - “W” 1855
4. Craig to Whitney, 3/1/55, NARA, RG156, Entry 3 - Vol. 45
5. Craig to Whitney, 4/11/55, NARA, RG156, Entry 3- Vol. 45
6. Whitney to Craig, 4/14/55, NARA, RG156, Entry 21 - “W” 1855
7. Craig to Whitney, 4/17/55, NARA, RG156, Entry 3 - Vol. 45
8. Craig to Whitney, 5/30/55, NARA, RG156, Entry 3 - Vol. 45
9. Whitney to Craig, 6/18/55, NARA, RG156, Entry 21 - “W” 1855

Just In The Nick Of Time:

History Saved from the Junk Box

By Charlie Harris

56 American Digger® Vol. 17, Issue 2

About 20 years ago my detecting buddy Tom Nickell
and I were digging in a little Yankee camp in Chatta-
nooga, Tennessee that was there to guard one of the
W&A (Western & Atlantic) railroad bridges. There
were a few decent finds made there: a US buckle, a cartridge
box plate, a few buttons, a complete Guinn & Campbell carbine
lockplate and hammer, a Civil War-dated silver dime and the
expected bullets.

I dug these two pieces of brass (shown at the top of these
pages), about 2 inches x 3 inches in size, off to the edge of the
camp near a creek. Being a little bit of a strange find, I put them
into one of my display cases, saving them the fate of the junk box
(which had been my first thought). I did think they might be
part of a grandfather clock face, but thought little else of them.
The hours are engraved as Roman numerals and the minutes are
very fancy Arabic digits. At that time I didn’t even think about
the holes in them.

Just recently I went to a local estate sale with many beautiful
antiques. Along the left wall heading into the living room, stand-
ing in all of its majesty, was a grandfather clock. When I looked
at the face, all I could say was “Wow!” It was the same as the frag-
ments I’d dug. I had to pull out my camera and asked the person
in charge to open up the face and let me take some photos of it.

This clock has the maker’s plate on the face and it reads
“HENRY PAYTON/No. 348/Bromsgrove” Worcestershire, England.
Henry Payton only made clocks from 1735 to 1765, a minimum

_______________

At the top of these pages, the front and back of the pieces of 57
clock face found by the author. All other photos are of the Henry

Payton Grandfather clock found at the estate sale. While the
face is not identical, other Payton models are. This one has a
diamond shape in the spaces between the Roman numerals.

March-April 2021 American Digger®

of 96 years before the Civil War began.
After research, I learned my pieces were
from a clock that dates to 1760. It appears
that the biggest difference between these
is the design (or lack of) between the
Roman numeral hours. There are also
differences in the dial in the bottom
center that tells how many hours left
before the clock needs rewinding.
There were two or three other clock-
makers during this time period in England
that made grandfather clocks with very
similar faces, but my pieces most closely
Aresemble the ones made by Henry Payton.
s those who have studied the
Civil War (or any war, actual-
ly) know, very few items were
sacred when the enemy came
into a new territory and evidently, the
Henry Payton clock that the Yankees had
likely stolen was one of those items. Af-
ter recently talking with Tom to verify a
couple of points for this article, he men-
tioned that he thinks that it was actually
a “Boyce” railroad station clock. These
Henry Payton clocks were 30-hour ones,
rather than the normal 24-hour clocks,
which would have been ideal for use by The face of the Henry Payton grandfather clock found at the estate sale.
the railroads that had to keep super-ac- _________________

curate times to avoid collisions. What happened to the rest of I believe that this clock was confiscated from a house
the clock we’ll probably never know, unless some more pieces along the way or even railroad station and destroyed by of-
are found or rescued from other junk boxes. ficers. Why officers?  The holes that I had not paid any atten-
tion to now began to speak to me. They
are about .36 inches in diameter and
Quartermaster General Relics swell out to the front from the back-
side. This tells me that these pieces of
brass were being used as target practice
by soldiers, most likely officers, with
their .36 caliber revolvers. As a general
rule, enlisted men were not allowed
sidearms unless they were cavalry,
which this camp was not. There is one
definite hit on each piece, with both
being hit from the backside.
This is an ideal example of a com-
ment that I and others who have been
relic hunting for a long time always
say: “Don’t throw anything away until
Specializing In Investment Grade Militaria you know for certain what it is.”

John Harris, proprietor

quartermastergeneralrelics.com

757-746-7567

58 American Digger® Vol. 17, Issue 2

Chasing History on YouTube!

by Chase Pipes discovery of the pieces that would even­ Preparing tofilm the discovery of Permian
tually wind up in our store. These pro­ fossils with cameraman/editor, Kris
Seeing is believing, right? That's the fessionals were all eager to share with us Kaufman, paleontologistAndrea Lujan,
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at the Relic Room at Smoky Mountain discovered it and the processes they
Knife Works in Sevierville. You see, went through in order to recover and Filming a prehistoric cave site with archae­
lots of visitors were coming into the save vital pieces of history from being ologist, David Dean, and host, Chase Pipes.
store to view our collection of fossils, destroyed.
gemstones and rare historical artifacts,
but many were skeptical that what they To date, we've produced more than
were looking at was the genuine article. 70 episodes in house. Collectively, they
After all, it's not every day that you find cover a wide range of topics, from the
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understood that everything in our on the Mexican border, where the U.S.
displays was 100-percent authentic. Cavalry went in search of the outlaw
That's because one of our main objec­ Pancho Villa in 1916. In another
tives has always been to encourage episode, we visit with a historian who
people to become collectors them­ does archaeological work for the State
selves, so they could help preserve these of Tennessee, and he shows us how
rare finds before they became lost to archaeologists identify prehistoric
the ages. Native American sites. In yet another,
we are on site in Eastern Colorado with
So we took matters into our own a team of diggers as they discover
hands and decided that the best way to dinosaur bones.
prove that our items were the real deal Our channel is easy to find. Just go to
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came about. Our store manager, Kris our page, you can choose from episodes
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with us to dig sites across the country more than an hour long, depending on
and around the world, where we inter­ your level of interest. And if you like,
viewed archaeologists, geologists and you can also join the nearly 3,000-plus
paleontologists - all passionate diggers subscribers who get automatic notifica­
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We really think you'll dig our
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March-April 2021 American Digger® 59

STAY INFORMED!

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60 American Digger® Vol. 17, Issue 2

Reader’s Contest:

Try as he might, our publisher
has never found a gold coin. In
honor of this non-accomplish-
ment, we again invite our readers to find the gold
coin hidden in this issue. Not just any gold coin; it
will be the photo shown here (black and white or
color), although likely a different size. Butch isn’t
as picky, and once he finds any gold coin, the con-
test will change. If you find the coin in this issue,
contact us via email or snail mail before midnight,
March 25, 2021. Please include your full name
and address. The winner will be drawn from the
correct entries emailed to anita@americandigger.
com, or sent to Box 126, Acworth, GA, 30101. The
winner will receive a Garrett Finds pouch and gloves,
courtesy of Garrett Metal Detectors.
_______________
Last issue’s winner was Patrick Cook of Germantown,
Tennessee who found the hidden coin on page 62. Patrick
wins an autographed copy of the book, From The Ground
Up: Musings of an Upstate NY Metal Detectorist, by
Christopher Altmann, courtesy of the author.

March-April 2021 American Digger® 61

Please note that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all events listed below are
subject to cancelation. Please check before making plans to attend.

...Current Events... Current Events... Current Events...

March 5-6, 2021: 54th Mid-South Military History & Civil War Show, May 21-22, 2021: NVRHA 48th Annual Civil War Show, Fraternal Order
Landers Ctr, 4560 Venture Dr., Southaven, Miss. Info: Donald Harrison, of Eagles bldg, 21 Cool Spring Road, Fredericksburg, VA. Info: (703) 855-
(901) 832-4708 or email [email protected] 2376, Email: [email protected] or visit www.nvrha.com/show.htm

March 5-7, 2021: Digstock Mini Hunt, Greenville, North Carolina. Info: pete@ June 5-6 2021: The 9th Annual Silver Seekers Open Treasure Hunt, New
digstockevents.com or [email protected], (518) 314-9558, or visit www. Concord, Ohio. Info: Don Hayes, [email protected] or call (740)
digstockevents.com 252-1322 or Ed Burke at [email protected] or call (570) 310-1530.

CM(g3ro0aa1urn)nchd8cs62,5e0C--6o2l8w10e,4P2dao0lra2c1ve:is,Bi2t2awl0tw0imwYoo.brreaklAtRimndt,oiqTrueimsehoAonwrimu.cmsomS, Mhoawry, lManadr.yIlnafnod: State Fair- June 12-13, 2021: Brandon 5th Interactive Civil War Relic Show. Brandon
Ed Kemp, City Hallm, Brandon, Mississippi. Info: Tim Cupit, (769) 234-2966, or
email [email protected].
March 27, 2021: Chicagoland’s National Civil War Show & Sale. DuPage
Cty Fairgrounds. 2015 Manchester Rd. Wheaton, ll. Info: (715) 526-9769 or June 19, 2021: Iowa Antique Bottleers 51st Ant. Bottle & Collectibles Show
email: [email protected] & Sale, Johnston Lions Club, 64th Place & Merle Hay Rd, Johnston, Iowa.
Info: Mark Wiseman (515) 344-8333 or Joyce Jessen (515) 979-5216.
April 10-11: 12thAnnual Corinth Civil War Relic Show & Sale, CrossroadsArena.
2800 South Harper Rd. Corinth, Miss. Info: Dennis Brown, ducksu@frontiernet. July 10-17, 2021: Treasure Week 2021, Fox Den Acres Campground, New
net, (662) 212-4621 or Buddy Ellis (662) 665-1419, [email protected] Stanton, Pennsylvania .Info: Ed Davis at [email protected] or (317) 908-
8165 or Don Hayes at [email protected] or (740) 252-1322.

April 17-18, 2021: Big Deal Treasure Hunt, W. Stanley Conover Beach, Philips July 24-25, 2021: American Digger® Chattanooga Civil War &
Ave, Deal, NJ. Info: Andy Cliffer (973) 202-6642 orv email andrew.cliffer@ Artifact Show, Camp Jordan Arena, 323 Camp Jordan Pkwy.,
gmail.com or Donna Funk (973) 219-5833 or [email protected] East Ridge, Tenn. Info: (770) 362-8671 or (716) 574-0465; anita@
americandigger.com or [email protected] See ad on page 63.
April 17-18, 2021: Spring Gettysburg Military Antiques Show. Allstar Featured
Events Complex, 2638 Emmitsburg Rd, Gettysburg, PA. For more informa- Event!
tion, visit springgburgshow.com. or call 540-672-4845
August 6-7, 2021: FOHBC National Antique Bottle Show, On Center Con-
April 20-25, 2021: 28th BONE Week, Keene, N.H. Natural colonial hunts, treasure vention Ctr. 800 S State St, Syracuse, NY Syracuse, New York Info: Email
show, banquet, seeded hunt & more. Info: (603) 876-4443, Email [email protected] [email protected] or [email protected]
or visit www.streeter.org/

May 1-2, 2021: Ohio Civil War & Artillery Show, Richland Co. Fairgrounds, List your hunt or show here for free! Requests must be submitted at least eight weeks ahead of time to:
Mansfield, Ohio. Info: visit www.ohiocivilwarshow.com or email info@ [email protected] or “Events” c/o American Digger®, PO Box 126, Acworth, GA 30101.
ohiocivilwarshow.com, or call (419) 884-2194
We reserve the right to edit or refuse listings.

Promoters of Quality Shows for
Collectors, Hunters, Shooters,
and Civil War Enthusiasts.

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Capital of the Confederacy Asheville Gun & Knife Show
Richmond Raceway Complex Fletcher, NC

Richmond, VA March 6 & 7, 2021
Nov. 13 & 14, 2021 Columbia Gun & Knife Show

In association with the CVCWCA Columbia, SC
March 20 & 21, 2021
Middle Tennessee (Franklin) Asheville Gun & Knife Show
Williamson County Ag Expo Park
Fletcher, NC
Franklin, TN May 8 & 9, 2021
Dec. 4 & 5, 2021

Chickamauga Civil War Show
NW Georgia Trade & Convention Ctr., Dalton, GA

Jan. 29 & 30, 2022

Mike Kent & Associates, LLC
PO Box 685 • Monroe, Georgia 30655
(770) 630-7296 • [email protected] •

62 American Digger® Vol. 17, Issue 2

American Digger® Magazine now has TWO great shows each year!

CHATTANOOGA LOWCOUNTRY
ANTIQUE MILITARIA ANTIQUE MILITARIA
& AMERICANA SHOW & AMERICANA SHOW

July 24-25, 2021 Note date change!

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Open to Public: • Bottles & Stone Artifacts or (716) 574-0465
Saturday: 9-5 • Art, Photos, & Books
Sunday: 9-3 • Militaria & Americana Email: anita@
• All Eras to WWII americandigger.com
Dealer Setup: • Metal Detectors
Friday 1-7 PM • Awards & Prizes *Temporary date change to
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G Spring 2021 New event!
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cylinder and left topside and then sent down a hose for the
diver below to breathe through a regulator.

The final method of underwater hunting is SCUBA.
This involves the diver using a “Self-Contained Underwa-
ter Breathing Apparatus” (SCUBA), which is completely
independent of surface supply, to breathe underwater. The
basic SCUBA setup includes a tank of compressed air, to
which is attached a combination of a first and second stage
regulator for breathing.

WELCOME TO THE WATER SAFETY
Water hunting comes with its own set of hazards.
As interest in metal detecting grows each year, we re- Drowning is an obvious concern anytime you enter the
alize that available sites to hunt continue to dimin- water, but there are also other deadly consequences you
ish as well. Add to that all the laws and restrictions should be aware of.
on metal detecting, and it is easy to see treasure-hunting Pressure and volume with depth is a hazard every wa-
possibilities are shrinking every year. ter hunter needs to be aware of. As depth increases, so does
pressure, yet volume decreases. This is not a problem for
More and more treasure seekers are exploring the op- the person who wades or snorkels, but such is not the case
portunities of water hunting. Water covers about 71% of for those who take up HOOKAH and SCUBA.
the earth. Oceans hold over 95% of the earth’s water, the Breathing compressed air at depth can be deadly if you
remainder made up through freshwater creeks, rivers, and are not aware of its effects. A full lung of air taken in at
lakes. Interestingly, less than 2% of the population will ever 33 feet of depth, if held in the lung, will expand twice its
explore the treasure-hunting opportunities of this under- size at the surface. To understand the effects of this prin-
water world. ciple, if you inflated a balloon at 33 feet with compressed
air and tie it off, it would burst at the surface because its
It is estimated there are three million shipwrecks world- volume doubles. Thus, comes the main rule of breathing
wide, but only about 1% of those have ever been explored. compressed air underwater, “Never hold your breath!”
While many detectorists may never dive and search an old It is advisable before anyone undertakes hunting un-
Spanish shipwreck, underwater detecting is well within the derwater in a manner that requires breathing compressed
reach of every treasure hunter with the proper equipment air, either hookah or SCUBA, that you get certified. In do-
and training. Water hunting is the last great frontier… and ing so you will learn the proper techniques and skills so
there is vast treasure hidden under the surface! that you can safely do so.
There are several organizations through which one can
(Disclaimer: Before venturing into the water to attempt become a certified diver, including PADI (Professional As-
to recover its lost treasure, be sure and check federal, state, sociation of Diving Instructors), SSI (Scuba Schools Inter-
and local laws and restrictions.) national), and NAUI (National Association of Underwater
Instructors) being the most popular. Check with a dive
METHODS OF WATER HUNTING shop near you.
WADING is the most common means of getting your Loy Milam is a PADI certified scuba diver, podcast producer
detector under the water, but you are limited either by your for American Digger Magazine’s Relic Roundup and Relics
height or the length of your scoop. This is the most popu- Radio, and a metal detectorist since 1975. You
lar method used on beaches and shorelines of freshwater can check out his YouTube videos at www.
lakes. youtube.com/digginwithseven or by scanning
SNORKELING is the next step, which involved swim- the QR code shown here.
ming on or through a body of water while equipped with a
diving mask and a shaped breathing tube called a snorkel. Opinions and research expressed in this column are those of the
The next level of underwater treasure hunting is HOO- author and not necessarily those of American Digger®.
KAH. Hookah involves surface-supplied diving in which
either fresh air is drawn from the surface through an oil
less air-breathing-quality compressor, or stored in a scuba

64 American Digger® Vol. 17, Issue 2

Vol. 24 No. 2 March - April • 2013

Featuring “the reality
privy di ing”
Privy
Digathon $7.00

Included in this issue...
A Reminiscence of 53
Years of Bottle Collecting in
South Carolina (Part 1)
Manchester 2013
“Collect Free or Die”
Arthur McGinnis and the
Great Whiskey Heist
Legends of the Jar:
Bo Trimble
The Big Dig of 2012
(Part 2)
Maloney’s Process
Researching the Sources
and so much more...

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Bottle Collectors

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from the Revolutionary War, Civil War to World War II.

March-April 2021 American Digger® 65

News-n-Views this guy has is that he (allegedly) found them in France
and took them to Belgium. He knowingly and intentionally
Reports and Commentaries on transported misappropriated cultural items (allegedly) across
Issues That Affect the Hobby an international border for the purpose of hiding the activity.
Now this is all alleged. These observations are based purely
By Mark Schuessler on what I have researched in media articles. There could be
some extenuating circumstances here but altogether it does
France, Dec. 2020: Here is one from the other side of the big not look good for the guy.
pond, from France. I am not sure of all the legalities of using
a detector in France but it does appear that this guy was push- _______________________
ing the limits. Detecting is not illegal in France but it looks Internet Observations, 2021: Like most people I watch the
like there are a lot of ambiguities. Not attracting attention various detecting forums and social media. There seems to be
seems to be the way to go. Apparently you are supposed to a few themes/items that pop up pretty regularly. So much so
have a permit but it looks like they could be tough and time that some of it is getting really repetitive. I realize that people
consuming to get. That said, I am not making any statement newer to the hobby present most of these, but it still can get a
here other than reporting the facts as I know them. You can bit annoying at times.
decide.
First off is when someone shows a photo of a totally
A man was arrested and 27,400 objects/artifacts described toasted copper coin. They ask how to clean it up. Now I know
as being of “inestimable value” were confiscated. These were a when you find such an item there is a natural want, a need,
fairly common mix of Bronze age jewelry and Roman items. to identify it and “make” something of it. Some even ask how
The man, who is French but living in Belgium, told investi- to restore it. As much as I would love to say to just do this or
gators that he dug over 14,000 Roman coins at property he that, it cannot be done, or at best a near-zero possibility. Once
owned in Belgium. Officials were suspicious and contacted a coin is corroded and the detail is gone it cannot be returned
French Customs. to the coin. It is permanently gone. No amount of wishing or
wanting will make it happen. There is nothing to clean. The
Using a detector in Belgium is legal and finds are yours coin is, in most cases, already clean. I have had an occasion
to keep if dug on your own property. However, after investi- where there has been a crust that imitated corrosion, but that
gating the site the officials determined that the coins did not is the rare exception.
come from the site, and the man’s story started to fall apart. A
search of his home turned up many thousands more artifacts As a last resort I will place the coin in a small container of
including a rare Roman dodecahedron of which only about a olive oil. If there is any faint outline remaining it may appear
100 are known. after a long soak of weeks or even months. All this will do
is to allow a possible rough identification. I do not recom-
The French authorities stated that he dug all these items mend olive oil for anything other than that as it will make
in violation of the law at various sites across France and took the coin very dark and the oil cannot be removed without the
them to Belgium in order to skirt the law and avoid prosecu- introduction of chemical cleaners. In most cases, to bring out
tion. The case has been turned over to the prosecutors and detail use mineral oil instead.
charges are expected. He could be sentenced to prison time
and hundreds of thousands in fines. From Bruno Le Maire, Another pet peeve of mine is when people ask for val-
France’s economy minister: “This is a clear message to those ues, or others offer valuations, on dug and ground-damaged
who, for the benefit and selfish pleasure of a few, rob us of our coins. Now, silver is in a different category than copper and
common heritage and erase entire swaths of our history.” nickel. Silver will retain most of its numismatic value, provid-
ed there are no nicks, scrapes from the ground, or damaged
So what to make of this? As we do not know all inflicted by the finder when they swipe their finger across it
the specifics of the investigation it is tough to say. The to remove the dirt. The latter is the worst, and is an action that
French authorities, through investigations, maybe written puts irreparable damage on the surface and tremendously af-
information they found in their search, or maybe through fects the value.
the man’s own admission, have a solid case. Whether you feel
this is right or wrong, he did apparently violate the law. To Copper and nickel coins seriously suffer from the effects
make it worse, he transported the items out of the country, of the ground. They rarely hold the numismatic value that
which is another serious violation. As I said off the start many think or wish. It is rare for one of them to not exhibit
you can play by the rules as best you can and maybe stretch any ground effects. They will have some degree of corrosion,
them a bit but this appears, at least on the surface, to have flaking, encrustation and discoloration. Most times a grad-
been a lot more then stretching them. The real problem ing service will send them back ungraded and noting “envi-
66 American Digger® Vol. 17, Issue 2 ronmental damage.” In 45 years of recovering targets from
the ground I have probably less than a dozen coins that do
not exhibit any ill effects, or virtually none. These were all

found in my early years of hunting from parks, churchyards the identification sites: sickle bar points and sickle bar guards.
and schools and from well-drained spots. All were from sites Quite often someone is asking about them being a Civil War
where the ground was not subjected to plowing and fertil- item. Now I realize that many out there have never had any
izing. There are some areas of the country where coins will contact with the agricultural profession, so they would not
come out a lot nicer than other areas, but most still have know. As a suggestion to those who moderate these identifi-
ground damage of some type. cation sites: maybe they could make a post or a section with
all the common “known” stuff that gets regularly posted.
The common mistake made when valuing coins is look-
ing at the detail only. Diggers grade it strictly by the detail as Two items that show up regularly on identification sites:
you would an undug coin. Grading must take into account sickle bar point and sickle bar guard. Both are considered
the coin as a whole. Not just VF but VF with corrosion or 19th century farm equipment. Photos by Mark Schulser and Chet Lampen
flaking or discoloration, etc. I have dug coins that show XF
and even uncirculated detail. The problem is that the coin is Opinions and research expressed in this column are those of the
brittle and falling apart. To be brutally honest, most of these author and not necessarily those of American Digger®.
coins are really worthless from a numismatic point of view.
Most corroded large cents, Indian cents, and nickels, unless
they are a rare date, are worth about face value. That’s right.
They are all, in actuality, still legal tender if they are identifi-
able. If not then they are scrap metal or a curiosity. Some may
not like hearing that but it is a fact. If you are in denial on
that one then take them to a coin dealer or collector and see
for yourself. I have had people tell me that coin dealers have
refused to buy their dug coins.

Another thing that I find interesting in the Internet posts
and videos is when there is a corroded piece of miscellaneous
metal that was found in a backyard. It is indiscernible as to
being anything other than a piece of corroded metal. Most of
us have dug buckets full just like it. In fact it is rare that I do
not come home with at least a couple hunks of unidentifiable
corrosion. In a certain situation from a certain type of site
(such as from a Civil War site), it may be worth a second look,
but the vast majority are just a corroded pieces of scrap metal.
Sorry, but that is the cold fact. Even so, keep it until you are
sure. That’s one reason experienced diggers keep their scrap
metal in a junk box.

There are two particular items that show up regularly on

March-April 2021 American Digger® 67

resharpened examples. The shoulders can tend to be more
pronounced on resharpened examples and some may be
even barb-like.  
It’s interesting to note that the nomenclature for
alking the Thebes, as well as other types, has changed over the
past few generations. Many resharpened variants were
T Points once considered different types as opposed to simply
resharpened versions of the “less-sharpened” types.
Here’s the cool part that makes the “ E “ notch so dif-
ferent and gives it its name.  It’s all about the notches.  
Each sub-type of the Thebes style—there are four—is dif-
ferentiated  by the way the notches were done. We have
the Diagonal Notched, the Dog Leg Notched, the Square
Notched and our subject at large, the E Notched.  Each
one has the notching doing something slightly different
A look into American Indian artifacts than the other. The differences were laid out for academia
and the cultures that used them. at the University of Cincinnati Point Type Conference in
1983. I bet most of you didn’t even know that such a thing
By Pete Schichtel

as a “point type conference” even existed.
What makes the E Notched worthy of the title is the
distinctive way in which the notching entered from the
side of the lower blade by way of a very narrow opening.
Thebes E Notched About halfway into the full depth of the notch the notch

_________ opens up to more than twice the size of the entry point
and flares out, forming a keyhole shape.  The notch ends
The Thebes “E” Notched at what would be considered the stem
blade variety is part of of the point with two small chipped
the larger Thebes group notches forming a dimple in the center
which loosely includes the Lost of the notch which gives the style its
Lake and the St. Charles Dove- distinct “E” shape.
tail varieties. The Thebes “E” This fairly sophisticated attribute
notch and its group buddies and bit of Stone Age engineering ap-
are all early archaic point types pears to be solely intended to allow for
ranging from about 10,000- a stronger hafting. It’s easy to see why. 
8,000 BP.  Much like its Dove- With the surrounding basal area heav-
tail cousins, these can be found ily ground to keep the lashing from
from New York state to Iowa and getting cut, this design surely kept the
from Michigan to Tennessee.  blade firmly attached to its handle. 
Although the flaking tends to be
Most recovered specimens the typical percussion flaking of many
are medium-to-large early Archaic pieces and not too excit-
in size, ranging  from Two examples of ing, the form and its resharpened ver-
2¾ to 4 inches which Thebes E Notched sions are distinctly graceful. The  slight
has led both collec- forms are shown in variations of the basal treatment and
tors and scholars to the photo above. the delicate E Notched makes this a
believe that most were The close-up at left gorgeous, but yet underrated, piece of
intended to be used
as knife forms. To shows the “E” notch Stone Age art.
further illustrate  that
in detail.

point, many samples ________

exhibit extensive signs
of resharpening.  The telltale steep left side bevels are pres-
ent, running down the edge of the blade. The blade edges
can vary depending on the degree of resharpening. Un-
sharpened blades can be excurvate to straight on lightly Opinions and research expressed in this column are those of the
author and not necessarily those of American Digger®.

resharpened examples to recurved on more extensively

68 American Digger® Vol. 17, Issue 2

Federation of Metal Detector Moving? Change of address?
and Archaeological Clubs Inc.
Moving Please let us know your new
Promoting and protecting the metal On? address at eight weeks prior
detecting hobby since 1984
to moving so that we can
Join us - The hobby you save will be your own!
Visit us at FMDAC.org and on Facebook. assure that your subscription

Mark Schuessler – National President to American Digger® magazine
[email protected] or call (585) 591-0010
continues uninterrupted. The Post Office will not

forward periodicals. Contact us at 770-362-8671 or

email [email protected] so we can get your

delivery address changed.

March-April 2021 American Digger® 69

Diggin’ It

by April Pedersan

“What a great idea to find
mint condition artifacts!”

70 American Digger® Vol. 17, Issue 2

For Sale & Wanted Illustration courtesy of Library of Congress

Coins, Bottles, Comic Books, Sheet Music, Postcards, Trade Cards, OH Saving History of Greater Cincinnati, 2nd Thurs/month, 7
Stamps and collectible paper of all types. SASE for 14-16 Page
List. Timothy Hart, 20 Masten Rd, Victory, VT 05858 [J-F 21] p.m., Ready Line Shooting Complex, 3761 Round Bottom Rd.,
Newtown, OH Info: [email protected] or see Facebook. [M-A 22]
Wanted—any Maryland items, plates, crosses, images etc.
(301) 475-2000 [J-F 22] Tri-state Hist. Research & Recovery Assoc. 2nd Thurs/month 7 p.m,
Norwood Christian Church, 4400 Ashland Ave., Norwood, OH tristate-
Clubs metaldetecting.com or [email protected] (513) 290-5294 [M-A 22]
CO Eureka! Treasure Hunters Club meets the 2nd Friday of each
Ohio Detectorists Assoc. 1st Weds./month 6 p.m. Camp Lebanon, 4464
month at 7:30 p.m. at the Clement Community Center in Lakewood, Emmons Rd, Oregonia, Ohio Info: email odavicepresidentgf@gmail.
Colorado. Visit www.EurekaTHC.org for more information. [S-O 22] com, call (513) 607-4603 or visit odametaldetecting.com. [M-J 22]

GA Coastal Empire History Hunters Association. Meet 7:30 SC Sandhill Metal Detector & Relic Club meets the 2nd Tuesday of

p.m every 4th Thurs. Western Sizzlin’ restaurant, U.S. Hwy. 80, the month at 7:00 PM at Pageland Methodist Church, 205 South Pearl
Pooler, GA. For more information, visit http://www.cehha.org/ [E] St, Pageland, SC. Email [email protected] [M-A 22]

Dixie Relic Recovery Club, 1st Mon./ ea. month, 7 p.m., Old Stone TN Memphis Metal Detecting Club meets 3rd Thursday of month
Church, Ringgold, GA. Visit facebook.com/DixieRelicRecovery-
Club.com. [E] at 7 p.m. at OLPH Church, Germantown, TN.  Phone (901) 752-
6704 or email [email protected] for more info. [N-D 21]
North Georgia Relic Hunters Association meets the 1st and 3rd
Tuesday of each month, 7 p.m., Mt. Calvary Baptist Church, Murfreesboro Metal Detecting Club meets in Murfreesboro, TN the last
287 Mt. Calvary Rd., Marietta, GA. www.ngrha.com. [N-D 21] Tuesday of each month. Visit our website borodiggers.wix.com/mmdc
or email [email protected] for more information. [J-A 21]
Tri-State Relic Recovery Club meets 7 p.m., 2nd Thursday of each
month, Lawrence Center, 71 Edison Circle, Menlo, GA. Phone Middle Tennessee Metal Detecting Club meets in Nashville the
(706) 862-6221 or email [email protected]. [J-A 22] 1st Friday of every month. See our website for information about
the club and meetings, www.mtmdc.com [J-A 21]
KY Northern Kentucky Treasure Hunters meets at 6:30 p.m., the
TX Cowtown Treasure Hunter Club,7 PM, 3rd Thurs/mo., UNT
last Monday of each month at Boone Co. Library. See Mytreasures-
pot.com under Clubs NKTHC for the specific Library. [M-J 21] Health Science Ctr, Ft. Worth,TX. Visit cowtowntreasurehuntersclub.
org, or (817) 992-789, [email protected] [S-O 22]
LA Pelican Relic & Recovery Assoc. meets 3rd Tues. each month,
VA Central VA Civil War Collectors Assoc. 4th Tuesday of each month
7 p.m., King Buffet Chinese Grill, 6230 Bluebonnet Blvd., Baton
Rouge, LA. Info, Gary Guidry, (985) 320-5472 [J-F 22] (except December) 7:15 p.m., Glen Allen American Legion Hall, 2522
Indale Rd, Richmond, VA. Visit www.cvcwca.com for info. [M-J 22]
MA Silver City Treasure Seekers, Taunton, MA, 1st Fri. ea. month
Hanover Metal Detectors Club meets the 1st Wednesday each
except July/August, 6:30, Bristol Plymouth Reg HS cafeteria, 940 Co. month at the Ashland Volunteer Rescue Squad Building, Ashland,
St. (Rt. 140), Taunton, MA. www.silvercitytreasureseekers.net. [M-J 20] VA. Contact D. Yates at (804) 241-9541. [M-J 21]

MS Tri-State Coin & Relic Hunter’s Club serves MS, AL, and TN. Iuka Northern Virginia Relic Hunters Association, 7:30 p.m., Meets 1st
Tuesday of each month at the NRA Building, Fairfax, VA. For info,
MS Public Library. Meetings rotate monthly 2nd Sat.(9 a.m.) & 2nd Thurs. visit www.nvrha.com. [E]
(7 p.m.). Email Charles Emmons, [email protected]. [J-A 22]
Tidewater Coin and Relic Club serving the entire Hampton Roads area of
NJ Deep Search Metal Detecting Club, Minnie B. Veal Cmty. Ctr., Virginia. Check our website for details on meetings, activities and contact
information.www.tc-rc.com [M-A 21]
1070 GroveAve, Edison, NJ, 7 PM, Jan. & Feb., 4th Mon.; March-Dec.,
3rd Mon. [email protected], www.DSMDC.org [J-A21] Get the word out about your club here! Join our club listing, three lines for
$35 year or $55/ two years. For other classified ads, contact us for rates.
Mid Jersey Research & Recovery Club, meets 6 p.m./second
Sunday of each month, Switlik Pk. Community Ctr., Hamilton,
NJ. For more info visit midjerseymetaldetecting.com [E]

NY EARTH Metal Detecting Club (Central. NY) Meets last Mon/

every month (except Dec & Jan), Dunham Pub. Library, Whitesboro,
NY. Hunts, speakers, & more! Vist earthmetaldetecting.com [S-O 22]

March-April 2021 American Digger® 71

The Hole Truth...

The Publisher speaks... but will he ever shut up?

The rumors are true: I am, indeed, a man of size. A man civilization. As it happened,
of large size, if you want to get nitpicky. While my doc- the store had three selec-
tor throws around such medical terms as “obese” and tions for breakfast: honey
“unhealthy,” he is not a metal detectorist so I never saw how buns, raisin buns, and bun
he could be qualified to judge me. It was only after getting buns. No power bars, no pre-
ready for a shower after a brutal day of relic hunting that I wrapped sausage and bis-
took a good look at myself. It was frightening; not just the un- cuits to microwave, and not
healthy part but the sheer visual horror of it all. At that point, even a microwave if they did
I made up my mind to either lose some weight or get rid of the have them. There was a jar of
full length mirror. It was a tough decision, but reason said I pig feet for the adventurous
had to choose. So I chose to do both. breakfasteer, but I’ve never been that hungry. I made do with
a honey bun. The first leg of the walk into the woods was easy,
For those I might meet anytime soon, such as at the North downhill or level the whole way. Then came steep hill number
Carolina Detectstock Mini Hunt event (where I’ll be helping one, which, as luck would have it, was uphill.
with the American Digger® table as well as detecting between I am not sure how many other hills there were beyond this
March 5-7), cut me some slack. So far I have only lost about one, because that was as far as I got. I took off my gear, fell
15 pounds in the few weeks since I saw myself in that mir- prone to the ground, and rested. Riley and his dad Chuck kept
ror. However, that is working out to be about a pound a day, walking on to hills far beyond, and soon the valley echoed with
which means that in less than a year I should be back to my distant shouts of joy as this find or that relic was recovered by
original weight of 7 lbs, six ounces. Since I don’t really want them. Their voices were faint and distant, and soon I was lulled
to be that extreme, I will at some point stop losing weight and to sleep by the sounds of their success. I’m not sure how long
start maintaining it. I slept, but it was long enough for a covey of ticks and a gang
of chiggers to have a turf war over who would infest my body
Before the weight loss thing, I did notice certain phenom- first. It was declared a tie, and all were happy except me. The
ena while metal detecting. For instance, hills that were rather good news is that I awoke refreshed and rested. I now flitted
tame in my teenage years are now too steep for the average across the large plateau on this hilltop, happily digging relics
mountain goat. Two-mile hikes on flat ground that once took here and there.
45 minutes have now evolved into two-hour jaunts over what I stayed there the entire afternoon, and eventually heard
I estimate to be ten miles, uphill all the way. voices getting closer. Riley and Chuck showed me their finds,
which actually were about equal to mine, with the exception
I also found it was easier to stay on the ground for a bit of them having found a lot more good stuff.
once I was down there, to check for other targets so I could Coming back, nothing was easy. I lumbered down the
dig for them without doing the stand up/kneel down repeti- first hill, as out of control as a drunken moose, yet gracefully
tions that help keep younger detectorist in top shape. I do the retained my footing all the way to the bottom. I then walked
downs well enough, but the ups can be a challenge. uphill along the dead level trail until we got to the path that
led to our vehicles. Although short, it was steep, much more
I have many theories about losing weight, none of which so than it was when I descended. But with a combination of
work. One is to eat fast so you burn up more calories. An- creative words and desperate vine grabbing while using my
other is to eat only one meal a day, but it can be as much Predator digger as a walking stick I made it to the top.
as you want of anything because, well, you are only eating it “Chuck, how do you stay in such good shape?” I asked as
once a day. As for working out to lose weight, I once had an we rested by the car.
exercise club membership, until I discovered my favorite part “I use an exercise App that my wife and I downloaded 20
of going to the gym was leaving. But then, I discovered a plan years ago,” he answered.
that works, a combination of controlled eating and fun ex- “I didn’t even know they had Apps back then,” I said, then
ercise—metal detecting—that I learned after a young friend asked, “What’s it called?”
invited me to go to one of his relic hotspots. That man was “Riley 1.0”
Riley Bryant, the 20-year-old brainchild behind the Civil War Happy Huntin’, Y’all!
Unearthed and American Digger® YouTube channels. He is
also the most successful Civil War relic land hunter I know,
and is young enough to still leap up tall hills with a single
bound. Or it may be 20 bounds. All I am sure of is that it is
faster than my uphill manatee crawl.

Having put off eating on the road, I expected to have a
chance to get a bite where we met, a small store miles from

72 American Digger® Vol. 17, Issue 2



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