How to Identify Metal Detecting Finds: A Practical Guide to Buckles, Buttons, Coins & Old Hardware

Pulling an unrecognizable, dirt-caked object from the ground is only the first half of the recovery process. Proper identification gives an artifact its voice. However, hasty cleaning or assumptions can destroy crucial historical evidence. A methodical approach to documentation and identification is essential for preserving the history of New England.

Step 1: Do Not Clean It (Yet)

The first rule is to avoid doing irreversible damage. The National Park Service guidance for archaeological objects says cleaning should be kept to a minimum because it may destroy important surface evidence, decorations, impressions, or associated material. Before using water, chemicals, electrolysis, abrasives, or aggressive brushing, identify the likely material and decide whether the object needs professional advice.

Step 2: Document the Find In Context

Context is part of the evidence. Record a privacy-safe location label, the target context, depth if known, soil or surface conditions, nearby associated finds, and any useful detector notes. Remember that difficult iron can sound unexpectedly high, so detector audio or target ID should not become the identification by itself. Depth is also not a dependable date: disturbance, fill, erosion, roots, agriculture, landscaping, and other processes can move objects.

Step 3: Photograph and Measure

Before further cleaning, take clear, well-lit photographs of the front, back, edge, attachment points, and any broken surfaces or marks. Include a ruler or other reliable scale in the same plane as the object. Record dimensions and, if equipment is available, weight. Also note material appearance without overclaiming composition: “yellow metal” is safer than “brass” until the evidence supports it.

Step 4: Analyze Construction and Function

Try to identify the broad function before assigning an exact date. Examine seams, edges, wear, attachment points, and how separate pieces join. For buttons, study the shank, face, back, backmarks, and evidence of cast, stamped, soldered, or multi-piece construction. For buckles and hardware, look for the frame, tongue or pin, central bar, fasteners, mounting points, hinges, lettering, maker marks, and decorative motifs. Coins and tokens call for careful attention to legends, portraits, edge treatment, diameter, and visible design elements—without rubbing away what remains.

Step 5: Consult Credible References

Cross-reference the observations with credible sources rather than searching only for a picture that looks similar. Museum collections such as the Smithsonian National Museum of American History provide catalog records that may include object name, material, dimensions, maker, place, construction description, and date range. Compare multiple fields. A similar outline does not prove two objects had the same purpose or date.

Step 6: Separate Identification, Date, and Confidence

Write the conclusion in three parts: what the object most likely is, the date range the evidence supports, and your confidence level. Those answers do not have to be equally precise. You may have high confidence that an object is a buckle frame while having low confidence about its original use or age. State what feature supports each conclusion and what evidence is missing.

Step 7: Handle Uncertain Finds Honestly

Use labels such as “probable,” “possible,” or “unidentified” when the evidence is incomplete. Keep alternative functions in the notes and avoid turning a broad resemblance into a precise story. Good documentation lets a later researcher improve the identification without having to undo a confident but unsupported claim. The same privacy rules used in historic-site research apply here: share the object evidence, not a private address or sensitive site location.

Step 8: Decide Whether Conservation Advice Is Needed

If the object is unstable, actively flaking, unusually significant, made from mixed materials, or still carries fragile surface evidence, pause and seek qualified conservation advice. The goal is stabilization, not making an old object look new. Keep the object dry and physically supported while you determine the appropriate next step, and do not apply a one-size-fits-all treatment.