Sgt Riker's Civil War Trading Post

Camp Items (Smalls)
and Other Miscellaneous

STOREWIDE SALE - 10% off
(except metal detectors, wholesale lots and truck!)

Feel free to contact me!

7 chewed bullets 42" Handmade copper chain. The copper wire is intricately twisted to form the chain. Note the variance in the number of twists which indicates that it was handmade rather than machine manufactured. I found this relic personally in a North Carolina camp along the Little River. It was excavated in association with several North Carolina State Seal buttons, Macon Arsenal bullets, Minie balls, a fork tongue frame buckle and numerous other arifacts.
Item MS9524   $49.99

7 chewed bullets 7 chewed Civil War
bullets from Virginia.
Four are Minie Balls,
two are round balls.
(The other is
indeterminate).
Item MS9029   $19.99

crucified Eagle button Crucified Civil War U. S. Eagle (or Eagle letter) button. This one was recovered at Petersburg, Virginia, with a nail driven into it. Nail and remnants of the shank are still present as well.
Item MS9342   $19.99

Hut brick Hut Brick. Dug in a Confederate camp at Spotsylvania, Virginia. This appears to be a sunbaked brick typical of the ones the soldiers would make to build their huts. Apparently the round ball was dropped into the soft brick before it hardened. (Does not appear to have been fired into the brick). This hefty brick measures 9" x 4.25" x 2.5", weighs 7 lbs. and has been sprayed with clear acrylic to maintain its configuration.
Item MS9028   $449.99

4 Merchants weights Two vintage weights for merchant's scales.
We guesstimate these to be from around the 1890's, give or take. Sizes range from 1.25" to 3.25" in diameter.
Item MS9006   $19.99 for all 4!

Cold Harbor 1861 Lock Plate US Model 1861 lock plate.
This piece, which was recovered
at Cold Harbor, has been
cleaned and sprayed with
clear acrylic as a preservative.
Item MS9005   $19.99
Colonial knee buckle Colonial period knee buckle.
Excavated in Virginia, the surface design is present
and for its age, the knee buckle is in good condition.
Item MS9008   $14.99

5 watch keys Five Civil War period watch keys.
These delicate keys were retrieved from Civil War camps in Virginia and range from 7/8" long to 1.25". They are in very good condition and the head of the key on the far left still swivels.
Item MS9021   All five for $29.99

Inlaid Snuff Box Pretty Civil War era horn-inlaid snuff box made of bone.
This piece was carved meticulously from bone and inlaid with what we believe is bull horn (note the striations). On the left end of the box is an imperfection that appears to have been in the bone when carved. There are a couple of incidental nicks on the back bottom edge. The box measures 2 7/8" long by 1 1/4" wide by 3/4" tall.
Item MS9034  $79.99

Partial Baby Rings Two tiny baby rings found in Civil War Union camps.
The partial with the clover is 1/4 inch by 1/4 inch, with inlaid gold top half only. (The material of construction seems to be brass, with a heavy gold plating.) This ring was recovered in a Civil War camp near Westover Church in Charles City County, Virginia. The other has a circular area of gold; it is a touch larger than the four leaf clover piece. Only partial momentos but displayable collectibles from Virginia.
Item MS9007   Both for $16.99

Gold Pin Delicate, Victorian Pin.
Victorian 10k gold pin with a center stone faceted amethyst. We estimate it to date to the 1880s. I personally dug it in Ashland, Virginia five years ago. Minor damage was done when pulled from under a root. It's complete, but fragile, due to its design. When the pin is closed, it measures 2.125" long. It could be professionally repaired or displayed as is.
Item MS9006   $89.99

Cook Pot Civil War period cooking pot from Virginia.
This heavy (6.5 pounds) pot may have had a handle where it is broken. It stands on three legs, possibly to make it easier to put over the fire. (The pot is 10 1/2" in diameter at the top and stands 5 inches high). This pot was recovered from a Union camp near the Pamunkey River in Virginia, cleaned with electrolysis and sprayed with clear acrylic as a preservative.
Item MS9035  $69.99

3 Clay Pipes Three clay pipes dug in central Virginia Civil War camps.
Note the marking on the right-most bowl in the main picture. Purchase includes all three pipes. Nice collectibles from Virginia.
Item MS9003   $30.00

Civil War Pocket Knife Excavated Civil War period pocket knife.
This knife has a bone handle still intact on both sides and
embedded with three amethyst stones. (The fourth one is
missing.) This piece was recovered from Cold Harbor,
Virginia. A perfect collectible that will display nicely.
Item MS9022   $25.00

patriotic handstamp Patriotic, Pewter Handstamp. Lovely handstamp with a very pretty patriotic motif. Recovered from a Union camp in Central Virginia, this piece was designed to enable its owner to personalize and mark his camp items. Unfortunately, only three of the letters were in place when the stamp was recovered or we would have had the soldier's name. What we have appears to be the letters JHT or JHN. Beautiful patriotic eagle with scroll work embellishes the piece. There is a leaf, which appears to be an oak leaf on each side and a five pointed star with three arrows (it appears to begin as an olive branch and transitions into the arrows) running through the star. This design is located below the stamp well. I have included another font so the viewer may understand how the type inserted into the stamp well, but please be advised that this font was not found with the stamp. A very rare and unusual item. I hope the stamped card helps you see the detail of the exquisitely designed and delicately rendered piece of art that you must study under magnification to fully appreciate. Nicely displayed in a 6" x 8" Sgt. Riker Display Case (glass top) with a red velveteen background. (There is ample room to include other related items.)
Item MS1002   $175.00

9 Handstamp Blocks Novel, lead Handstamp Fonts. Type fonts used in hand stamps so that soldiers could personalize their items. They are, made of hardened lead. Nine in all, collected individually in various camps near Richmond, Virginia.
Item MS6102   $35.00 for all!

Love bird stamper Another beautiful, pewter Handstamp with Love Birds. Note the romantic motif of this recovered handstamp - flowers, hearts and Love birds! Dug in Central Virginia, this piece maintains its detail and is complete with the slot meant to hold removeable letters for personalizing items. No individual fonts were recovered with this item but the sample stamping reflects its beauty, indeed. Nicely displayed in a 6" x 8" Sgt. Riker Display Case (glass viewing top).
Item MS1102   $175.00

Enfield Gun Wrench British Pattern Number One Enfield Gun Wrench. I dug this combination tool east of Appomattox Court House in 1981. Reference can be found
on page 226 of Gun Tools: Their History and Identification. The overall length
is 3 inches.
Item M6005   $34.99

Old Virginia Printer's Block Beautifully detailed Printer's Advertising block. This block print piece is small (1 1/8" x 1 1/2") but reflects fine detail of an Indian smoking a pipe. His left arm rests on a keg that reads "Old Virginia" and his foot rests on a box marked "pipes". Plumes of feathers make up his headdress and I can easily see his moccasins. Take a look. A delightful piece that would display nicely in a shadow box with a print of the image. Satisfaction is Guaranteed .
Item M3005   $59.99

2 Smelting tools Vintage blacksmith-made lead smelter w/remnants of lead. This heavy duty smelter was found in a shed. The second tool (use unknown) was dug at the same site. The handle of the smelter is just under 13 inches long. The cup is 3" high and 2.5" wide. The second tool has a flat, platform end and is 21 3/8" long.
Item MS9037   $69.99

Plantation Hoe Antebellum blacksmith-made plantation hoe. This piece, recovered in central Virginia, has been cleaned and sprayed with clear acrylic as a preservative. The blade is just under 7" at its widest. The inside gap of the shaft is 1.25" wide and 2.25" long.
Item MS9028   $19.99

2 Plantation Hoes Two plantation hoes from Virginia. Both excavated hoes have been meticulously cleaned with electrolysis and sprayed with clear acrylic as a preservative. The smaller hoe is about 7 inches by 5 inches. The handle gap is 1-1/2 inches. The larger is about 7-3/4 inches by 5-3/4 inches. The handle gap is 1-3/4 inches. These are failry large hoes used in the production of cotton, vegetables, corn, tobacco and anything that required the removal of grass and weeds from crops. Also used to pull soil around the maturing plants. Many are blacksmith made. As you can see from the photos, hundreds of years in the Virginia soil has caused some metal loss, but they are authentic and they have been rendered stable. Satisfaction guaranteed!
Item MS3036   $49.99 for both!

Shoe Form Cast iron shoe form. Very old - dug in Richmond, Virginia, this cobbler's shoe form measures 10-3/4 inches long and was designed to attach to a board to hold the shoe in place while being made or repaired. It has been cleaned by electrolysis and lightly sprayed with acrylic to preserve its finish.
Item MS3035   $15.95

Vintage Broadax Vintage ax sold by Carlin & Fulton of Baltimore, Maryland. The Carlin & Fulton hardware business opened in 1863 and existed at least until the 1920s. The butt of this ax is stamped with their name. We don't know the exact age of this piece. The blade, at its longest, is 10 3/4", the butt is 4 1/2" at its widest. The thickness is 1 1/2" at the end of the butt. This is a non-dug ax that has been sprayed with clear acrylic as a preservative.
Item MS9020   $49.99 SOLD

Cooper's Axe Large, Colonial Period Barrel Maker's or Cooper's Axe. Found in downtown Richmond, Virginia earlier this year beneath a very tall building that was torn down - this hand-forged barrel maker's axe measures 11 inches by 6 ½ inches and was probably taller at one time. English settlers visited the site of Present day Richmond in 1607. While I cannot accurately state the age of this ax, I can tell you that I have not seen one like it in all my years of digging and collecting. The axe was made to be hollow in the center, apparently to lighten it and probably to make it offset to facilitate the barrel making process. The axe has been meticulously cleaned by electrolysis and is in good and solid condition, although pitted from being buried for untold years. The axe weighs just over 3 ½ lbs. currently and was probably 5lbs. or more in its prime.As you study the pics, take note of the unusual manner of construction. If you have any information on this axe, its age, or design, I'd sure like to hear from you. Thanks for looking. Satisfaction is guaranteed (money back in full, you pay shipping) if not pleased with this item. NOTE -response from viewer: "I found an identical axe years ago in an early Philadelphia construction site (I-95,Dock St. dig). Thought you may appreciate the info I found. It is a coopers axe (barrel maker); much rarer than a broadaxe. Date could indeed be colonial, as mine. This info was obtained from a foremost axe authority."
Item MS1005   $95.00

Mortise Axe Nice Dug Colonial Mortise Axe recovered in New York State. This Mortise Axe was instumental in the building of log homes in Colonial America. Carpenters would use this type axe as a chisel. It measures aproximately 8.5 inches in length and is in excellent dug condition. It has been lightly sprayed with clear acrylic.
Item MS1004   $125.00

dog-s.jpg Unique, handcarved, lead Dog proudly displaying a Masonic emblem on his side! Dug in a Union Civil War Camp in Central Virginia, this is one of the coolest relics I've seen in a while. This small, carved dog measures 1 ½" across the base and stands 1 ¼" high. On the dog's left side in raised relief is the Masonic symbol. Perhaps the dog is a copy of a camp dog or of a companion left at home. I guess we'll never know the dog's association with the Masons or why the carving was specifically adorned with the symbol. It does stand out as one of the finest lead carved figures I've personally seen and I hope this little guy finds a good home. Guaranteed to be an original and authentic, dug Civil War item. Nicely displayed in a 6" x 8" Sgt. Riker Display Case (glass top).
Item MS1003   $450.00

Watch Fob Nice, Civil War Period Watch Fob. The decoration on this fob appears to be gold plated mounted on dark, grossgrain ribbon - a nice keepsake, still in working order, this ribbon on this watch fob measures 1 1/2" wide and is 4" long. Nicely displayed in a 5" x 6" Sgt. Riker Display Case (glass top).
Item MS1083   $49.95

Confederate Tobacco ConfederateTobacco - Excavated in Richmond, Virginia in 1977! Some of you will be familiar with the recovery of artifacts and some will remember when John Duggan, Jr. and two other men found a cache of green tobacco beneath the Confederate Commissary Warehouse in downtown Richmond back in 1977. Included is the tobacco sample which is in Duggan's original plastic box along with the accompanying card from Little Johns Collectibles. I will list the text of John's card, which accompanies the tobacco, for you will not easily read it from the photos. Confederate Civil War Tobacco. The tobacco was excavated at the site of the Commissary Office & Storekeeper for the Confederate Government during the Civil War which lasted from 1861-1865, It was then burnt & totally destroyed in the Evacuation Fire of Richmond, April 1, 1865, This tobacco was excavated by me during a construction job at 14th & Dock Street-Richmond, Virginia, Sept. of 1977. This is the same spot where the warehouse stood. It was uncovered by machine app. 3 ft. underground. All air was cut off, which kept it in very sound shape. When the tobacco was first excavated it was green in color & had a strong odor. After contact with the air, it turned dark brown & all odor left. This tobacco was in a layer 2 feet to 4 feet thick in a concentrated area. I believe this tobacco was cut for plug or chewing. It was stored, but never packaged or boxed. There were other men with me when the tobacco was dug & their names are (not stated here but are in the original card). They are from the Richmond & Petersburg area. This tobacco is a true piece of Civil War Memorabilia. Signed John G Duggan, Jr. I can't add much to that except to say that there are several small coffee spots and a coffee cup ring on the 7 ½"? x 5 ½" card which have now been incorporated into the provenance of this unique piece. The card is in very sound and readable condition, & the coffee stains are hardly noteworthy. Your relic will be shipped in an 8 x 12 x 2" Sgt. Riker Case. Insurance required. Guaranteed authentic! (30 day right of inspection/buyer to pay return shipping and insurance.)
Item MS1063   $295.00

Candlestick Dug Iron candlestick holder with patent date. Casual cleaning by electrolasis has revealed that this cool dug (US Camp) has a patent date. You can see pat nt 18? Further cleaning may reveal more letters and numbers, but based on the value of this item, I can't cost justify putting more time into it---would be different if it were going into a collection.
Item MS1006   $29.95

horseshoe pothook Civil war Iron cooking pothook made from a small horseshoe. Dug in a Confederate bivouac area in Hanover County, Virginia, this unique item was apparently an attempt to carry a heavy and hot cooking pot. It probably worked for a time, but stress and heat eventually caused the pot loop to fracture and break off. (Note the pot loop remnant still on the horseshoe.)
Item MS1032   $40.00

Apothecary Weights Seven, Civil war Apothecary weights, found in Central Virginia Used on offset balance scales to determine the correct dosage of medicines during the American Civil War, these small weights have a variety of weight designations. These are a common find in Civil War encampments and often overlooked by the digger. All in all an original Civil War item with history of its own. Complete in a nice Sgt. Riker display case.
Item MS1033   $45.00