Colonial Gold!

[West Jersey Detecting]

I went back to the site where I I've been digging the Spanish Silver, coppers and buttons for what may be my last hunt of 2012. I dug a few buttons right away but then it got real quiet with only some deep beaver tail pulltabs. Some of these were more than 10 inches deep so I couldn't ignore them. Luckily I didn't because this sounded just like one! It bounced from iron to 52 on the T2.

The dates of my coins from the spot range from an undated KGI to an 1806 Draped Bust Half Cent with a few in between, so I would guess this is circa 1800 or earlier. The deep tone makes it appear to be a high karat, but that may just be because of its age.

There are no hallmarks and there is no indication that something was mounted in the middle either.

I guess I should see if any of the buttons I dug are worth posting, so Happy Hunting!

 

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[testing123]

10.4833° S, 105.6333° E
Happy Holidays!

congrats Neil on old gold!

Thanks to Google Earth, we all now know you found it on Christmas Island. Were you there helping the Misfit Toys?

 

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[Gunrunner61]

Gokd is cool where ever or whenever you find it....Congrats............................HH

 

[West Jersey Detecting]

Awesome Neil!! That thing is pretty big so I imagine its rather heavy. Usually the higher the karat the lower the conductivity, and therefore the lower it would read on your machine. But due to its sheer size that would tend to make it come in higher. Maybe you can find one on the web somewhere to help you date the piece a little closer. Congrats on a super find ..... Bill

The picture makes it appear larger, as do my small hands. The ruler is metric so it is approx 35 mm long. Like I said, this was down in the low foil range on the T2. It also has a deep patina that looks like high Karat but I've dug 10K that looks as deep. I may take it to a client who can tell me for sure. At less than 2 grams it isn't worth much so I wouldn't consider selling it anyway.

 

[jerseyben]

Neil, awesome!

Looks like it would read similarly to a buckle but I guess the gold+depth threw it off closer to nickel.

 

[okerraine]

Neil, that is freakin sweet man! Way to go!

 

[Jyverb64]

Very very nice

 

[West Jersey Detecting]

Neil, awesome!

Looks like it would read similarly to a buckle but I guess the gold+depth threw it off closer to nickel.

Also the size...it's only 35 mm long!

 

[Rick (Nova Scotia)]

You sure find some cool stuff, like this one. And the second piece of gold from one site ? you said ?

and about a dozen watch winders from the same site, the guy must have been a watch repair guy. Because this obviously didn't come from a cheap watch.

This was a good site for you, and finding good sites is the hardest / best skill to master.

 

[West Jersey Detecting]

You sure find some cool stuff, like this one. And the second piece of gold from one site ? you said ?

and about a dozen watch winders from the same site, the guy must have been a watch repair guy. Because this obviously didn't come from a cheap watch.

This was a good site for you, and finding good sites is the hardest / best skill to master.

Rick, it's an odd site and I think there was some kind of commerce held or more likely a transportation hub of some type. I am nearing 1000 buttons and some other silver jewelry. One of my theories is that it was a route used for the Underground Railroad.

The first piece was a broach found 2 1/2 years back in a different section of the site. I think this one is more likely 1850's.

 

[Steve in PA]

That is a great find Neil. It is so unusual to find early gold like that, it must have been a wealthy man that lost it. I found a watch winder about 6 years ago that had an oval glass window in it. Yours may have had something like that in the center.

 

[The Rebel]

And exactly where did you say you dug that??

HA! Had to google those! WTG on a golden find!

 

[BuckleBoy]

That is one KILLER piece! You'd think it wouldn't have been really high Karat due to the fact that it still had to be functional (i.e. turn the mechanism to wind the watch rather than bend out of shape and break). Fantastic recovery there, my friend. Absolutely fantastic.

 

[allen]

That is absolutely beautiful!
Great job on listening to your
self instinct!

 

[hogge]

Fantastic Neil! Quite a nice collection of colonial gold you have goin' on there. Happy Holidays........Todd

 

[oldsalty19]

 

[Ironman!]

Congrats on that great piece of gold from Colonial America! I personally believe it is high Karat too, as it has that rich color like the posey ring my digging partner found.

Congrats again on a mighty fine find!!
IM

 

[West Jersey Detecting]

Congrats on that great piece of gold from Colonial America! I personally believe it is high Karat too, as it has that rich color like the posey ring my digging partner found.

Congrats again on a mighty fine find!!
IM

I had it tested by a client of mine in the gold buying business. They can only test using acid, but after he came down (that was a joke) he was able to tell me it was higher than 14K and lower than 18K... most likely 16K or 17K, but leaning toward 16K. That only confirms what I already knew; that it's old. Broach is 14K but something non-ferrous is weighted inside.

 

[hamiddetecting]

 

[CRUSADER]

I had it tested by a client of mine in the gold buying business. They can only test using acid, but after he came down (that was a joke) he was able to tell me it was higher than 14K and lower than 18K... most likely 16K or 17K, but leaning toward 16K. That only confirms what I already knew; that it's old. Broach is 14K but something non-ferrous is weighted inside.

its old but just post-colonial

 

[HISPAN]

Nice Gold find !