PHOTOS - Dug treasures 1

This half dollar came from the banks of the Big Black River. The prior owner had lightly and delicately (and very artistically) carved his initials on the reverse.

A good day's digging. I didn't mind the cold and mud at all.

This half of a CS two-piece buckle I dug in my backyard when I lived at 2418 Drummond Street, Vicksburg. I searched diligently for the other half, but to no avail.

A pair of fine 1840 coins dug within minutes of each other and about ten feet apart.

A sampling of the thousands of coins dug over the course of many years. Early Americans had little access to government-minted coins, so they used any they could get their hands on - mostly Spanish, French, English and Peruvian.

This buckle belonged to a militia officer and dates to about 1835 - 1845. I found it beside an old oak tree in the defunct town of Warrenton, Mississippi

I dug a pair of these 3.5" Blakely Rifle (sometimes called "Brittens") shells within five minutes of each other while trailing a bulldozer shoving dirt around on top of a hill overlooking the Mississippi River. I managed to loosen both caps; one had the percussion cap in place, the other was apparently fired without the cap.

This is believed to be a hat insignia for a Louisiana unit that fought at Vicksburg. The star and crescent is made from a period dime and is embossed with the initials "CFL." It was found in what was apparently a Confederate camp along the Yazoo River.