Lead Rations

Digging out huts can be interesting to say the least. As buried objects come to light they may present as something familiar...then turn out to be the oddity or the unusual. It's a fun aspect of the recovery. Case in point, while excavating a hut, this object was uncovered in one corner. Upon first glance, it appears that I have just uncovered the oxidized solder-filled back of an eagle breast plate or perhaps the back end of an artillery shell and its lead sabot. It is almost identical in circumference for an eagle plate or an 8-10lb shell. But there are some flags that go up that make my mind detour and 2nd guess my initial wish-driven reaction.

Looking closely, a clearly visible rust ring suggests this is neither plate nor shell. If it were an eagle plate then there should be rusty remnants of the two attachment loops within and across the disc, not a full ring of rust encircling. A lead sabot would likewise show no rust ring.

Upon extraction and closer inspection it becomes evident that a soldier has melted lead in a tin ration can to a depth of about 1.5". What remains is the tin can wrap around an oxidized lead hockey puck. The soldier has used his knife in the center to create a depressed cone with blade spokes where the lead would last solidify. A very neat soldier-made relic in my opinion. Purpose unknown. The lead-filled tin would certainly have been a stable fixture on a shelf holding down writing paper in a drafty hut. Who knows.

Probing for the Deep Relics

After probing out some large rocks at depth I'm encouraging my sister on her second dig with me to continue carefully in case she comes across a bottle.  At this point she has recovered a .58 minie, some buck balls and random pieces of glass.  

My turn in the hole and I've uncovered a circular iron object that has us guessing. 

 It is so rusted that it cannot be removed intact and it doesn't register as metal on the pinpointer.  It appears to be a rusted out bucket as further work reveals sides going down another 10" or so.

Directly underneath the object was this little gem.  Protected from the many rocks for 150 years.  Held here by my sister Debbie.

12-sided ink cleaned.  The cloudy white occlusions are actually glass imperfections from the blowing process.

Pontil mark 

Half Dime recovered a week before a few feet away from this excavation.  The third 1861 found in the small search area.  Possibly a coin spill.  Hope there's more to come.