Found a 3 gal Stoneware Crock dirt fishing?

[VERMONTIS]

Got a phone call yesterday from a good friend. He was digging a new gas line and said "there's bottles and metal everywhere, bring your machine!" As i ran out of the house Friday afternoon, i thought what am i going to find....About 20 minutes later i arrive to an 8' to 15' hole. He already had 30-40 bottles in piles. I fired up the V3i and got a really great hit! 2010 Rosie dime? Looking at his pile of bottles i knew we were in the 1850's. My next good hit was in the 80's, got to dig this one, it was on the edge of the hole. Since the hole had been dug with ledges or terraces, I down to the first level and dug into the side wall and hit something hard. Stoneware! I slowly dug around the entire crock only to realize it was whole! 30 minutes later out she came, an entire N.CLARK & CO. LYONS 3 gal! I sat it on top of the bank and realized it had a small crack. The material inside was frozen and the temperature outside was 45 degrees. I ran the metal detector over it and it said there's a good hit inside the crock. I rushed it to my truck to cover it in blankets to slow the thaw process. About 2 miles down the road was when i heard it break! When i got home it was in 2 pieces. Inside I found the metal which looks like some sort of a clam shell case with silver plating and some design engraved on it. It also has a pinned hing? The other surprise was the bottle inside, nothing fancy, no writing. The pics show the jug sitting together in 2 pieces on the counter, the metal piece is in the one on the left and the bottle in the one on the right. Clark was producing pottery in Lyons from 1820-1840's. What is the yellow to the left of the N. CLARK & CO. blue slip, would this be a drop of yellow slip?

 

[Ogre1190]

Ok...I'll say it: "What a crock!" 😂 Seriously...nice work!!! 🙌

 

[Professor of Engineering]

Beautiful crock...nice find!

 

[sandchip]

Cool find, but WHAT ABOUT THE BOTTLES!

 

[against the wind]

Nice recovery,,
Congratulations.

 

[VERMONTIS]

Most of the bottles seem to have a double collar neck from the civil war period. Still cleaning bottles.

 

[lovinlife]

Oh wow, I love it! Nice haul!

 

[Gaspipe]

Nice finds. Id say your currently digging stuff from late 19th century ;they are later than civil war. The dark turn mold beer may date closer to the civil war. Crocks unlike most bottles were re-used usually until they broke. The yellow is salt glaze that bubbled up and burnt during the firing process. The fact you found the Lyon's crock suggests older and better stuff may be around.

 

[Butler]

Nice digs! It sounds like your friend found an old dump (maybe outhouse?)! Ummm, you are going back aren't you? Anyway, congrats on some good old finds!

 

[A2coins]

Those go for some big bucks to collectors I saw some last week on the bottle forums. Well done

 

[sandchip]

Most of the bottles seem to have a double collar neck from the civil war period. Still cleaning bottles.

Thanks, man. Keep us up to date as they get cleaned up.

 

[fyrffytr1]

If I remember correctly the spot on your jug is called a turkey dropping. It is a piece of glazing that dripped onto the jug from one above it when they were placed in the kiln to fire.