Non-Metal Metal Detecting Finds and Sightings

I did a blog on September 21, 2023 (here) titled “Pocket Watches and Old Bottles.” I wrote about some of the old bottles I discovered while metal detecting. Today’s blog is about other finds and encounters I’ve had while enjoying my hobby. I have found a few more old bottles in the last year. I clean them as best I can and display them with my metal detecting finds. Here is a brief description of a few of them.

One is an embossed Coke bottle made in Chambersburg (PA) in 1955. Coke discontinued using embossed bottles in the mid-1960’s when they went to a painted label. Chambersburg actually had a Coca-Cola bottling plant on South Main Street, though there is little historical information online. I do recall the plant, but I believe it closed down in the late 1970’s or early 1980’s.

Another bottle is an embossed Orange Crush bottle made in Westminster (MD) in 1924.

I found a third soda bottle and it is a Ma’s Old Fashion, which doesn’t have a flavor on it, but I’m assuming it’s a root beer bottle. Old Fashion was headquartered in Wilkes Barre (PA). This bottle was manufactured in 1958, which coincidentally is the same year that I was manufactured. I know the dates that these bottles were made because the last two digits of the year are embossed on the bottles.

Next is this nice blue pint Ball Perfect Mason jar. Because the Ball Company would change the script on the jar periodically, I know this jar was manufactured between 1923 and 1933. These jars had a mold number stamped on the bottom of the jar— the one on this jar is the number 5. This mold number indicated what position on the glassmaking machine that particular jar was made, allowing easy identification of any defective molds. It has nothing to do with the batch number, despite often being referred to as a such.

While researching this bottle I came across an interesting story. Legend has it that moonshiners often used Mason jars to transport their “‘shine,” and thinking that the number 13 was unlucky and would get them caught by the Revenuers, they would smash any jar with the mold number 13 on the bottom. Research shows that there’s little truth to this rumor, but it doesn’t stop people from posting jars with the 13 mold number online as rare artifacts and demanding (and often getting) large sums of money for them.

The last jar is a fairly common Vicks VapoRub jar. The blue jars were first used starting in about 1911. Vicks to transitioned to plastic in 1983. I believe this one is from the ‘40s or ‘50s based on other items found in the same area. I kept it just because I like the light blue color.

Another item I find once in awhile are marbles. I had more, but I gave some to my grandson who really enjoyed them when he came to visit. The big blue one is what’s called a Bennington. It’s a hand-made, glazed clay marble. Apparently, they were named for the town in Vermont, but there’s no evidence they were ever made there, and they were actually first made in Germany.

---

Some of my other interesting finds aren't man-made or even historic. Earlier this year, I found two deer sheds about 10 feet apart, and last month, this deer skull with antlers. They didn't show up on my metal detector; I just happened to stumble across them as I was hunting for other treasures.

Years ago, I ran across this five-lined skink (plestiodon fasciatus). It was 6-7 inches in length. They are endemic to the eastern half of the United States, and live in moist hardwood forests, under leaf litter, loose rocks, and other damp, dark locations. Pennsylvania has three types of skinks, including the northern coal skink and the broad-headed skink. It looks like something happened to this one’s left back foot.

Here’s a photo of a marbled salamander (ambystoma opacum) which I encountered this summer. Pennsylvania is home to 22 species of salamander, including the gorgeous, copper-colored Eastern red-backed salamander, the bright orange eastern long-tailed salamander, and the spotted salamander.

I’ve run across quite a few snakes. Fortunately, I haven’t run into a rattler yet. Here’s a photo of a garter snake (thamnophis) I almost stepped on. Boy, did he scare the bejesus outta me! These guys are harmless, but still wield the element of surprise!

Lastly, this is a photo of one of the many turtles I’ve encountered. This particular individual is a wood turtle (glyptemys insculpta), and is one of 13 or species endemic to Pennsylvania, depending on which resource you reference.

Other animals I’ve seen, but been unable to capture on film include deer, porcupines, bald eagles, and a black bear. I was detecting with a buddy a couple of months ago and he saw a coyote.

Being out in nature, surrounded by Pennsylvania's rich variety of wildlife, is one of my favorite aspects of this hobby. You never know what you might find in the ground and you never know what you might see all around you.