Detroit and Cleveland Navigation Company Key

Acejeckel

Sr. Member
Jul 18, 2009
268
589
Just Outside Detroit
Detector(s) used
White's V3I, DFX, M6, Minelab Equinox 800
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Hello everyone,
I got out metal detecting yesterday on a homesite I have been detecting all summer, the homesite dates back to the late 1800s and was used up through the 1930s. I have been finding some really nice relics here on this property the property is sand so the stuff coming out of the ground is in pretty good condition for the most part.

Yesterday I was finding the common stuff we find on home sites, spoons, forks, mason lids, square nails stuff like that when I got a signal that I thought was going to be another spoon, then out pops this cool looking Key.

I give my wife credit for doing the research on this one, this is what she found.

The Key is a Detroit and Cleveland Navigation Company Key, the company ran steamer’s on the Detroit River and people used the steamer’s as a means of travel they had rooms and dining rooms and all the fancy stuff. The Key is missing a tag and without that tag I can’t narrow down which boat it went to. I found this key just outside of Detroit.

I’ll post pictures of yesterdays finds and some of what a non-dug key looks like.
 

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Upvote 12

tamrock

Gold Member
Jan 16, 2013
14,942
29,780
Colorado
Detector(s) used
Bounty Hunter Tracker IV
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
How interesting. Quite a few images online of the vessels that were used then.
 

Lenrac2

Silver Member
Apr 1, 2021
2,785
6,458
Illinois
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
Denise-Nokta Legend/Garrett Apex Nox600
Bob-AT Max/ Nox800
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Awesome relics! We've been digging in a sand prairie too and the stuff does come out in great condition! That is a great key!
 

Digger RJ

Gold Member
Aug 24, 2017
19,543
33,644
SW Missouri/Oklahoma
🥇 Banner finds
1
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
2
Detector(s) used
Minelab CTX 3030; Minelab Equinox 800;
XP Deus 2
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Hello everyone,
I got out metal detecting yesterday on a homesite I have been detecting all summer, the homesite dates back to the late 1800s and was used up through the 1930s. I have been finding some really nice relics here on this property the property is sand so the stuff coming out of the ground is in pretty good condition for the most part.

Yesterday I was finding the common stuff we find on home sites, spoons, forks, mason lids, square nails stuff like that when I got a signal that I thought was going to be another spoon, then out pops this cool looking Key.

I give my wife credit for doing the research on this one, this is what she found.

The Key is a Detroit and Cleveland Navigation Company Key, the company ran steamer’s on the Detroit River and people used the steamer’s as a means of travel they had rooms and dining rooms and all the fancy stuff. The Key is missing a tag and without that tag I can’t narrow down which boat it went to. I found this key just outside of Detroit.

I’ll post pictures of yesterdays finds and some of what a non-dug key looks like.
Very Cool!!! Congrats!!!
 

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