After four hours detecting a relatively new and thus far relic-sparse permission, I was rewarded with a perfectly intact New York coat button. Although I had reawakened a few 3-ringer & Sharps mini balls and round balls in past visits, I hadn't found any solid indications of troop presence. The button had now provided that proof! Happy with my NY soldier button capping the day's finds, I resolved to head home for the day on a positive note. But...while gathering my gear, my eyes scanned the woods and spied a small flat piece of land about 30 yards away, abutting a former creek bottom. I thought to myself, "if I was a civil war troop, I'd surely use that area to rest or place a tent!" So with backpack and gear in-tow, I decided to make one final loop through that plateau area before heading back to the truck. A couple promising signals turned out to be modern bullet jackets and slugs. And then my AT Max pinged a solid, clean, sharp, high pitch signal. The type of signal that unleashes the adrenaline of every detectorist. A few sweeps from different angles confirmed a solid 85 VDI, and deep. I sunk my trusty Piranha relic extractor into the loamy Virginia forest floor, dug a large plug, and then re-swept the area. Just what I was hoping, the target was still deep in the hole...surely an older relic, and still booming an 85 VDI. I scooped out soil with my hand from about 10-11 inches down, and caught a glimpse of beautiful green patina in the ridge of soil on the edge of the hole. It was unmistakable. Having long since committed the image of this bucket list relic to memory -- the square belt-keeper end of a Confederate States waist buckle. With my heart pounding on high octane, I gently brushed off the soil and revealed the find of my detecting lifetime, a perfect CS buckle tongue! What a way to end the day!

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