Brass Cross

[pcolaboy]

Hunted a friend's dirt pile today and found a beautiful copper/brass cross. I'm not Catholic but it looks like a Rosary chain cross. Can anyone take a crack at identification and age? This same yard has yielded lots of British and Spanish colonial artifacts in addition to American.


Before soap and water


After soap and water


Negative Image


Before soap and water


After soap and water


Negative Image

Pcolaboy

 

[seger98]

Not much into the religious thing myself, but it's still a neat find. What happen to the one side of it? looks like it got caught on a grinder?

 

[mojjax]

That is a very nice one . The back almost looks like it may have some Masonic influences . Your pictures are nice too !

 

[detector de metales]

Nice Cross! Yes It's a Catholic cross Front is obviously his crucifixion, Back is his ascention into heaven.
Any Makers marks?
I'll check into the back markings a bit more did you put a negative exposure of the back?
Very nice... love it!

J2

 

[crazyjarhead]

Not sure, but hope it brings you good luck for resurrecting Christ

 

[pcolaboy]

Nice Cross! Yes It's a Catholic cross Front is obviously his crucifixion, Back is his ascention into heaven.
Any Makers marks?
I'll check into the back markings a bit more did you put a negative exposure of the back?
Very nice... love it!

J2

The last image on my post is a negative image of the rear.

Thanks,

Pcola

 

[pcolaboy]

Not much into the religious thing myself, but it's still a neat find. What happen to the one side of it? looks like it got caught on a grinder?

The exposed metal on the front was most likely caused by the shovel . I helped my buddy dig to repair his sprinkler system and some of the soil was pretty compacted.

Pcola

 

[mojjax]

Nice Cross! Yes It's a Catholic cross Front is obviously his crucifixion, Back is his ascention into heaven.
Any Makers marks?
I'll check into the back markings a bit more did you put a negative exposure of the back?
Very nice... love it!

J2

Yes , I see what you mean . The ladder - for gettin to Heaven . And the rooster - symbolizing Peters betrayal .

 

[detector de metales]

Good site for different crosses I've found a few and this site is awesome..
http://www.crosscrucifix.com/glossaryhome.htm

 

[pcolaboy]

Good site for different crosses I've found a few and this site is awesome..
http://www.crosscrucifix.com/glossaryhome.htm

That is an interesting site for sure. I've been searching through Google images and I'm about 100 pages in for the 50000+ hits that were returned . I'm just curious to know if I'm looking at a fairly contemporary cross or something much older and interesting.

Thanks,

Pcola

 

[mojjax]

Good site for different crosses I've found a few and this site is awesome..
http://www.crosscrucifix.com/glossaryhome.htm

That is a great link ! Thanks .
I don't go to church very often , But we got religious stuff all over the house .

 

[kooljay]

Your cross is 100% early colonial Spanish. I have had the fortune to recover one (although smaller) from the Pensacola area. John Powell confirmed mine. At the bottom on the front what appears to be a face is actually a skull and crossbones. Very Spanish, Very nice. You and relicdude08 recover great finds. I have also dug several other Spanish religious medals over the years. I hacve attached a picture of my cross and a couple of other medals. If you will note, the attachment on your cross is mucj like the wedge shank buttons.

 

[pcolaboy]

Your cross is 100% early colonial Spanish. I have had the fortune to recover one (although smaller) from the Pensacola area. John Powell confirmed mine. At the bottom on the front what appears to be a face is actually a skull and crossbones. Very Spanish, Very nice. You and relicdude08 recover great finds. I have also dug several other Spanish religious medals over the years. I hacve attached a picture of my cross and a couple of other medals. If you will note, the attachment on your cross is mucj like the wedge shank buttons.

Yes, there is a skull and crossbones below the cross as you suggested. I'm going to have it professionally cleaned and I'll most likely donate it to the T.T. Wentworth. I'm just sick that the shovel took a nick out of it - we had to dig a 5 foot long trench to find the broken sprinkler pipe and the dang shovel had to hit this tiny thing . Oh well, it's still beautiful anyway.

Pcola

 

[Nana40]

UMMMM....I think I'd be digging up that whole lawn to see what else is down there! It looks like an old one! 8) You always have some awesome finds to share, PCB!

Nana

 

[pcolaboy]

UMMMM....I think I'd be digging up that whole lawn to see what else is down there! It looks like an old one! 8) You always have some awesome finds to share, PCB!

Nana

Thanks Nana. The last time I helped my friend out with his system, I found a Spanish cuff link that dated at least to the early 1700's if not older. Yes, I volunteer to help him out whenever possible for free. He knows that my detector will be along for the ride as well .

Pcola

 

[EddieR]

Neat find!!

 

[Chagy]

Hello buddy,

That is a very nice find...I love the back its just great..
I will send you a PM with Powell's e-mail send him the pics....

 

[pcolaboy]

Thanks for the great replies everyone. I think that the hammer and calipers on the rear are symbolic of a carpenter, which Jesus was known to be quite skilled at. I'm thinking about having it professionally preserved whether or not I go to donate it. The soil here is pretty acidic and it would appear that the cross was immediately immersed in some sort of thick muck when it was lost preventing a good layer of petina to form on it.

Chagy....thnx for the information as usual.

Pcola

 

[pcolaboy]

That is a beautiful find. I am no expert, but a Pensacola provenance for that would make Spanish Colonial a probable affiliation.

A stunning find. It has lots of character and morbid Catlicker imagery.

If it is truly colonial Spanish, it'll go to the museum, otherwise my wife gets an early birthday gift . I will update as events unfold.

 

[Dred Pirat Dodd]

Don't donate to the museum... seriously, send them a good picture and some coordinates, and keep that thing. I went to UWF and USF for archaeology, and do you know what I learned for my $20 Grand+ ??... I learned that as interesting as studying the past is, it's only important to preserve it if we are actually going to learn from it, and then use said knowledge to improve the present... and we as a culture certainly do not... AND the way things are going in the present, you may need to trade it for food soon... when this version of Rome falls...
No really, keep it. You'll actually end up teaching more people on a deeper level if you are there to tell the tale, instead of it just sitting in a case or box.

That thing is awesome. "Ouch" on the shovel nick.