🥇 BANNER Holy huge fur trade silver!

[mk4125]

I have been searching the dense Michigan woods for a number of years and rarely come across a piece of trade silver in such amazing condition. After a 2+ hour (uneventful) search this evening I finally hit something on the side of a washed out creek bank...possibly washed out during the spring thaw. The fur trade gods shine down upon thee!!

 

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[CRUSADER]

Hmmm I learn something new everyday. Didn't know about these.

Great find!

Me too, how to spell sociocultural....lol


@OP
Amazing looking object which I can guess the age of but I have no clue of its function? In the hair??

 

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[glass half fool]

Plumbata I agree with your observation about it now being an obscure time in history .When it was actually happening it was a huge part of the North American economy .The Louisiana Purchase was mainly driven by the fur trade and some of the men that went with Louis and Clark later return to become part of the group of trappers that where almost like indentured servants or if they could be they where Free Trappers. Meaning they could do business with any fur company . William Sublette and his brother Milton signed on with The Rocky Mountain Fur Co in 1822 .When William returned he had 168 bales of beaver pelts with him .At the time the value was $85,000 which in todays money would be $2.3 million. Living in the wilderness was a hard and dangerous life .Every dollar was hard earned so to lose that piece of trade was to mean less supplies for the next trip .

 

[EastCoastmetal]

Plumbata I agree with your observation about it now being an obscure time in history .When it was actually happening it was a huge part of the North American economy .The Louisiana Purchase was mainly driven by the fur trade and some of the men that went with Louis and Clark later return to become part of the group of trappers that where almost like indentured servants or if they could be they where Free Trappers. Meaning they could do business with any fur company . William Sublette and his brother Milton signed on with The Rocky Mountain Fur Co in 1822 .When William returned he had 168 bales of beaver pelts with him .At the time the value was $85,000 which in todays money would be $2.3 million. Living in the wilderness was a hard and dangerous life .Every dollar was hard earned so to lose that piece of trade was to mean less supplies for the next trip .

Maybe who ever "dropped it" lost more then just the token.

Like you say, "Living in the wilderness was a hard and dangerous life"

 

[glass half fool]

Yes just a few years ago the movie The Revenant was an Academy Award winner .It was based on a real life story about Hugh Glass who was a member of a Rocky Mountain fur party .He was attacked by a grizzly bear left to die on his own but somehow lived and returned to track down some of the men that left him

 

[Z Dawg]

Congratulations! That's awesome!

 

[Ahab8]

No Maker's Mark that I can find. There is a small mark where some idiot nicked it with the shovel when he was extracting from the ground...but I don't think that counts.

That’s your personal makers mark lol. Congrats on an incredible BANNER find. Amazing

 

[mk4125]

Yes just a few years ago the movie The Revenant was an Academy Award winner .It was based on a real life story about Hugh Glass who was a member of a Rocky Mountain fur party .He was attacked by a grizzly bear left to die on his own but somehow lived and returned to track down some of the men that left him

That movie inspired me to hit the wilderness that much harder (which led me to the area that I have been finding all the recent trade items). The winters are harsh and, being a hunter myself, can understand how hard it can be to find success in the woods. Good stuff!

 

[glass half fool]

Your level of inspiration is off the chart after this find I imagine. And you must be in a good area .Keep looking and Good Luck

 

[GB1]

very nice piece of silver banner vote in

 

[nagami]

Awesome find man!

 

[glass half fool]

After a fall and winter of living in the wilds the trappers would return to civilization in the spring ,.This was called Rendezvous .During that time the trappers where gambling ,drinking, and chasing women .At some point they wasted the rest of their time trading their furs for supplies for the next season .If you where a company trapper you had to do business with the company store . The mark up at these stores exceeded %500 or more .If you where a Free Trapper you could do business with anyone you choose to trade with .MK 4125 you may have located a spot where one of these Rendezvous had been held .Some where small scale and others where attend by several hundred trappers plus vendors looking to do businwss

 

[Cal_Cobra]

My banner vote is in, incredible find right there!!

 

[Tom_in_CA]

My banner vote is in, incredible find right there!!

Ditto ^^

 

[Carolina Tom]

That’s a really nice piece of history. Congrats on the banner find sir.

 

[mk4125]

After a fall and winter of living in the wilds the trappers would return to civilization in the spring ,.This was called Rendezvous .During that time the trappers where gambling ,drinking, and chasing women .At some point they wasted the rest of their time trading their furs for supplies for the next season .If you where a company trapper you had to do business with the company store . The mark up at these stores exceeded %500 or more .If you where a Free Trapper you could do business with anyone you choose to trade with .MK 4125 you may have located a spot where one of these Rendezvous had been held .Some where small scale and others where attend by several hundred trappers plus vendors looking to do businwss

That was definitely a possibility that had crossed my mind...especially after I started finding such a wide array of fur trade era artifacts. What is even crazier is that smack in the middle of this trade site was a smaller area that held a number of 'copper culture' items so I never really knew what was going to pop out of the dirt. What I am not understanding is that I have been pulling just gobs of era specific items out of the dirt...to include 4 lock plates...and there are zero coins. Nothing. I just cannot wrap my head around the amount of human activity in this condensed 120 acre area and there be no currency. Bizarre.

 

[K1DDO1979]

Thats a amazing find. A huge congrats to you. It looks great! [emoji2][emoji106]

 

[glass half fool]

The fur trade industry was so large that they had their own form of currency .It was mainly a barter system based upon a standard value they placed on a beaver pelt . Trade silver was part of the bartering also .I don't know it as a fact but the piece you found may have been valued at a certain number of pelts .The person could take that to a company store and receive a specific amount of supplies in trade .I am not an expert by any means but most likely they carried very little money due to the fact they had no real home .My guess is there are hundreds or maybe thousands of places where the mountain men of that era stashed some of their belongings and never returned to get them .

 

[mk4125]

The fur trade industry was so large that they had their own form of currency .It was mainly a barter system based upon a standard value they placed on a beaver pelt . Trade silver was part of the bartering also .I don't know it as a fact but the piece you found may have been valued at a certain number of pelts .The person could take that to a company store and receive a specific amount of supplies in trade .I am not an expert by any means but most likely they carried very little money due to the fact they had no real home .My guess is there are hundreds or maybe thousands of places where the mountain men of that era stashed some of their belongings and never returned to get them .

I would have to agree! Last year I found roughly 50 roundballs under a large rock. Typically I would not be flipping over every rock in the woods but I was getting a faint signal at the edge and thought I better check. There was also a couple of knives, small pewter cross, a muskrat spear tip and few other items. I am sure there is the mother load out there someplace!

 

[GuyToken]

Very nice find silver trade.
GuyToken

 

[RichieRich]

WOW that is awesome