On the Beans - Day 5 - Silver Streak Ends...

[CRUSADER]

As they say, all good things must come to an end, & today was it. We tried for 5.5 hours to get just 1 silver of any description but it never came. Hopefully next time, although, as it will be a mostly solo hunt by myself, it's a long shot.

9 Scrappies (pretty good for this field)
19th C Barrel Tap Key
WWI ESSEX Shoulder/Lapel Badge
2 Cloth Seals
Tudor Book Clasp
Roman Snake Head Terminal to a Bracelet
Roman Fibula Top
2 Lead Tokens
Bits...

 

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[Noah_D]

Good finds as always! What is the thing in the fourth picture with 1420 on it?

 

[CRUSADER]

Good finds as always! What is the thing in the fourth picture with 1420 on it?

Lead Cloth Seal.

 

[Coinstar magnet]

The WW1 Essex lapel badge is quite interesting.
Perhaps you needed to shout out your silver...

 

[CRUSADER]

The WW1 Essex lapel badge is quite interesting.
Perhaps you needed to shout out your silver...

Maybe, but thats not how it works, I think you need to feel it.

 

[Wildcat1750]

You were busy...

 

[Plumbata]

Did you explain before that those lead tokens were medieval "communion" tokens or something like that? Could you explain again what you think they are? Seems like you've been finding a good number of them lately, thanks for sharing I hope your Silver streak starts up soon again!
Edit: regarding that lead donut/washer lookin' piece, have you ever found Roman lead votive mirrors? I recall reading about a Roman English shrine site where dozens were found. Doesn't quite look like the standard ones but they were made in a variety of sizes and styles, I've collected some cool ones with embossed inscriptions from the Balkans.

 

[CRUSADER]

Did you explain before that those lead tokens were medieval "communion" tokens or something like that? Could you explain again what you think they are? Seems like you've been finding a good number of them lately, thanks for sharing I hope your Silver streak starts up soon again!

We found a lot more Lead Tokens this year than usual as we have been gridding fields close to my Town, which were heavily farmed/worked.
These tokens range from Medieval to mid-19th C. The left one in this post which is a unifaced token with RG is a good example of an 18th C type. These are largely under-studied & somewhat of a forgot history, because there many uses have not been properly documented.
Some served as a kind of limited currency and were produced by shops as small change.
Some were pickers tokens, given to workers for a sack of potato's, for example, you got paid at the end of the day for the number of tokens you handed in.(17th C pickers of hops for example getting 1 penny per bushel) Or for labourers doing plough work.
There are Boy Bishop tokens (but not in my area)
Most in the 17th-18th C were tradesmen's tokens which had the initials of the baker or chandler for example.
Shycock tokens - interesting read
Mill tokens
Pubs/Inn tokens
etc...etc....

PS. There were some communion types, but I don't tend to get them.

 

[Plumbata]

Wonderful explanation Cru thanks for giving me some interesting research homework! At least in preindustrial times lead was relatively more valuable than it is today so I can definitely see the practicality of using it as "limited currency". The embossed Roman lead ingots produced there were incredible, and it may be strange but roman bronze water valves and plumbum plumbing artifacts are pretty amazing, I'd love to get my hands on some.

 

[CRUSADER]

Wonderful explanation Cru thanks for giving me some interesting research homework! At least in preindustrial times lead was relatively more valuable than it is today so I can definitely see the practicality of using it as "limited currency". The embossed Roman lead ingots produced there were incredible, and it may be strange but roman bronze water valves and plumbum plumbing artifacts are pretty amazing, I'd love to get my hands on some.

View attachment 1882125

View attachment 1882126

One theory:
In the 17th C when they first started producing copper farthings (the only small Regal change) they had problems with counterfeiting, so if a baker for example stopped taking small change, the Lead Tokens they produced were still acceptable. So some of it was a confidence issue. Regal counterfeits, no value, local bakers tokens brought you bread.

 

[vince76]

Very nice finds. It's very strange that you find a lot of buttons! I can barely remember that o have found a button!