[/u[url=http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=553&u=14794735][img]http://i29.servimg.com/u/f29/14/79/47/35/hpim1669.j[url=http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=554&u=14794735][img][url=http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=563&u=14794735]http://i29.servimg.com/u/f29/14/79/47/35/hpim1670.jpg[/img][/url]pg[/img][/url]rl][img]http://i29.servimg.com/u/f29/14/79/47/3[url=http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=557&u=14794735]5/hpim1672.jpg[/img][/url][img]http://i29.servimg.com/u/f29/14/79/47/35/hp[url=http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=559&u=14794735][img][url=http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=561&u=14794735]http://i29.servimg.com/u/f29/14/79/47/35/hpim1675.jpg[/img][/url]im1674.jpg[/img][/url].........................Hello My good praying diggers and friends. Wanted to share with you my 1860 Ames Yankee Cav Sword that I have had since 1983. Bought it from a fellow collector. Have taken various shots from different angles to try to show it's superb construction and details. Just below the brass handle it has stamped on one side AMES MANFACTURING CO, CHICOPEE MASS AND ON THE OTHER SIDE, U.S. 1860.....Hope you like it. It hangs in my Civil War Room above my Cops Badges............Oledigger Don............NC........And I am doing well after my heart surgery. Thank you!!!!!!!

Wow, Once again you blow me away! That is a beauty. Awesome condition also. If it were mine, I believe I would take that with me! Thanks so much for sharing and I hope you are recovering well. Me and my little Goonies had you in our prayers last night........Goonie from Va.

Hey Goonie......So glad you liked it. It is a beauty and I enjoy looking at it each time I go to my "Honey Hole" to dig. That spot is a real picker-upper since I can't get out and dig. Thanks so much for you and your little sons prayers. I covet them so much. I wish you and your son the best of everything...Keep those relics coming my good friend.............Oledigger Don......NC

Oh, that is a beauty! I especially like the pic of sword and sheath together. That's a handsome sword handle, too -- there's just something about brass...

Wow, you've got a Civil War room?

Where do you get the cops badges from? Have you ever dug one?

Sorry for all the questions, but that is an intriguing post.

Glad to hear you're following doctor's orders and getting good rest!

Hello Sweet Lady.......Yes, I do have a "Civil War room." I have been digging since 1972 and have found a few items and collected others. I will post a couple of pictures of part of my room and post it. The Civil War Corps Badges? I have dug a 3rd Corps, 2-24th Corps, 23rd Corps, 14th Corps. The rest of my Corps Badges say around 10, I have bought from other collectors. The reason for my civil war room is that I have been collecting and digging since 1972 and I have found a fair share of relics and still do find a few once in awhile. Am doing quiet well after my heart surgery. I hit my "Honey Hole", when I want to dig now since I can't hunt due to Doc's orders for awhile. But, though the recovery is kinda slow, I'll be out there soon with you guys hoping to find a few items to add. You dig um up girl. Tks for your post and pics. I enjoy looking at yours and everyone elses. HH.......Oledigger Don..............NC P.S.............Will post a couple of pictures of part of my civil war room in just a minute......

Great sword OD; on my wish list one day to hang on the wall.

If it were me I would have taken it into your surgery, looked the doc straight in the eye, and said "We're not gonna hurt each other are we?"

A friend of mine has one that looks almost like that one. I do not know if it is an Ames or not, but it is a very nice weapon. Well balanced and light weight for a long piece of steel. A more civilized weapon from a more civilized time.

Amazing, oledigger, just amazing. I'm glad I asked so many questions now, it's such a blessing to see some of the good fruit of almost 40 years of digging and collecting. Can't wait to see what you'll be adding to that history-rich room in the future.

You have certainly inspired me to think of creative ways to display my finds, few they be.

Hitthedirt...........Thank you for your kind comments. Makes a fellow feel good. You spoke of your small collection? Well, we all started out small. Just that some have kept at it while others gave up. I started out with a 19.$ Sears and Roebuck metal detector that would hardly go past 2 inches. With it I dug my first piece to start my collection. It was a .58 round ball, and you would have thought I had dug the Jewels of England. I still have it and it is in a small frame all by itself with the date and place I dug it. Now, 40 yrs later I'm still at it and finding just alittle, but enough to help build my collection and make me happy. So, be proud of what you've found and show it off every chance you get and keeping um coming. Your collection will grow until you have run out of display space and walls to hang things on......Good Digging Girl. I'm pulling for ya.............Oledigger Don.......NC

Thank you for the encouragement, oledigger. The NC Sunburst CW button and the couple other period pieces I dug over the past year will be viewed at a small museum and appreciated by others, and that's the only consolation for my sense of -- well, loss of a meaningful treasure. Going forward, I plan to make my desire to posses at least a few of my finds known to property owners up front so I have something to enjoy for my efforts.

Your Civil War room is flat out awesome, and believe me when I say how much I appreciate the level of excellence it took to get it that way. We have a small log cabin (15' x 15') at the edge of the woods behind the house that would make a nice relic room. If I were quicker at getting comfortable asking permission to hunt sites, I could get my collection started sooner -- but that's another post!