Late 1700s fabric found in thimble?

DetectorMoe

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Well, went back to the site where I found the USA Rev button yesterday, well this afternoon for a few hours.. Only found two flat buttons but, I did find something unique, I think its a big thimble and it was filled with dirt, when I got the dirt out by shaking it, piece of fabric came out, it was balled up inside at the tip. This homesite dates late 1700s to early 1800s. Could the fabric be that old?

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Close up, both sides.
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Upvote 36
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Wow, awesome find, congrats! :occasion14:
 

smokeythecat

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Absolutely. The copper in the brass thimble acts as a preservative.
 

Al.relics

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Very nice piece of cloth History!!
 

Argentium

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Incredible find ! Rare as well - I wonder if there are some textile experts here , to shed some light on this find ? (Ladies)
 

CTXAgGetter

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Incredible. My inexpert opinion is... it looks right!
Thanks for sharing!
 

Relicific

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HIGHSTRUNG

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Very cool find. Congrats!
 

pa-dirt_nc-sand

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Most likely Knights Templar parchment... (I watch Curse of Oak Island) I wonder if the woman who used it 200+ years ago had tiny fingers and needed the piece of fabric in there to make it fit. Or she sewed so much her finger tips were wore raw. Very interesting final, congrats!
 

Jeff H

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WOW! That really is a great find! It's not uncommon for a button shank to have some thread remnants (my USA button has some blue thread left on it). But I have never seen some come out of a thimble. I will have to check all mine :thumbsup:

You know what, that really is Banner worthy. When have we ever seen anything like that on TNet ?
 

xcopperstax

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Very cool find and the fact that it has a pattern on it is even better! You might want to figure out how to preserve the fabric as it might deteriorate rather quickly. I have no idea but there is probably a solution you can soak it in. Congrats.
 

Tony in SC

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The weave and the long stitching at the top looks like grain/flour sack material. Both were used to make clothes back then.
 

CRUSADER

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Nice, but I don't think its a thimble.
 

Steve in PA

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i would have to agree that the cloth is period to the site. The oxides that form on metal (lead, copper, brass), and leach into the organic material in contact with the metal, are toxic to the bacteria that would eat the organic material. That's why we see thread in button shanks, civil war bullets in wood, etc.

That is a really cool find.
 

Robot

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Could it be...The Cap to a...Black Powder Horn?

Thimbles usually have Dimples.

Logically this could be the cap to open and load the powder into the Powder Horn

Having cotton material inside would be a perfect place to store the Wadding.

Powder Horn.jpg powderhorn1.jpg
 

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DetectorMoe

DetectorMoe

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Nice, but I don't think its a thimble.

You probably like, it seems that it might be to big to be a thimble.. But I been told back in those days men did alot of sewing, fingers might of been much bigger and they use something or anything they can use as a thimble.. This what ever it is, its about a inch long.
 

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