Don in SJ
Silver Member
- May 20, 2005
- 4,931
- 832
- Detector(s) used
- MINELAB SE Pro
- Primary Interest:
- All Treasure Hunting
Yesterday I hit a site that my son and I hit last back around 1999 or so, but with our older detectors, so I was itchy to get there with 12 more years of experience and a better detector to work with. The site is very tiny and on our previous hunt I only remember getting a few buttons, but do remember an area of iron hits.
So, it did not take long to find the hot area, and right away I got a tombac style cuff button and a few minutes later a very tiny button with the early 1800 back mark design. After about half hour of brush beating I only had the two buttons, but then I got a nice little hit and a small piece of at first I thought harmonica part but way, way too small, probably a tab of some sort, which upon cleaning showed it has a nice design on it, but still have no idea what the relic was part of. UPDATE: Pete (Timekiller) got an positive ID on it, it is the female part of a clog clasp)
I wandered out towards the drivable dirt road where my truck was parked and got a BAYER bottle, which after some googling determined it was 1930s era and probably lost by loggers in the area back then, not related to the homestead about 20 yards away.
Since I did not plan on hunting more than two hours I decided to go back to where I first got the buttons which was the debris area for the homestead, the ground was loaded with old clam/oyster shell pieces. I finally got a pretty good high reading, and I was fairly certain it was not a large copper. I was correct, it was a teaspoon sized silver spoon, not bent, buckled or distorted.
Now the hunt was a success and if I could find a coin, that would be icing on the cake and the icing came a few minutes later when next to a clump of scrub oak I got one of those no doubt about it on the SE large copper coin readings. Sure enough in the hole was on edge in the dirt a large copper. As soon as I retrieved it I could not read any details but just by the thickness and appearance I knew Large Cent.
When I got home and started looking at the finds, I saw that the silver spoon had initials on it "PAC" and on the back side was a Silversmith's name "J SHOEMAKER"
After some computer searches found out it was a silversmith from Philadelphia who was most active 1790 to 1810 era and his name was Joseph Shoemaker and I found several identical spoons on line auctions, but of course with different initials. He was known for making the "coin silver" teaspoons as the auction houses called them.
Antique American Silver Tea Spoon in the 'Pointed Antique' pattern marked by Joseph Shoemaker of Philadelphia PA, c.1790-1810.
Coin silver refers to silverware produced in America from early colonial times to just after the Civil War. Items of coin silver produced during this time period are over ninety percent pure silver and were made from silver coins. It is sometimes difficult to tell the difference between coin silver and silver plate. Coin silver was usually stamped with the first initial and last name of the silversmith.
Unfortunately the large copper turned out to be not to nice of a Draped Bust Large Cent. Before cleaning I could see the date area was already damaged with corrosion, so I looked the best I could to see if I could make out anything, thought I saw 179? but cannot say for sure, at some point I thought the rare 1799, but dismissed that idea, and if it is 179, than most likely 1798. But could be a early 1800 one, might take some more playing around with it to determine.
Group shot of finds
So overall I hunted just short of two hours there, got no ticks, despite the temperature being near 60, so a good hunt it was........
Don
So, it did not take long to find the hot area, and right away I got a tombac style cuff button and a few minutes later a very tiny button with the early 1800 back mark design. After about half hour of brush beating I only had the two buttons, but then I got a nice little hit and a small piece of at first I thought harmonica part but way, way too small, probably a tab of some sort, which upon cleaning showed it has a nice design on it, but still have no idea what the relic was part of. UPDATE: Pete (Timekiller) got an positive ID on it, it is the female part of a clog clasp)
I wandered out towards the drivable dirt road where my truck was parked and got a BAYER bottle, which after some googling determined it was 1930s era and probably lost by loggers in the area back then, not related to the homestead about 20 yards away.
Since I did not plan on hunting more than two hours I decided to go back to where I first got the buttons which was the debris area for the homestead, the ground was loaded with old clam/oyster shell pieces. I finally got a pretty good high reading, and I was fairly certain it was not a large copper. I was correct, it was a teaspoon sized silver spoon, not bent, buckled or distorted.
Now the hunt was a success and if I could find a coin, that would be icing on the cake and the icing came a few minutes later when next to a clump of scrub oak I got one of those no doubt about it on the SE large copper coin readings. Sure enough in the hole was on edge in the dirt a large copper. As soon as I retrieved it I could not read any details but just by the thickness and appearance I knew Large Cent.
When I got home and started looking at the finds, I saw that the silver spoon had initials on it "PAC" and on the back side was a Silversmith's name "J SHOEMAKER"
After some computer searches found out it was a silversmith from Philadelphia who was most active 1790 to 1810 era and his name was Joseph Shoemaker and I found several identical spoons on line auctions, but of course with different initials. He was known for making the "coin silver" teaspoons as the auction houses called them.
Antique American Silver Tea Spoon in the 'Pointed Antique' pattern marked by Joseph Shoemaker of Philadelphia PA, c.1790-1810.
Coin silver refers to silverware produced in America from early colonial times to just after the Civil War. Items of coin silver produced during this time period are over ninety percent pure silver and were made from silver coins. It is sometimes difficult to tell the difference between coin silver and silver plate. Coin silver was usually stamped with the first initial and last name of the silversmith.
Unfortunately the large copper turned out to be not to nice of a Draped Bust Large Cent. Before cleaning I could see the date area was already damaged with corrosion, so I looked the best I could to see if I could make out anything, thought I saw 179? but cannot say for sure, at some point I thought the rare 1799, but dismissed that idea, and if it is 179, than most likely 1798. But could be a early 1800 one, might take some more playing around with it to determine.
Group shot of finds
So overall I hunted just short of two hours there, got no ticks, despite the temperature being near 60, so a good hunt it was........
Don
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that reed looking piece is odd 
Knowing you & all the goodies you have stored up,you probably have a bushel basket full. 
The spoon is a definite Banner find. 
They are usually bent into all sorts of shapes. I bet you are ready for a Spring Bonanza. You always have at least one of those at the beginning of the year. 
