1781 Continental Soldier Cavalry Spur and mid 1850s solid GOLD watch fob!!!

Devonrex · Apr 1, 2015

1781 Continental Soldier Cavalry Spur and mid 1850's solid GOLD watch fob!!!

I dug a revolutionary spur today at a new site!!! Its been several years since I dug my last one. This one is broken and looks like it is brass. It is a different style than the others I have found but has the early figure 8 pattern. It doesn't have chain links attachments like my other most recent one. These spurs are so small when compared to Civil War spurs. Also dug out a bottle pit from the turn of the century and got me 19 unbroken bottles........some of them embossed. Also got a mid 1850's watch fob and a small brass buckle. After cleaning, to my astonishment, the watch fob which I had originally thought was just going to be brass turned out to be solid gold with a beautiful ornate design. Then as I started to clean the spur the same thing happenened again! There was beautiful scroll work down both legs of the spur with gold in the recesses! This spur is beautiful! I was in a position that was occupied by American soldiers during the Revolutionary War and this is the first 1781 Continental Soldier Cavalry spur I have ever found! The others were found in a French camp in 2012. One of the bottles turned out to be an aqua Chero - Cola from the early 1900's from Seneca, South Carolina. The rest were mostly medicinal and tonics many with embossed maker names. These had cork or glass stopper tops. They will look great with the other pharmacy related relics I have found. At the end of the day I had found relics from the 1700's, 1800's and 1900's. I love sites like this! I know I will be returning very shortly! HH Devonrex

jdsly · Apr 1, 2015

Nice stuff. I have yet to find a spur. I'd be spending all my off time there

DirtStalker · Apr 1, 2015

Great finds. Seneca SC just up the road from me. I'll have to tell tnet member that lives in Seneca. Thanks for sharing

trdking · Apr 1, 2015

Hi,
What make you think that this is a watch fob? It does not look like any I have seen. Does the small round end have a square hole in the center? If it does it is a watch winding key. Either way Great Find!

GranvilleATPro · Apr 1, 2015

Man I love that watch fob.

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digging440yrs · Apr 1, 2015

Awesome finds !! :occasion14:

Carolina Tom · Apr 1, 2015

Very well done sir. Gold watch fob... wow... GL&HH.

Devonrex · Apr 1, 2015

trdking said:
Hi,
What make you think that this is a watch fob? It does not look like any I have seen. Does the small round end have a square hole in the center? If it does it is a watch winding key. Either way Great Find!

Thanks trdking for the information! It does indeed have a square hole in the end but it was also appears to have been attached to a chain. Could it have served both as a fob and a watch winding key?

Bill D. (VA) · Apr 1, 2015

Great hunt John - I know you're happy with that spur. BTW - a couple of years ago I found a watch winder similar to the one you dug, but mine is silver. I also found a 1583 hammered sixpence at that site.

Devonrex · Apr 1, 2015

Bill D. (VA) said:
Great hunt John - I know you're happy with that spur. BTW - a couple of years ago I found a watch winder similar to the one you dug, but mine is silver. I also found a 1583 hammered sixpence at that site.

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Thanks Bill! I am very happy with the spur as you know how much I love Revolutionary and Civil War relics....... especially those connected to where I live. I also am very happy with the gold fob / key winder. This site may also have some Civil War relics on it as well. I would love to find a pre 1600's coin. I have never found a hammered coin but maybe this site will be the one! HH Devonrex

Don in SJ · Apr 1, 2015

I believe it is very heavy gold plate on the watch winder, have a similar one posted a few years back on TNet. Great find on the Calvary Spur!

Devonrex · Apr 1, 2015

Bill D. (VA) said:
Great hunt John - I know you're happy with that spur. BTW - a couple of years ago I found a watch winder similar to the one you dug, but mine is silver. I also found a 1583 hammered sixpence at that site.

View attachment 1140198

Bill what is the date of the fob / watch winder. Someone on another forum just told me late 1700's to early 1800's

Devonrex · Apr 1, 2015

Don in SJ said:
I believe it is very heavy gold plate on the watch winder, have a similar one posted a few years back on TNet. Great find on the Calvary Spur!

Don ....If it is plated it is very thick plate like you said. It is very heavy and I see no breaks in the gold which normally denotes plating. Either way I'm very happy with this find. By the way ..... do you know the date of this fob? I'm hearing as early as late 1700's all the way to mid 1800's. Thanks for the congrats on the spur! Devonrex

Westfront · Apr 1, 2015

Thats an amazing spur! You say it's Cavalry, are these decorated spurs made for officers? Rarely seen military related stuff that nice made. :icon_thumleft:

Oh, and congrats on the watch winder! Beauty for sure, looks like you're onto something!

nolanation · Apr 1, 2015

Cool finds. My uncle found a winder like that, turned out to be heavy plate.

Bill D. (VA) · Apr 1, 2015

Devonrex said:
Bill what is the date of the fob / watch winder. Someone on another forum just told me late 1700's to early 1800's

John - the finds from my site dated anywhere from the late 1500s to the 1800s so it could be from just about any period. But my best guess is that it's from the 1750-1800 era.

Devonrex · Apr 1, 2015

Bill D. (VA) said:
John - the finds from my site dated anywhere from the late 1500s to the 1800s so it could be from just about any period. But my best guess is that it's from the 1750-1800 era.

Thanks Bill! Wow!!! I have a feeling the fob and the spur were connected somehow. It would make sense late 1700's since that is when the Continental Army was here in 1781. I had thought I had found an early house site but this may be an encampment!