Cobblestone crossing built by Irish convicts

[tinpan]

Hi all. last nite afterwork i decided to hunt around an old cobblestone crossing.The crossing was built from hard sandstone by irish convicts around 183? The sandstone was mined off the side of the hill just above the creek crossing. The crossing was used untill 1920's then was no longer used as the gold mines closed. First tried my luck at the crossing and got nothing . not on hit.?? Not even a coin drop from passing wagons or drays. When the sandstone was removed from the site i don,t know. But was a common practise to reuse materials. After a couple of hours digging lead from local shooters from the rabbit plague days i finally got nice hit. First thought i had a half penny but soon realized i had a token. One side is nearly blank and the other is just visable. Irish mining token of some kind.?? In the early days some 40,000 irish were deported to Southern Australia by the british.

http://www.rootsweb.ancestory.com/~fianna/oc/oznz/pasconau.html

heres site pics of the crossing today and the drawing from a local history book and the sandstone quarry

tinpan

 

[ANTIQUARIAN]

I always like your pictures and the story that goes with it tinpan!
Coin looks to be 1789 and in pretty good shape, considering it's 200+ years old!

Cheers,
Dave

 

[tinpan]

I always like your pictures and the story that goes with it tinpan!
Coin looks to be 1789 and in pretty good shape, considering it's 200+ years old!

Cheers,
Dave

Thanks dave. Took 12 photos and mucked around with photo shop for about an hour to get a half reasonable pic. might hope for a new camera for xmas

tinpan

 

[Brian C.]

Nice looking coin, nice find.

 

[creskol]

Cool post! Thanks! Nice save, too!

 

[tinpan]

Hi heres a couple of finds from the other side of the hill from the sandstone quarry. I spent abot 3 hours this morning. Starting to get hot all ready and still 4 weeks to summer

tinpan

 

[jewelerguy]

cool finds and interesting history

 

[gylnne]

Nice finds.

Curtis

 

[Getty]

You always find the coolest stuff tinpan. Your research and hard work shows that. One day i need to come over there and check it out. Great job buddy!

 

[CRUSADER]

http://www.mining-memorabilia.co.uk/AIMC.htm
Above is the history of your 18th C Token they paid the miners with in the Vale Of Avoca in Southern Ireland

These Cronebane Halfpennies were quite a common form of payment, & this particular type had over 50 varieties with only tiny die variants visible. Nice piece of mining history with a story of travelling across the world to mine or a convict who was a miner or...

 

[Woodland Detectors]

As always Dave,
Great pics and your research is stellar