One Sunday afternoon I decided to go back to an old farm field where I had found a 1786 half reale and a few other old coins and relics. It had been a year since I had last been to this site. I started detecting and wasn't finding too much, a few pieces of can slaw until I got a signal which I knew was not can slaw. I dug down and out popped this brass piece with what look like a dog on it. At first I had thought it was an old picture frame hanger which I have found in fields before. Then I started to think, maybe something traded to Native Americans?
My mind was all over the place trying to figure out exactly what this time was. I posted the item on several forums and was told it was the side plate to a musket! I later contacted someone affiliated with Fort Ticonderoga and they had told me the piece was most likely from the early-mid 18th century and possibly French made. This is by far one of my favorite finds. After I knew what it was, the pieces started to fit together, the animal on the side plate was indeed a dog, which is sniffing the ground, most likely a hunting dog picking up the scent of an animal during the hunt. I did a little research and found that in a lot of paintings and images from the 18th century, the hunting dogs often had short tails like the one on the side plate. The plate is bent most likely from a plow hitting it. The plate is broken right where the screws would have been attached to the firearm. My guess is this weapon went to a fowler, which was a smaller caliber hunting musket popular throughout New England. Again, by far one one of my favorite finds!
John – MA, USA.
