Solving A Very Old Button Mystery

This is not my usual style post, but I really need some help here.  About 40 years ago my mother and I went out rockhunting in the San Pedro Mines area of New Mexico.  I had a brand new metal detector and decided to give it a try.  Anyway, I found this mysterious button in excellent condition.  For some reason at the time, I remember running into an old time miner up there who told me it might be a conductors button to the railway that ran in the area.  That's the only reason I can think that I would believe it is an old railroad artifact at all.

Fast forward to today, and I ran across it while cleaning out my piles of junk jewelry.  Anyway, modern searches are turning up nothing pertaining to a railroad by the name of M&M except the railroad mogul Thomas C. Durant and his Mississippi and Missouri Railroad (M&M).  I'm pretty sure he never made it to New Mexico, but who knows.  There could have been a Madrid and ? Railroad because I know there was a rail line serving the coal towns along NM Highway 14 - the present day Turquoise Trail.

M&M Railroad Button Front with Heraldic Eagle Symbol

The button is really nice and has an Eagle Seal image (heraldic symbol) and is surrounded by the letters M&M.  I'm not sure what it is made of.  Maybe brass?  the front did not tarnish, so maybe gold plated?  I just don't know.  I would appreciate any help I can get on this.  Let me know what you think or know.

San Pedro Mines Satellite Image

San Pedro Mines Satellite Image of Where Button Was Found

Back of M&M Button

One very interesting fact about our rock hunting experience was that this old time miner told us that San Pedro Mountain was literally riddled with tunnels and he was surprised it was still standing.  He also said that he had found a really old tunnel at the base of the mountain and when he went inside, he found a Conquistadore helmet.  Pretty neat huh?


Check out my newest New Mexico finds at my Etsy shop!

New Mexico Fluorite Collectors Specimen

Fluorite Prospects Near Grants NM

I know it's been a while since I posted anything and I'm sorry about that...

Winter is a hard time to find anything in the Northwest and I typically make it out to NM in June, so here is my first NM trip report of 2016.

Well, we went out towards Grants NM to search out some defunct copper and fluorite mines.  Once again, we didn't quite find the copper mines, but we did find some nice fluorite prospects, and I have a much better idea where the copper mines are now, so next time...

Fluorite Prospect near Grants, NM

Fluorite Prospect near Mirabel Mine NM

Fluorite Mine Dump

Nice Fluorite Crystals - Why didn't I notice the crystals in the rock they were sitting on?

Close up view of Fluorite Crystals

Here is a good report on the minerals in the Zuni Mountains mining district: https://nmgs.nmt.edu/publications/guidebooks/downloads/64/64_p0131_p0142.pdf

You can check out one of our listings for this nice fluorite available for sale on our SouthPrairieHandmade Etsy shop here https://www.etsy.com/listing/387328066/new-mexico-fluorite-collectors-specimen?ref=shop_home_active_1

New Mexico Fluorite Specimen Top

New Mexico Fluorite Specimen Back

Brown Creek Olympic National Forest Jasper

Sorry I have been remiss posting my rockhounding trips.  Alas and alack, I have not really been anywhere this winter :-(  As a matter of fact, we didn't even get out at all until last month and this is about our trip over to the Olympic National Forest looking for some jasper.

Skokomish River

I had read somewhere that there is some nice jasper found along Brown Creek in the Olympic National Forest, so we decided to head over there since we knew Greenwater would still be under snow.  Anyway, we had a wonderful day in beautiful 70º weather along the gorgeous Skokomish River.

A Little Gift

Brown Creek

Some Nice Pieces of Jasper? Rhyolite?

We didn't find a lot, but at least what we did find was different from our usual agates.  We did find one nice piece of jade also.  It was definitely worth the drive for the scenery alone.  It is a nice campground also!

Please check out our SouthPrairieHandmade Etsy shop.  We have some amazing mineral specimens for sale over there!

Crystalized Petrified Wood Mineral Specimen

Large Beautiful Black Tourmaline Mineral Specimen