John Mecke Watch Paper etch plate is off to the museum!

[granthansen]

I'm pretty stoked. I will call this my first museum find, as I dream of others...

I already started a long thread about it if you want to catch up: http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/t...00s-jewelers-clock-watch-makers-embosser.html

To summarize, this is an etched piece that was once used to create a watch paper from. Watch papers were used by watch makers to place inside pocket watches to act as both protection and advertisement. I found it in Mt. Holly, NJ, not too far from Mr. Mecke's one-time place of business, Philadelphia.

I just got off the phone with the National Association of Clock and Watch Collectors who asked me to donate this to their museum. They think it's a great piece and will put it on display, as well as include digital images on their site. (In addition, the American Antiquity Society is including digital images in their national archives.)

Here are the last pics I've taken of the piece, cleaned up a tad more. One is how it looks naturally with reverse type, the other is reversed for easier reading, and then one I Photoshopped to bring out some more details.

Huge thanks to everyone who followed and chimed in on the initial thread, and especially RodgerDoger who identified what the plate was used for. You've all made a cool find even more exciting.

Yes, now I'm even more addicted to this hobby.

 

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[civilman1]

Great news Grant.Beautiful plate!!!Wonder if they would want mine?

 

[Chuck In Oregon]

Congratulations on your great find and good karma for sharing it with others through the museum. You make us all look good.

Chuck

 

[flyadive]

Excuse me but are you rich or something? Donate it? I metal detect for recreation but I am not willing to give anything away. Museum or ?? They have money!! They can donate to you for finding it!
Just my opinion.

 

[smcdmc]

Excuse me but are you rich or something? Donate it? I metal detect for recreation but I am not willing to give anything away. Museum or ?? They have money!! They can donate to you for finding it!
Just my opinion.

Opinions like yours are what makes it hard to get permission at a lot of places. Let me guess. You took up metal detecting after watching an episode of American Digger?

 

[Chuck In Oregon]

Excuse me but are you rich or something? Donate it? I metal detect for recreation but I am not willing to give anything away. Museum or ?? They have money!! They can donate to you for finding it!
Just my opinion.

Chacun à son goût.

 

[smcdmc]

Congratulations on your find and great job researching and making available to the museum.

 

[granthansen]

Thanks all, I'm pretty stoked.

As for donations vs. sales... everyone has their reasons for why they enjoy this hobby, and their entitled to them. For me, I enjoy it on many levels:

1. It's meditative and me time: I can walk, swipe the ground, dig, and repeat. Aside from all the junk, it can be peaceful.
2. It teaches my patience: Most of my finds are garbage. We are looking for the diamond in the rough, which makes a good find a great find.
3. This particular piece wouldn't have landed me retirement or vacation money, plus thanks to my 7 plus hours of digging and sweating, John Mecke's legacy can live on in an appropriate place. Else, he may have been long forgotten (if he wasn't already).
4. The search doesn't end once unearthed. This particular piece (as others) led me down a road of research and discovery, much more than any history book has ever taught me.
5. Had I found some valuable bling that was untraceable and had no history tied to it, then yes, I'd take it right to the bank!

So, for me, I find value in all those aspects.

 

[Catobra]

Way to go! Have been wondering the last couple of days what ever happened with your find. This is a very great ending to the interesting trip through history you have taken us on.

May we all be so lucky to find and donate something so cool.

 

[mikefromIllinois]

nice find. Do you think maybe it would be better to loan it instead of donating it. it's my understanding that if it's loaned to the museum and the museum would close it would go back to you, but if it's donated and the museum closes it can be sold off. Just a thought.

 

[flyadive]

nice find. Do you think maybe it would be better to loan it instead of donating it. it's my understanding that if it's loaned to the museum and the museum would close it would go back to you, but if it's donated and the museum closes it can be sold off. Just a thought.

Exactly... Are you donating it to the Smithsonian institute? Then that's ok , donate!

 

[granthansen]

nice find. Do you think maybe it would be better to loan it instead of donating it. it's my understanding that if it's loaned to the museum and the museum would close it would go back to you, but if it's donated and the museum closes it can be sold off. Just a thought.

I'm actually still in the process of filling out the paperwork, so I'll check for that. But from what I've found out from a few sources, museums only take things on loan when they have a specific exhibit in mind. Otherwise, the normal course of action is to donate.

I'm happy and honored that it's going to a museum. Right now I'm the only one in my house that looks at it :-(

And to quote the great Indiana Jones, "It belongs in a museum!"

Note to self: Buy a whip.

 

[granthansen]

Exactly... Are you donating it to the Smithsonian institute? Then that's ok , donate!

Smithsonian? One day!

 

[jewelerguy]

that's great! better to be enjoyed by many than to sit without notice in the darkness of a box

 

[mariposagold]

I would certainly donate in this case should it be me. The historical relevance of this find would be enough to satisfy me. Donating sounds like the right thing to do. However, not being a financial expert by any stretch of the imagination, I would think that a value would have to be placed on the item and that a tax write-off would be available for the donation. Provided that the museum is a Non-Profit 501(c) (3) or something similar. I would not consider it profiteering to take a write-off.

Great find.

 

[Roger Mn.]

I think before you send it off you should take it to the local newspaper and see if they could print a couple sheets of paper with dark green ink and maybe a little story in the paper. It would be nice to see it on paper.

 

[ticm]

...

 

[granthansen]

I would certainly donate in this case should it be me. The historical relevance of this find would be enough to satisfy me. Donating sounds like the right thing to do. However, not being a financial expert by any stretch of the imagination, I would think that a value would have to be placed on the item and that a tax write-off would be available for the donation. Provided that the museum is a Non-Profit 501(c) (3) or something similar. I would not consider it profiteering to take a write-off.

Great find.

Thanks! Yes, I'll be able to note this as a tax deductible donation. But now I wonder... hmm.. can I also include a day's wages since this was found at the 7.5 hour mark, and equipment expenses?? That would rock.

 

[granthansen]

I think before you send it off you should take it to the local newspaper and see if they could print a couple sheets of paper with dark green ink and maybe a little story in the paper. It would be nice to see it on paper.

Interesting idea. I have a friend who works at a paper. However, I think printing press uses embossed stamps, and this is etched. But I can ask.

 

[granthansen]

I think before you send it off you should take it to the local newspaper and see if they could print a couple sheets of paper with dark green ink and maybe a little story in the paper. It would be nice to see it on paper.

Yeah, I'll say donated by Grant Hansen. Not sure what more. I'm not done with the paperwork yet. But I think this definitely makes it easier to approach new land owners for permission to detect on their land... here's my flyer. Yes, we've got a piece on display at a museum, etc. Then again, it could have a reverse affect as people may associate value with the finds.