Relic Custodians Australia

I'm always looking.
Out for a little bush walk and up high impaled in this old tree something catches my eye!
More photos in the comments 😆

With a little AI magic I've brought back to life an image of how I believe this cricket buckle I found a while back once looked. Although the image (the all England 11 1861) most likely isn't the centre piece photo used, I reckon it looks the goods.

Some of you may be thinking photos on cricket buckles? Well it was actually a thing, this particular patent 1866 buckle likely held a photo just like a picture frame. I've supplied photos and research from Brian Meilaks Cricket buckles books in the comments, to back my claim.

Here's another trash or Treasure post. For some it may look like a bit of scrap, but to me it looks like a key or crate tag for the 12th Royal Australian Garrison Artillery! And that is exactly what it is.

The 12th Company, Royal Australian Garrison Artillery (RAGA) was a key coastal defense unit stationed in Albany, Western Australia, responsible for manning the historic coastal defenses to protect the strategic deep-water port of King George Sound.

Formed after Federation, the unit transitioned to federal control and was designated the 12th Company, RAGA in December 1911. Shortly after, in July 1912, the unit was reorganized and permanently redesignated as the 11th Garrison Artillery.

So yep this is a pretty historical little piece and certainly treasure in my eyes.

Trash or Treasure?

How's this pair of old 1905 patented nail clippers I recently found? This is one of the first designs of pocket manicure tools; the design set the way for what I use today.

Here's me playing with my toys again! Although some may call these 1940s era lead farm animals, which I recently found metal detecting near Wyalacatchum, 'JUNK' I consider them treasure. After all, not everything you find has to be worth money (I have to work to earn that); what I do is more about the stories, creating content that sparks conversation and builds an interest in history using my treasure hunting finds. For me, it's these finds that really hit home; I mean, what kid didn't like playing with his toy farm animals? Although mine were plastic, I know how much joy they would have once given those who walked before me.

Nicely done. Here's a key date thrip I pulled out recently. The 1923 Australian Threepence is a highly sought-after "key date" coin minted at the Melbourne Mint. With a very low mintage of 815,283 and extensive circulation, it is a rare and valuable piece of pre-decimal numismatic history.

Can't say I've ever dug a bottle of He**in before!

This bottle is a remarkable survivor from the early patent medicine era. Embossed “Glyco-He**in (Smith)” on the shoulder and “Martin H. Smith Co. Chemists, New York” on the base, it represents a fascinating chapter in pharmaceutical history. Originally marketed as a cough remedy in the late 1800s and early 1900s, Glyco-He**in was part of the search for a supposedly safer alternative to morphine — before the dangers of he**in were fully understood. As drug regulations tightened in the early 20th century, products like this were forced to adapt. Glyco-He**in was later renamed “Glykeron” in an attempt to sound more medically acceptable, despite still containing he**in derivatives. The passing of the Harrison Narcotics Tax Act in 1914 marked the beginning of strict control over these substances and signalled the end of an era for many patent medicines. Examples of these bottles are becoming increasingly difficult to find, especially in such well-preserved condition. With its rich amber glass, crisp embossing, and connection to a unique period in medical history, it stands as both a rare collectible and a reminder of how much medicine has changed over time.

Here's some of the other finds from a recent dig. Some nice variety with some unusual bits. The Mr. Pecksniff thing is weird. I know he's a character from one of Charles Dickens' novels but I'm not sure exactly what it would have been. It's not broken but looks to have had another piece to it. These strange finds seem to follow me!

How cool is this bisque mantle figure, a rare gem to find complete hidden among 1920s rubbish. Geez, he scrubbed up okay.