Sweet Colonial Tombac Find, and a Perfect Spear Point

FoundInNC

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Today I went to a 1750s site in Mebane. I dug three keepers. My best find is debatable. I got a really neat tombac item. The reason that it is so cool is because it has an American flag cast onto it, with THIRTEEN STARS! That dates it to 1777-1795, or the years of use of the thirteen star flag! What the item is, i do not know! So, please help if you can on that. My second awesome find was not metallic! It was a spear point that popped out of the hole while digging a plowpoint! How old is it? My last neat find was a very early coffin style brass spoon. The makers mark is hard to read. Help with my ID please! Thanks for looking, enjoy the pictures!

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Erik in NJ

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Well either you got the world's record for the biggest button ever found! :D

Or it's a bridle rosette. Nice one too! Congrats!
 

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FoundInNC

FoundInNC

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Never said it was a button! Tombac is the material it is made of, brass, alloy! Could it be a huge button, not being funny?
 

dsinsc

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That point is beautiful, I started out my treasure hunting days hunting arrowheads before I got a detector. The thing with the flag is actually a bell, I've dug them whole with different designs on them. Probably date later 1800's early 1900's but I've never really researched them, just going by the sites I've dug them from.
 

plymouthian12

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The flag looks more like an old bicycle bell sorry just my opinion
kent
 

sscindercoop

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Yup bell, Doesn't look 18th century to me. Nice find though regardless of age.
That point is beautiful, I started out my treasure hunting days hunting arrowheads before I got a detector. The thing with the flag is actually a bell, I've dug them whole with different designs on them. Probably date later 1800's early 1900's but I've never really researched them, just going by the sites I've dug them from.
 

Tnmountains

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The point or knife looks to be a stanly around 8000 to 5000 years old. Not 100% sure on the typology but am close. Has a deep bifuricate base.
I would say that is your oldest find of the day. Nice hunt.
HH
TnMtns
 

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FoundInNC

FoundInNC

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Dsinsc, I thank you for your input. I would like to see a picture of the bells you refer to. Also, I am confident this item predates bicycles(1869). It is made of tombac, a common colonial casting material.
 

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FoundInNC

FoundInNC

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I appreciate your input, but that is not what I have. There is no central hole in mine, but the "service bell" does have to have it to operate.
 

dsinsc

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Dsinsc, I thank you for your input. I would like to see a picture of the bells you refer to. Also, I am confident this item predates bicycles(1869). It is made of tombac, a common colonial casting material.
Hi, I never said it was a bicycle bell just a bell :) I just did a quick search on a clerks bell and here's what came up Victorian trading Co. - www.victoriantradingco.com - Clerk's Bell This is a repro and Yours is built a little different since it doesn't have a hole all the way through but same basic concept.
 

ChargerGuy

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That bifurcate point looks like it could be made of Rhyolite.
 

timekiller

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The point or knife looks to be a stanly around 8000 to 5000 years old. Not 100% sure on the typology but am close. Has a deep bifuricate base.
I would say that is your oldest find of the day. Nice hunt.
HH
TnMtns
Sounds close enough by it's look.Also made out off Rhyolite..............
Spoon of course is a fiddle back.
http://www.pastmasters.info/PewterSpoons.pdf
Good hunt all the same,
Take Care,
Pete,:hello:
 

Erik in NJ

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Note the shoulders on the spoon just above the bowl. These should help to date the spoon. I just found a pewter spoon fragment with shoulders too. It's a nice find. Perhaps Pete has some more spoon links that discuss spoon "shoulders."
 

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FoundInNC

FoundInNC

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I'll be, what a letdown! Thanks for the help fellas! I had high hopes for it! I don't have much love for it as a bicycle bell!
 

timekiller

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Note the shoulders on the spoon just above the bowl. These should help to date the spoon. I just found a pewter spoon fragment with shoulders too. It's a nice find. Perhaps Pete has some more spoon links that discuss spoon "shoulders."
I do buddy,This one shows the shoulders you ask about dating 1820ish.....................
1- http://www.pewterbank.com/Spoons_..articles..13.pdf
2- http://www.bexfield.co.uk/thefinial/pdf/15-04.pdf
3- Pewter at Colonial Williamsburg - John D. Davis - Google Books
Take Care,
Pete,:hello:
 

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