Help in identifying a gold artifact

[Alexandre]

Hi all

We have recovered this gold item from about 7 meters deep, on the south coast of Terceira Island, Azores, from a non-shipwreck context (although we have records of several Spanish ships being sunk in that general area)

It's solid gold roll, bent into a D-ring shape. Besides that cut/incision on the left, there are no more marks on it.

It might have been a piece of gold that was being smuggled, but then, why this shape?

If you can help, please contribute.

[Trond]

Its easier to transport when it is formed like a ring. And if you need to pay for anything, you just hack of a piece and shape the remaining gold back to a ring.

Or it could be a homemade bracelet.

[FISHEYE]

It could be a nose ring or a ear ring.

[Alexandre]

Its easier to transport when it is formed like a ring. And if you need to pay for anything, you just hack of a piece and shape the remaining gold back to a ring.

Too heavy and solid for that, that's the reason you carry gold chain around.

Or it could be a homemade bracelet.

Too small, it would only fit a baby child's hand.

[Alexandre]

It could be a nose ring or a ear ring.

It does remind me of the nose ring you use on bulls, to tame them into obeying your steering, but I doubt one would make such an object in pure gold..

As for the ear ring, the same reason: it's too heavy and cumbersome to be used in such a manner by any person, no matter how tall and heavy they are.

Thanks, anyway.

[ScubaFinder]

One way to avoid paying the "royal fifth" was to be wearing an item of gold. Maybe this person didn't have a goldsmith to make him a nice chain. I could see someone making a solid gold bracelet for a child to be worked into a chain once back in the old world.

Gold was normally only used as either ornamentation or money, so I'd say you have an unusual and very interesting object.

[Darren in NC]

In identifying artifacts, it helps to know the specific context of your dig. What other artifacts have you found? I find it hard to believe that this is a Spaniard's item used to avoid the royal fifth. 7 meters is an incredible depth for a non-shipwreck site, and would indicate a much earlier time period. What kind of soil/strata are you working with, Alexandre?

Very interesting.

[Alexandre]

In identifying artifacts, it helps to know the specific context of your dig. What other artifacts have you found? I find it hard to believe that this is a Spaniard's item used to avoid the royal fifth. 7 meters is an incredible depth for a non-shipwreck site, and would indicate a much earlier time period. What kind of soil/strata are you working with, Alexandre?

Very interesting.

Hi Darren

It was 7 meters deep, but underwater, on a rocky bottom, intersped with patches of sand.

Since it was in the Azores, we can safely rule out anything earlier than 1420-1430 AC.

[Alexandre]

One way to avoid paying the "royal fifth" was to be wearing an item of gold. Maybe this person didn't have a goldsmith to make him a nice chain. I could see someone making a solid gold bracelet for a child to be worked into a chain once back in the old world.

Gold was normally only used as either ornamentation or money, so I'd say you have an unusual and very interesting object.

It's one of my theories, too. Maybe it was originally coated with some oxide, and performing a menial task, in order to hide it's "golden" nature?

[ScubaDude]

Belt buckle of sorts? Or used or disguised in a similar fashion? Decorative saddle fastener? Who knows.... Are we certain its gold?

Neat piece, congrats on the find.

[Alexandre]

Belt buckle of sorts? Or used or disguised in a similar fashion? Decorative saddle fastener? Who knows.... Are we certain its gold?

It is, pure, solid gold.

[firstbiggestmost]

Nice find. I thought nose ring for a sacred bull? Maybe a sacrifice?

[GOHO]

Do you have an idea of what ship it came off of?

[Alexandre]

Do you have an idea of what ship it came off of?

If I could date gold.... it could have been from about 20 ships, lost in that area from 1552 till 1762....

[Zephyr]

Probably West African in origin, used as a trade item/currency. Could be an early form of manilla (which were mostly brass/copper, though gold ones are not unheard of.)
Be on the lookout for more if that's the case....

[capt dom]

Folks were smaller back then....
This easily could be a slip over the hand bracelet and may
have been easily disguised with either rope or leather wrappings.

If it is pure gold - it will bend easily. Solid gold that doesn't bend
easily is usually alloyed with some type of hardening agent

Have you actually checked its karat?

[ivan salis]

since gold jewelry was exempt for the royal fifth tax *and did not have to be fancy jewelry just jewelry . you can bet "smuggling" type folks had all sorts of "jewelry" on them if they could "afford" the price of gold --

smugglers would also mix in stuff with other cargo quite often -- hiding gold in a barrel of tar / pitch was a favorite ---in your exsample say they used a barrel of iron rings -- make a few gold ones darken them and put them in the lower part of the barral of iron rings -- anyone opening the barrel sees iron rings -- ok pass it on.

[OldGold74]

Some African ladies have very thin wrists, in Guinea one place the RAC set up, bracelets like this were common which is why the vessels found funding to return to Guinea form the UK and later the RAC built a formidable trade fleet on these style gold products,gold dust and ivory, might i also add the Guinea Gold coin was also derived from the same African commodity and used widely thereafter. Could be an African Guinea trade bracelet....