First Sterling with the Equinox 600

[McCDig]

Yesterday after work I visited an elementary school that opened in 1963, certainly a potential for silver but I was there for the relaxation, pocket change and the discovery of a new site. Using the Equinox 600 in Park 2 mode, 5 tones.

Lots of pennies (all memorials). One hole yielded a jack with its accompanying one cent.

Very little in tot lot A and never made it to the second tot lot.

Up to the top of the hill overlooking one of the ball diamonds a high tone got my attention.
The dime from this hole looked different and it turned out to be silver, my first silver dime with this unit.


Kept working the upper area and recovered the plate to a Spaulding wood driver (see composite photo).

Down the edge of the hill another high tone turned out to be a child's Sterling ring.



Now the makers mark on the band is unusual and in searching for those with an arrow symbol, I stumbled upon this Treasurenet post that identified it.

www.treasurenet.com/forums/what/103824-sterling-ring-help-hallmark-identifiction.html

The makers mark is that of the Bell Trading Post started in Albuquerque, NM along Route 66 in the early 1930s.



The particular design of the mark, a bell placard hanging from an arrow shaft supported by a post, was patented to Bell Trading Post in the early 1960s.
This photo shows the tiny mark in this child's ring.

Two references that describe the history of the Bell Trading Post are found in these links:
https://estatesintime.com/jewelry-research/bell-trading-post/
https://fredharveyjewelry.com/bell-indian-trading-post/

Here is the composite of my finds yesterday evening and this represents a small area searched.

 

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[dirtdigginfool]

Great hunt, McD! Glad to see that new machine raking the goods in. Nice ring! Ddf

 

[McCDig]

Thanks ddf! Wasn't digging mid-tones or anything lower than 20 mainly because I was short on time.

 

[Carolina Tom]

Nice post sir. I like that little ring, and the back story.

Best of luck to you.

 

[sprailroad]

Good research on the ring McDig, trying to find information on makers marks etc. often end up being a dead end. There are so many, and listing them had never been a requirement.

 

[Trezurehunter]

Congrats on your first silver with the 600 McCdig. I like that ring and the jack also.

 

[McCDig]

Thanks Tom! My first impression of the ring had it older than it turned out to be. In fact the more I researched, the "newer" it got.

 

[McCDig]

Thanks sprailroad! You're right. I was panning through images from my search criteria when I spied the same mark on another dug ring. This rings design is very simple. It was made in two parts: designed bezel with the stone and then the band. The band is widened out and cut into four arms where it is soldered to the back of the bezel, so they used a tiny stamp to put that mark on the band, or someone was very good at hand-carving the mark.

 

[McCDig]

Thanks Trezurehunter! After a month with the Equinox its great to be "on the board".

 

[Professor of Engineering]

Congratualtions on the nice hunt!

 

[thrifty76now]

A pretty little silver ring.

 

[treblehunter]

Nice hunt, nice story on the backmark.

 

[Hawks88]

Nice silver ring find. Congrats

 

[UnderMiner]

I like the ring, once found one made by the same company.