Pewter 13-Star Flag

[Erik in NJ]

Back to the house this evening for a couple hours where I found the silver pocket watch cover. This really surprised me when it came out of the ground. It's about 1" x 2" and quite heavy. Vividly painted, although some of the paint is flaking off. Seems to be made of pewter which is also flaking. No markings. It's got 13 stars though not in a circle.

Any ideas on age or anyone seen anything like this before?

It's still kinda dirty after a gentle scrub with soap and water and a soft toothbrush. Any tips on cleaning without ruining the paint? Normally I'd put a bit of aluminum jelly on it, but I'm afraid of destroying what's left of the beautiful paint job. Interesting find for sure!

 

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[Rick (Nova Scotia)]

Don't know much about cleaning painted / enameled items, as have not found many, but did use peroxide (cold) on q-tip on one item.


If your is if fact pewter, could be quite old, although I have no real clue.

 

[Erik in NJ]

Thanks Rick. I was thinking maybe I'd try cold peroxide on it with a q-tip. I originally thought it might be enameled, but it appears to be paint. It's VERY heavy for it's size and I can't imagine that it's lead. Seems to be flaking like old pewter as well. I also found a small solid lead or pewter horse's head that broke off from a hollow horse's body and a small diamond shaped enameled pin with a P on it. Back mark says CMR and Sterling -- which clearly it is not!

 

[Rick (Nova Scotia)]

Should have posted a group shot, as the horse head does sound at least interesting, I have a rabbits head, that is hollow, and if it were whole would def. be one of my favorites.
Good luck with any IDs as I'm sure I can't help.
Glad you got out for a dig, and I don't know how much more you have to cover at your new site, but there certainly could be almost anything there....Good Luck.

 

[Erik in NJ]

Found the following on the Internet regarding 13-star flags:

3-2-3-2-3 Pattern, or Francis Hopkinson Pattern. Although there is some intrigue and controversy surrounding the history of Francis Hopkinson's submission of designs to the Continental Congress, which included design of the first Great Seal and a representation of the American Flag, the 3-2-3-2-3 pattern of stars is also known to collectors as the Francis Hopkinson Pattern. The 3-2-3-2-3 pattern is one of the most common variations of 13 Star flags. In fact, when it comes to antique stars and stripes, it is much more common than the Betsy Ross configuration, which in reality is quite scarce.

 

[Loco-Digger]

Cool find. bet that was screaming like a silver dollar.

 

[Erik in NJ]

Thanks LD! It was next to a big piece of iron or something so my pinpoint was a little off and it of course showed a depth that was shallower than it really was--it was in reality kinda deep. I'm real curious now to go back and dig whatever was next to it. It's a very strange find as I can't find anything on the Internet similar to it so far. I'm also really curious about a date on it. Definitely dug a few interesting items there this evening.

 

[Msbeepbeep]

Cool finds! Congrats!

Hopefully more info will posted about it, sounds promising! Be cool if it went Banner!

 

[longcut]

https://www.google.com/search?q=vin...Bstar%2Bamerican%2Bflag%2Baccessories;324;324 You might want to look in this direction ............ just a guess ...

 

[Erik in NJ]

Thanks Msbeepbeep...we'll see what they turn up on this one. As I mentioned it's a very heavy little flag--I can't imagine what it might have been used for. Looking forward to learning more of its secrets

Cool finds! Congrats!

Hopefully more info will posted about it, sounds promising! Be cool if it went Banner!

 

[Erik in NJ]

Thanks, it's definitely not a belt buckle, looks as it might have had a flag pole attached that broke off. I searched for it this evening but couldn't come up with anything else metal in any of the dirt, but there is a new break at the base.

You might want to look in this direction ............ just a guess ...

 

[Erik in NJ]

Here's the back of it. You can see the condition of the pewter as well as the fresh break in the lower right corner. No attachment points for anything. Again it's about 1" x 2" in size.

 

[46Wheat]

It sure is cool looking

 

[Erik in NJ]

Thanks man....yeah, it's actually quite nice in real life, my iPhone pics don't do it much justice.

It sure is cool looking

 

[Erik in NJ]

I can't seem to find a thing on the Internet regarding vintage pewter flags (13-star or not)...anyone else find anything? I'll probably post this over on the "What Is It" forum.

It looks like it was painted all white first then the red stripes and blue field were added. There's still a lot of dirt on it and I don't want to disturb the paint--additionally I've found older pewter hard to clean...any additional tips on cleaning? Preserving?

 

[park pirate]

Cool..

 

[NHBandit]

The flag dosn't look particularly old in my opinion and the paint surely wouldn't have held up in the ground for very long. Are you sure it's Pewter & not potmetal ?

 

[rodarian]

Interesting piece. I have scoured the internet and although I can find flag pins with 13 stars, none are of your 3-2-3-2-3 design and nothing that is in pewter. Maybe it's a "one off" made by Paul Revere?....hehe. Good luck in your search, bud.

 

[Vino]

The flag dosn't look particularly old in my opinion and the paint surely wouldn't have held up in the ground for very long. Are you sure it's Pewter & not potmetal ?

It is Potmetal..
Cool though!!

 

[Erik in NJ]

From the fresh break it certainly looks like pewter or a lead alloy. It's very heavy and for it's size (1" x 2"). Potmetal I believe typically contains zinc and oxidizes to pockmarked yellow-white in the ground--I guess it could be some sort of alloy. Re paint holding up in the ground I have dug an old ink well in the form of a tree stump and a cast lead figure of a boy playing a flute from the Happy Farm series (credit to Subterranean on ID) ca 1920 -- both of which are at least 100 years old with paint still in tact.

The flag dosn't look particularly old in my opinion and the paint surely wouldn't have held up in the ground for very long. Are you sure it's Pewter & not potmetal ?