UnderMiner
Silver Member
- Jul 27, 2014
- 3,782
- 9,639
- 🥇 Banner finds
- 2
- Detector(s) used
- Minelab Excalibur II, Ace 250
- Primary Interest:
- All Treasure Hunting
A little over a month and a half ago I posted a story of how I came across an old silver pepper pot ("Bun Pepper") - one that was even older than the one that is currently on the Banner right now. Well today, after many hours of research I can positively say that it is NOT an Exeter-made piece but indeed a London-made piece. Furthermore becasue it was made in London and not Exeter I have concluded beyond a shadow of a doubt that it is 100% definitely from the year 1718.
Pictured below is a known example of a London-made piece from 1718. The "C" stands for 1718. The "Lions Head" stands for London. The seated woman stands for "Britannia" (95.8% Silver). And the "Bi" is the maker's mark.
Below are pictured the markings from my piece. The "C", "Lion's Head", and "Britannia" are all identical to the known 1718 piece above.
The year 1718 is of course a very special year for us TreasureNet users. "Why?" You may ask. Well for those of you not familiar with that little Blackbeard icon
we sometimes toss around, 1718 was the year of Blackbeard's most legendary adventures.
Here is Blackbeard's tale for all who don't know:
March 1718 - Blackbeard conscripts David Harriot and his ship the Adventure as part of his fleet.
April 9th 1718 - Blackbeard and his fleet loot and burn the British Merchant ship Protestant Caesar.
May 1718 - Blackbeard, now referring to himself as a Commodore, blockades Charleston Harbor from the helm of his flagship Queen Anne's Revenge. As ships try to break his blockade his fleet captures them - plundering an estimated nine ships in less than a week.
June 1718 - Governor Charles Eden pardons Blackbeard and his crew on the grounds they give up pirating forever.
Late August 1718 - Blackbeard returns to piracy
November 1718 - Virginia Governor Alexander Spotswood sends a Royal Navy contingent to North Carolina to put an end to Blackbeard and his crew. The HMS Pearl under the command of Robert Maynard sets off to kill the infamous pirate.
November 22, 1718 - The HMS Pearl runs aground while in pursuit of Blackbeard but breaks free just in time to avoid destruction. Bombarding the Pearl with cannon-fire Blackbeard assumes he has killed all but Captain Maynard and one other crew member. With the utmost confidence Blackbeard and his crew board the HMS Pearl. But it is a trap. Maynard gives the signal and many dozens of his men come out of their hiding places below deck. Outnumbering Blackbeard's crew Maynard's men quickly overrun them. The fighting is intense! Maynard and Blackbeard are face to face - they both draw their pistols and fire at the same time. Blackbeard misses and is struck by Maynard's bullet. But this doesn't slow down our favorite pirate - no! Blackbeard charges Maynard with his sword. The two men lock into an epic sword fight. Maynard is overpowered! A thunderous strike from Blackbeard's sword shatters Maynard's sword to pieces! All seems lost for Maynard when all of a sudden Blackbeard falls. One of Maynad's men has intervened and struck Blackbeard down from behind! The infamous pirate lays in a puddle of blood. In a final act Maynard chops off Blackbeard's head. Blackbeard's crew looses all hope and surrenders. The age of Blackbeard is over.
The reason I love this little artifact so much is because I can say with certainty that it was made during 1718, made during the time Blackbeard still sailed the seas. Every time I look at or hold it I can almost smell the gunpowder and hear the clashing of swords. Even though the odds are that Blackbeard himself never touched or even saw this artifact I can't help thinking that there is still a chance that he did. If this artifact was brand new in 1718 then it very well may have been aboard one of the many English merchant ships headed for the Americas in 1718 - putting it well within the possibility of being among the treasures plundered by Blackbeard and his crew. Is it likely? No of course not, but it is still possible - and the fact that it is possible is what really fascinates me.
There aren't many things in this world that fall into the category of "possibly being part of Blackbeard's plunder". I like to think this was part of his plunder and after he lost everything it somehow ended up in the possession of some well to do family who after 200 years or so eventually lost it on a picnic along the North Shore of Long Island for me to find
another 100 years later. Just my thoughts haha! 
But here's one thing to take into consideration also. Every single new piece of silverware that Blackbeard and his crew plundered that had originated from London would have had the same 3 markings on them as this silver pepper pot, it's a fact that just makes this item just that much more special. These same silver markings in the least were known to Blackbeard and his crew just as much as they are now known to you and me. Fascinating.
- Argh!
Pictured below is a known example of a London-made piece from 1718. The "C" stands for 1718. The "Lions Head" stands for London. The seated woman stands for "Britannia" (95.8% Silver). And the "Bi" is the maker's mark.
Below are pictured the markings from my piece. The "C", "Lion's Head", and "Britannia" are all identical to the known 1718 piece above.
The year 1718 is of course a very special year for us TreasureNet users. "Why?" You may ask. Well for those of you not familiar with that little Blackbeard icon
we sometimes toss around, 1718 was the year of Blackbeard's most legendary adventures. Here is Blackbeard's tale for all who don't know:
March 1718 - Blackbeard conscripts David Harriot and his ship the Adventure as part of his fleet.
April 9th 1718 - Blackbeard and his fleet loot and burn the British Merchant ship Protestant Caesar.
May 1718 - Blackbeard, now referring to himself as a Commodore, blockades Charleston Harbor from the helm of his flagship Queen Anne's Revenge. As ships try to break his blockade his fleet captures them - plundering an estimated nine ships in less than a week.
June 1718 - Governor Charles Eden pardons Blackbeard and his crew on the grounds they give up pirating forever.
Late August 1718 - Blackbeard returns to piracy
November 1718 - Virginia Governor Alexander Spotswood sends a Royal Navy contingent to North Carolina to put an end to Blackbeard and his crew. The HMS Pearl under the command of Robert Maynard sets off to kill the infamous pirate.
November 22, 1718 - The HMS Pearl runs aground while in pursuit of Blackbeard but breaks free just in time to avoid destruction. Bombarding the Pearl with cannon-fire Blackbeard assumes he has killed all but Captain Maynard and one other crew member. With the utmost confidence Blackbeard and his crew board the HMS Pearl. But it is a trap. Maynard gives the signal and many dozens of his men come out of their hiding places below deck. Outnumbering Blackbeard's crew Maynard's men quickly overrun them. The fighting is intense! Maynard and Blackbeard are face to face - they both draw their pistols and fire at the same time. Blackbeard misses and is struck by Maynard's bullet. But this doesn't slow down our favorite pirate - no! Blackbeard charges Maynard with his sword. The two men lock into an epic sword fight. Maynard is overpowered! A thunderous strike from Blackbeard's sword shatters Maynard's sword to pieces! All seems lost for Maynard when all of a sudden Blackbeard falls. One of Maynad's men has intervened and struck Blackbeard down from behind! The infamous pirate lays in a puddle of blood. In a final act Maynard chops off Blackbeard's head. Blackbeard's crew looses all hope and surrenders. The age of Blackbeard is over.
The reason I love this little artifact so much is because I can say with certainty that it was made during 1718, made during the time Blackbeard still sailed the seas. Every time I look at or hold it I can almost smell the gunpowder and hear the clashing of swords. Even though the odds are that Blackbeard himself never touched or even saw this artifact I can't help thinking that there is still a chance that he did. If this artifact was brand new in 1718 then it very well may have been aboard one of the many English merchant ships headed for the Americas in 1718 - putting it well within the possibility of being among the treasures plundered by Blackbeard and his crew. Is it likely? No of course not, but it is still possible - and the fact that it is possible is what really fascinates me.
There aren't many things in this world that fall into the category of "possibly being part of Blackbeard's plunder". I like to think this was part of his plunder and after he lost everything it somehow ended up in the possession of some well to do family who after 200 years or so eventually lost it on a picnic along the North Shore of Long Island for me to find
another 100 years later. Just my thoughts haha! But here's one thing to take into consideration also. Every single new piece of silverware that Blackbeard and his crew plundered that had originated from London would have had the same 3 markings on them as this silver pepper pot, it's a fact that just makes this item just that much more special. These same silver markings in the least were known to Blackbeard and his crew just as much as they are now known to you and me. Fascinating.
- Argh! 
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