SCdigger, Saving History, Episode 56, Coppa's and Lobsta's" Tour in Western Mass

Congratulations Greg Toney otherwise known as SCdigger, Saving History is a good show that is getting more professional and more exciting to watch every episode.  I have known the YouTube Personality SCdigger for about five years. He's a metal detectorist and a skilled relic hunter - this blog profiled him a few years ago, SCdigger is Saving History on YouTube

SCdigger or South Carolina Digger was one of the early adopters on Dumpdiggers.com my antiques and collectibles social network (now just a discussion forum) (which nobody can join).  SCdigger was one of the premier experimenters; he had his own table and uploaded relics to the photo galleries and even some curious classified ads. I came to really like his energy.

Of course anyone interested in metal detecting and hunting military relics tends to keep an eye on a guy like that, and I watch his videos when they pop up in my YouTube feed (those videos on your homepage when you first log into the site).  becuase I subscribe, so that's when I think to watch him, and over time I've noticed something. These videos are getting really good. 

Saving History Episode 56 PART ONE Published on 15 Nov 2012  is an excellent relic hunting adventure story with colourful characters and great historically relevant discoveries.  In the description SCdigger writes,

Colonial "coppa's", silver and relics!!! Join us as we continue our "Coppa's & Lobsta's" Tour with an amazing hunt in a colonial field in Western Mass. This is PART ONE of a two part series. Amazing finds are made throughout part one, but part two ends with the rarest of rare! Join us as we Save History, now in HD!

SCdigger is the guy wearing the brown vest on the right, and I'm not sure who the fellow is on the left? What his name is, but he is a chatterbox with colourful diction and so is an excellent guest.  Television producers love a guy like that... You'll see what I mean if you watch the video and listen to his chatter.  In  PART TWO of a two part series, he really does discover a wonderful rare find.

I'm telling you this video is as good an adventure as I've ever seen, and I think SCdigger did a great job capturing it all, and from a participant's perspective. It is both authentic and action packed media - it really is. I predict Saving History will soon be recognized and celebrated as the truly ground breaking metal detector adventure show that it is, and SCdigger will rise from relative obscurity to internet fame as the most prolific relic hunter in America. He doesnt need a TV show - his web show is pioneering a new form of storytelling.

However, if I were directing this for television and had a production budget, I would get wide shots of the group in the field, which SCdigger never gets, (because he's one of the guys in the field) and which the show desperately needs. I would attempt more sophisticated storytelling by finding some pictures of Redcoats in American Colonies ie their buttons and coins. I'd take a break from the constant discoveries and describe the role of the metal items as I panned the camera slowly over stock pictures of British Army captains and colonels in red and white coats with shiny brass buttons, their Brown Bess muskets, musket balls, playing cards and coins and other minutia (a frizen pin?) that is worth so much money today as it appears dirty and muddy under the squawking metal detector's coils.  I would do dissolves from the group in the field to Civil War battles from the same perspective and in this case (Episode 56) Revolutionary War battles and tell two or three stories at once.

I predict here on the Dumpdiggers blog that SCdigger will have his own cable TV show by this time next year, if he doesn't already have a deal in the works now. Check the comments. 

SC Digger's New Years Eve Plantation Hunt Video

SC Digger has added another video to the collection...

Metal Detecting Saving History: #34 - New Year's Eve Dig

On December 31st 2008 SC digger woke up early and traveled to an historic plantation site somewhere in South Carolina to metal detect for century old brass and iron relics with special guest Russ Herbert.

This video is well paced and keeps viewers interested despite the fact that SC digger does not find anything extra remarkable in this one. The potential of this new site is revealed in some strange relics like brass caps and flat buttons, and broken heel plates and even a mysterious old padlock. I left a comment wherein I wondered if perhaps the padlock was shed by a runaway slave?

Dumpdiggers Critique

Like Truman Capote or Jean Luc Goddard in the 1950s, Dumpdiggers critiques these new fangled web videos. But first I'll acknowledge the bulk of SC digger's work on You Tube, which for I have tremendous respect, before I submit this genre is still finding itself, and SC digger could help it evolve better storytelling practices by giving viewers more information about the scene; it needs more backstory. If he could find and display some period photos and develop historic families and archetypal characters in the history of location, the found relics would have more meaning. And then when he picks up an old padlock it will be relevant, because it could possibly be linked to that runnaway slave!

Here's SC digger's table in the Dumpdiggers Underground Show and Sale wherein someday it will be possible to click through to his Saving History website and purchase his DVDs.

Cleaning Up after Toronto's Caribana Parade

Scavengers spend Sunday morning sorting through the remains of Toronto’s Caribana parade.

On Sunday Aug 3^rd at 9:30 am the entire west Toronto lake shore (a green space bisected by a bike path between Exhibition Stadium and Sunnyside Pavilion) was strewn with ALL MANNER of garbage! It was like the park had a 'hang over'; the desultory scene evidenced a wild party. Toronto’s Caribana revelers must have stayed late into the evening. And then in the morning an army of garbage pickers created a real mess as they overturned trash cans and combed through heaps of rubbish on a quest for recyclable beer and wine bottles.

Although the Caribana parade has struggled with its finances in the past, organizers believed this year's event would turn a profit – it must have. I know the island flavoured festival received increased funding this year because there were more sponsors – gun violence, and severe traffic jams due to critical lack of planning blemished the corporate politics of the previous Caribana parades.

Official reports are that tourists who come to Toronto for the gigantic celebration pump almost $300 million into the local economy. There sure do make a lot of unusual garbage.

Among the white shopping bags and Styrofoam containers, there were lots of crazy costume remnants and cool signage, unusual colored fabrics and sticks and broken lawn chairs. I saw an inflatable pool, a bent unicycle, and lots of single shoes and sandals - it must have been quite a party. You couldn't rent this stuff at a Toronto party rentals store... it had to come from home.

Black garbage bags filled with fried rice were split open and some of these bags looked like they’d been stepped on a thousand times – I'm sure a food tent had been erected in the vicinity.

Hundreds of green coconuts were lying open twenty feet away – this was no doubt the remains of an all natural fruit drink stand.

Farther up the path the lawn was absolutely overflowing with debris and the wind was pushing it everywhere – the nearby garbage cans had been turned on their sides. It’s quite obvious that scavengers picked through every single garbage can in their unquenchable thirst for recyclable beer and wine bottles. And I spotted a few stubbies and some questionable foreign beers that had been left behind by the experts.

Dumpdiggers would like you to imagine the Brock St. beer store, at 10:55 am on Sunday morning. That place must have been jammed with people returning thousands of beer and wine bottles.

This Toronto City Worker wouldn't stop to pose for photos. Apparently the Mayor of Toronto, David Miller specifically asked today’s clean-up crew not to allow themselves to be captured in photos or to make any comments to the media. I merely asked her about the different types of scavengers about, and I could see that see wanted to tell me something… I asked some more questions and came to learn there were indeed whole families here picking bottles a few hours earlier, and these were followed by a more degenerate sort who harvested food and other amenities.

Which brings us to Mr X.

At 9:45 am I ran into this hero – a wise old man with the metal detector.

Dumpdiggers hoped to celebrate the presence of this high tech smart guy and write about his wisdom in every detail, but that wasn’t going to happen – when he heard the words ‘Dumpdiggers’ and ‘blog’ he practically ran to his bicycle.

Here is the absolute smartest scavenger of the day, but he definitely didn’t want his picture taken or his story shared. He refused any insight into his genius.

So I can only imagine his routine. He carries a screwdriver as a simple probe and swings his coil over the chlorophyll, listening for the tell tale signs of a lost diamond earring or a gold ring. And coins; I’ll bet he finds lots of fresh nickels, dimes and quarters.

Here’s a question; would the device he’s carrying pick up the signal of a Canadian loonie? I don’t know. What are loonies made of again? I bet it would detect a toonie though as I'm sure that has nickel in it...? right? What are the exact metallurgical compositions of Canadian One and Two Dollar coins? Anybody - reply in the comment box. I wonder how much money he would make in pocket change alone? Dumpdiggers hopes this shy metal detectorist makes more money than the bottle pickers.

How To Find Old Dumps #2

Much like a Kung Fu sensei reminds an acolyte, ‘only by evolving beyond your greed will you ever become rich’, I used to feel the same truism applied to treasure hunters.

The Dumpdiggers Handbook instructs each reader that 'only by fostering a genuine passion for local history can you ever hope to uncover lost historical relics'. That’s a nice idea and I imagine that such a sincere passion for learning would be manifest in numerous and protracted visits to the archives, extensive copying and scrutinizing of old maps, and a great many trips spent probing forgotten heritage sites, etc. And only by eagerly learning and adopting new technologies and highly professional practices would anyone ever be able to find anything of any value… Do you believe that?

It’s not true. When I asked some veteran Diggers on a particular niche discussion forum their secrets to find old dumps, myersdigger replied that it’s as easy as walking along small creeks just outside of town searching for rusty bits of metal in the shoreline. In the same thread, tigue710, a super member added that, ‘every 1/2 mile of town will have a different dumping area... a town with a population of 10,000 at the turn of the century will usually have at least 5 dumps, all the same period, and 5 is on the low end... one other thing, dont waste your time on the poor side town unless your getting older then 1890... go for the rich guy dumps’

Just as obvious as rusty junk sticking up out of the grass on the surface of the land, metal detectors with big search coils will sometimes get deep iron hits in gulches and bogs below the surface of the earth. Iron is a good historic dump indicator, and iron tools are of course present in both colonial age, and industrial age dumps.

Depending on their collecting habits, some metal detectorists might also carry a five foot long ¾ inch steel rod that’s known as a privy rod. This simple probe is usually just a spring steel rod wielded to a short piece of grid pipe (which serves as a handle). The tip of the probe has a ball bearing with a girth slightly wider than the shaft. When users push this five foot long metal finger down into the earth they can feel the objects below – an experienced digger can recognize the feel of rusty metal cans or glass bottles or stones. Veterans will first puncture the earth with the probe, and then dig test pits to inspect the soil for ash and broken bits of pottery and glass.

Here is an 1878 Map of Warkworth Ontario, which happens to be my home town. When I look at the area and contemplate the locations of any would-be historic dumps, my eyes and experience lead me to the marshlands south of the letters R and T in the word Warkworth, on the bend in the river. That particular spot would fit all of the criteria for the first town dump.

Warkworth was founded in the 1850’s and settled primarily by Scottish immigrants throughout the 1860s. These people didn't make much garbage and most adults in this time period would have dumped medicine bottles and whiskey flasks in private - probably down their latrine holes.

I sometimes let my eyes wander about the farms all around the side of this old map. This is where I get real passionate about history. Right here it’s personal; these are my neighbor's fields, and the fence rows of my childhood. This is where I fomented what has become the foundation of my knowledge on the subject of farm dumps, and that will be my next topic in this series.

Found Money on Toboggan Trail

Keep your eyes peeled when the snow melts! Dumpdiggers appreciates any form of extra income that might be found lying on the ground.

Just before Christmas 07, while walking with Digger, I cut through a ravine that's park land near the Humber River in north Toronto.

It was right after the first heavy snowfall in December, and I noticed the neighbourhood children getting good exercise tobogganing down a nearby hill.

The gentle slope of this park’s north end has probably been used by generations of young people for this same activity every winter - I suspect a nearby sign that reads ‘No Tobogganing’ plants the idea.

Anyway Digger and I also happened to observe these young rascals had fashioned a ramp halfway down the hill, and they were getting good height in jumps made with those black plastic Canadian Tire brand GT Racers.

Fast forward to January 8^th, 2008 and note how the weather is unseasonably mild. Today the snow outside is melting.

This morning I happened to find myself 'off the leash' with Digger near our local ‘ski hill’ in that same ravine parkland reserve.

Much like the Wise Old Man whom I sincerely admire, I too had the presence of mind to look down at the ground as I passed through the toboggan alley. I kept a sharp eye out for coins, keys, jewelry or even those metallic bus tokens – anything that didn’t look natural.

Sure enough, to my immense satisfaction, I found a small deposit of Canadian currency totaling $1.32 twelve feet below the ramp in the melting snow of the toboggan run. Without question this discovery evidences a spectacular wipe-out in which the contents of one passenger’s pockets were violently emptied into the snow. What’s more interesting is that this same activity has no doubt occurred countless times in this very place for the last hundred years - maybe longer. The top soil in this patch of local history is probably primed with a century of spilled coins!

Note to all coin collectors and treasure hunters with metal detectors – be sure and sweep the toboggan hills in your hometown.

Broke tokens from 1814, Halifax, Nova Scotia

Dumpdiggers with metal detectors sometimes find small coins in strange places. This copper token was unearthed behind a church in Uxbridge Ontario.

The artifact is identified as Broke, Halifax, Nova Scotia 'Halfpenny' 1814. Bust of Capt Broke /Britannia seated

Over 193 years old, this copper token precedes almost all other formal currencies in the Dominion of Canada. Indeed it was minted in response to a critical lack of species in the Atlantic region. It's interesting to note that this relic was not issued by a reigning monarch, or by the British Navy, but rather a consortium of enterprising merchants who hoped to increase commerce in the Port of Halifax. Dry goods importers, leather harness makers, clothiers and ironmongeries all had a vested interest in the local economy, and the largest of these enterprises may have combined forces to commission, distribute and honour the tokens.

When the HMS Shannon sailed into Halifax harbour on June 6th 1813 with the 38 gun warship USS Chesapeake in tow, it was a proud moment for every sailor in the British Navy. History records that this American prize was sold in Halifax in 1814 to agents of the Royal Navy, and Captain Broke and his crew received handsome bonuses.

Broke copper tokens appeared later that summer at the behest of unknown merchants. The designers chose to remember proud Captain Broke on the front of the token, and used Britannia to remind every colonist of the might of the British Empire. Minted in Nova Scotia in 1814, the token had little value by 1820, and was completely worthless by 1825.

Well not completely worthless... Why do you think this token was found in a church yard? The reverend Minister himself no doubt cleaned the collection plate of all such tokens and copper halfpennies as he walked from the back door of the church toward his manor house. Broke tokens were especially worthless in Upper Canada, miles from their point of origin - their only value was to make a loud splash in the pie dish as it passed the pew.

Sir Philip Bowes Vere Broke was born on the 9^th of September, 1776 at Broke Hall, Nacton, near Ipswich, England. He enjoyed a privileged childhood as the eldest son of Philip Bowes Broke, a wealthy man from an old family with lots of good fertile land on the Suffolk coast below the River Orwell. Born in the starch of the Napoleonic age, and raised in what would soon be considered fine Victorian tradition, all sons of Phillip Bowes Broke were enrolled in military careers and groomed for greatness at an early age.

Our man Philip chose the navy, and was placed in the Royal Naval Academy in Portsmith Dockyard in 1788, at age twelve. In 1792 when Philip was sixteen, he ventured out aboard the HMS Southampton as a midshipman. This was the second ship with that name in the history of the British Navy; it seems this particular 32 gun frigate was launched in 1757 and would have been a slow leaky vessel in the year 1797 when Philip distinguished himself as a Third Lieutenant in the Battle of Cape St Vincent. The twenty two year old midshipman maintained order and ship’s discipline during the dogged actions of the day – and after superior officers boarded one French warship with a prize crew. Philip was commended for how efficiently he oversaw the repairs to the Southhampton, and how well he satisfied the many requirements of the ship’s surgeon.

Philip Bowes Vere Broke was promoted to Commander in 1799, and became a Captain in 1801; but he didn’t get his own ship until 1806 - that was the year Broke took command of the HMS Shannon, a 38 gun frigate.

Six years later, Captain Broke was stationed in Halifax when war erupted between England and the American States. Broke sailed south and blockaded Boston, wherein he could see the larger USS Chesapeake.

After issuing the captain of the American warship a formal challenge (which arrived too late), the two ships engaged in single combat. The result was spectacular - Captain Broke of the HMS Shannon captured the USS Chesapeake after less than twenty minutes of naval combat. The American frigate was struck by 362 shots, while the HMS Shannon received only 258 hits. Chesapeake suffered early in the exchange of broadsides, having its wheel shot away. Without any maneuverability the more powerful American warship was helpless to resist Captain Broke's final assault.

It was a brilliant action - single ship combats are the stuff of legends. Bad news for Captain Broke however, he was seriously injured in the battle. He received a nasty head wound while commanding the boarding party in a head on assault of the Chesapeake's forecastle- some folks say he was never the same after the engagement. His career was set however and he sailed to prominence as a rear admiral without ever setting foot on ship again.

WHAT'S IT WORTH? In today's relatively healthy collectible coin market, a Broke 1814 halfpenny in absolute mint condition might fetch $25 bucks.

The Wise Old Man

While excavating old dumps, Diggers will sometimes pray to God for luck.

Not all Dumpdiggers are Christians, but in my experience, veteran diggers all believe in some sort of supreme deity. Passionate historians recognize and honor divine mechanisms that help them make sense of the stories in which they traffic.

Dumpdiggers love contests and especially online web challenges. You will find an interactive photo challenge on Dumpdiggers.com and links to All Canada Contests in the friends and alliances section of that website. This is because that website is the best in Canada at collecting and connecting our people with contest opportunities.

In the United States, men and women with metal detectors on the forgotten battlefields of the American Civil War carefully follow the footsteps of men with rifles one hundred years ago. Adventurers with shovels and brooms sweep away a century old debris to discover the remains of the Gold Rush.
Privydiggers honeydip the latrines of their ancestors. Antiques & Collectibles bargain hunters are also historians and often quite religious.

As mentors go, this Dumpdigger holds in high regard the old man.

HOW TO FIND A LOST DIAMOND The old man once found a diamond that had slipped from an engagement ring and disappeared into the cracks of an old kitchen floor. He re purposed the bride's nylon stocking over the end of a vacuum hose nozzle and vacuumed the entire room. The diamond appeared in the lint trapped in the stocking.