American Society for the Preservation of Historical Artifacts
See the slide show above for some of Deno's finds.
KY Chapter of the ASPHA
The Kentucky Chapter of the ASPHA was founded in 2002. Chapter Officers are Jim Armstrong, Deno Barbour and Jim Weaver. The Chapter meets quarterly to discuss recent finds and plan future hunts. In 2001, the Kentucky Chapter of ASPHA created a television show on relic hunting, which aired on the Insight Cable Network. The show was called the Kentucky Relic Hunter, and aired 5 episodes. For more information on the KY Chapter of the ASPHA, contact Jim Armstrong at JimArmstrong@aspha.org
Chapter Officers
Jim Armstrong
The current President of ASPHA is Jim Armstrong of Pendleton, Kentucky. Jim began relic hunting for Native American (Indian) artifacts at the age of 8 years old, while growing up in Lyndon, Kentucky. The area around Lyndon, Kentucky (east of Louisville, KY) was the home of numerous Native American villages because of the abundant fresh water supply from nearby streams and springs. While a youth, Jim also dug antique bottles from an old sink hole located near his home.
In 1996 Jim purchased his first metal detector, a Nautilus DMC IIb and discovered a new form of relic hunting, looking for metal artifacts beneath the surface of the ground. Since he began metal detecting, Jim has recovered approximately 40 early English and Spanish silver coins, 1 gold coin (1851 One Dollar Gold Piece), numerous buttons ranging from the War of 1812 to WWII, many Civil War bullets, buttons and belt plates, and thousands of flat buttons from the early 1800's. Jim prefers hunting in open farm fields, when the crops have been harvested, and during the fall and winter months.
Jim Weaver
Jim Weaver started messing around with metal decting in 1995; after the birth of his first child. Jim thought this hobby may keep him closer to home than his love of stream fishing had. The new "ground fishing" bug affected him worse than he expected. After trying out different machines for a couple of years Jim turned in all of his clad coins and bought his first White's 6000DI Pro and there was no turning back! Jim now coin and relic hunts with a White's XLT and he hasn't been creek fishing in 10 years. Jim says "This is absolutely the best hobby I have ever experienced. You make great finds, great freinds and learn alot about the history of our forefathers. I most enjoy field hunting for relics and coinage of any kind. Of course spotting the occational arrowhead is an extra boost. When digging a Civil War relic or a piece of Spanish silver, l like to imagine who was the last person who saw or touched it and why did they loose it."
Deno Barbour
As he got more involved with the metal detecting hobby Deno found himself at the library checking out the local history of Louisville, KY where he was born and raised. Deno had no idea of the Civil War activity that had taken place right in his own back yard. In 2008 Deno found a US cartridge box plate just up the road from where he lives, while he was coin hunting. After doing some additional research on the site, Deno learned that there had been a Civil War battle at the site.
Deno feels that this hobby, is as close to being a time traveler as we can get. The relics of our past history can be lost forever or they can be found and preserved for future generations. As relic hunters we help to preserve the past.
