As the light fades...

I had an early morning meeting this particular morning so I didn't get to hunt before work. It was a pretty hectic day and I only managed to get onto the field after 17:00, which meant just enough time to detect one row. 

I had just finished the row with a few minutes of light to spare so I thought I'd do a little test. I would speed detect another row and then come back some other time and go over the row again, more methodically.

So off I went swinging the detector in a sort of zig-zag pattern between the now almost waist high sugarcane, man this stuff grows fast. About three-quarters of the way down the row I got a signal, not a great signal, a sort of half iron half tin signal but a solid tone so I decided to dig it.

Now I have no idea what it is about this time of day, but the number of times I dig something up as the light fades and have to quickly put it in my pocket and head off home is uncanny. Once home I get to see if it was worth fumbling around in the dark, trying to find a small dirt covered object, or was it just another junker.

This time it was this random domed shaped rusty thing.

I was tempted to throw it into the junk box but there was something about the "x" shape that I could see coming through the dirt. I decided to drop it in some lemon juice to see if it was trash or treasure.

Transvaal State Artillery Button

It may not be very clear due to the condition but the "x" shape is 2 crossed cannons. Another Military button, this time it's an Artillery button. According to the  "British and Commonwealth Military Badge Forum" it's a Transvaal State's Artillery button. Now that together with the American Great Seal Button and the British button is really making a strong case for it being Boer War related although the area is not known for or near any Boer War sites.

Well, there you have it, this mysterious little field is being all..well, mysterious again. I'm nearly finished going over this field and can't wait for the adjacent fields to be cleared. This area definitely has some interesting history.

Sunrise over the Blue Field.