A Cameo and Mystery Coin-like Object

Eastender

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Mar 30, 2020
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I live in an area first settled by CT Puritans during the 1650's. Tough to find their material culture though I spend a lot of time trying. I have found buttons, thimbles, shoe buckles, horse shoes and misc. iron scrap such as plow blade tips and cauldron pieces. I don't think they had much early on thus explaining the three coin-like objects I have discovered thus far. I know people always ask "Who is on my Cameo?" But I am hoping the hat can be an identifier as to whether it might be Puritan, Quaker, English, or Dutch who all roamed this area. It was an isolate find. colfinds9.jpg I found this isolated coin-like object about four inches deep. My White's Spectra V3i gave it a VDI of 64, solid in the copper range yet not like copper. It's not lead, is dense, worn smooth, and came out of the ground like this no cleaning. It weighs one troy ounce near exactly. Fairly close by I found a brass shoe buckle which seems to line up with 1730's specimens. The 1798 Draped Bust Cent is one of best finds, i have three to date, all in surprisingly good condition. I call them proto-currency. colcoin2.jpg Looking forward to seeing other's finds and getting some advice. thanks. finds6.jpg
 

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xcopperstax

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That cameo is really nice. No idea on it but I'd say it's certainly at least 1800's could be 1700's or older. That draped bust is a beauty as well! Thanks for sharing the finds. Great post!
 

Oct 5, 2014
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Nice finds! :occasion14:
 

ironhorse

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Oct 13, 2009
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your cameo is most likely a piece of a wax seal watch fob
I've found a few broken like that...always one of my favourite finds, good going!
 

CASPER-2

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yes cameo is from a wax seal
 

thursdaythunder

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That's Awesome! Congrats on the Draped Bust LC :icon_thumleft:
 

Evolution

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Nice finds. Looks like you might have an 8 over 7 strike on that draped bust. Anyone else seeing that? Maybe my eyes are playing tricks on me. When I enlarge it I can't really see it as well.
 

ARC

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Its "intaglio". Not a "cameo".

Start there.
 

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Eastender

Eastender

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Mar 30, 2020
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True. I often would say intaglio and people would say cameo. I inverted it on Photoshop to see how the seal would appear. It's unlikely our first wave of Puritan agrarian settlers during the 1650's would have a man of letters in need of a seal. Everything went through the church. However, the nearby town of Sag Harbor was a major whaling port and the first port of entry to the US as declared by the Continental Congress. tres18.jpg tres19.jpg
 

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