metal detecting finds Archive
We Won One of Kentucky’s Top History Awards!
Brian Mabelitini and I were honored last night by the Kentucky Historical Society by the receipt of the Brigadier Gen. William R. Buster award for military history – specifically our metal detecting archaeology project and paper about discoveries near the Perryville Battlefield State Historic Site. I’m so appreciative of the nomination by park manager Joni House and support by
Johnson School “Penny Lunch” Token – Aluminum – Lexington Kentucky (Fayette Co. Schools)
This Johnson School “Penny Lunch” token (aluminum) was OVER 13″ deep on private property on the North side of Lexington. It remains one of the deepest coins I’ve ever recovered. I estimate this to be from 1890-1900. The term “penny lunch” had been coined in the Northeast in the late 1800s and early 1900s as
Rare Winchester (Kentucky) City Railway Company Token
Winchester Railway 1-Fare Token…..Sometimes a small artifact found in an old house really gives us a rare connection to local history. This very rare brass Winchester City Railway Company token (~1890) offered one fare. Found in Georgetown, KY before construction was about to destroy it. The “Winchester Railway, Light and Ice Company” sold it to
Metal Detecting Photography by Scott Clark
These are the images I've submitted to Whites Detecting for consideration in their calendar. No matter if they use them, I thought you might like to see a few in high-res.
Lexington Metal Detectorist Discovers Evidence of Romans in Kentucky
“It sounds like something out of an Indiana Jones movie, but Scott Clark, a metal detector enthusiast from Lexington KY has found a series of artifacts that have prominent Archaeologists converging on a farm field in Central Kentucky this week. Clark has spent weekends detecting in the undisclosed location locating and documenting Civil War activity in a
Coca-Cola Lucky Watch Fob with Swastika c1925
While detecting an old school house site in Central Kentucky, I found an object that I had researched before. I knew exactly what I had before I had even cleared off the dirt. This 1925 watch fob was issued by the Coca Cola company as a part of a promotion.
Navy Petty Officer Button… in Kentucky?
Fun find near the location of a Union hospital in Central Kentucky was this Naval Petty Officer button from the union army. I plan to offer it to the property owner after cleaning. Found with Deus XP at 6″ – running 12khz with relic mode in the iron… two square nails in the hole with
Col. Edward Yellman’s Dog Tags Returned To Him
In 2012, I located Mr. Edward Yellman’s dog tags laying side by side while metal detecting. I looked him up in an online database and then did some sleuthing through real estate transactions, obituaries and so forth to locate him, including a mailing address. I wrote a short note and included his tags – I
A Day at the Inn – Detecting the Site of a Stagecoach Inn in KY
This was the first hunt at a site that was supposedly a stagecoach inn between 1790 and 1850 in South-Central Kentucky. It was well positioned between the Kentucky river and more populated areas along a now-defunct route for wagons and stagecoaches. The owners were wonderful folks, offering me generous access and incredible hospitality. I
Wiggs Chemical Token – 1930s – Pre-Nazi Swastika on “Lucky Coin” Coupon.
The Swastika is one of the most powerful symbols on Earth, causing quite a primal reaction for many. Whenever you see it on an artifact, such as this Wigg’s Chemical token I found yesterday at an old farmhouse, you know the object is pre-1940s… as is the case with this (1931-1933 estimated.) On this object,
