Found box marked Navajo Trade Tokens 1890

[foundatreasure]

It was suggested that I add my post here for help on identification.

I found a sealed box(at a thrift store) that is marked "Navaho(sic) Trade Tokens\Sterling 1890's & 3429B in the margin(a catalog number?). I am not sure that whomever put these in the box, sealed it & marked it knew what they had. So far, they don't seem to be Navajo or trade tokens. I am hoping they are at least sterling! It is sealed so I didn't think I should open it as it looks very old itself.

Looks like there is 21 items in the box. 12 of them are "stick people" amongst what may or may not be Milagros. The 12 stick people are of particular curiosity & are the subject of my request for identification. They have similar marks on them like a number sign # and a circle of sorts on the front of them. They are all a little different if you look at the faces. Some are whimsical for sure! I found a Hopi mark that is currently being used by a Hopi Silversmith (see Sterling mark below for comparison). I wrote that silversmith with no response to date. On the non-stick people, I didn't see any marks.

Any info is appreciated!

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Cry Of The Eagle: History And Legends Of The Cherokee Indians And Their Buried Treasure - Grab it through Amazon!

[foundatreasure]

Found this:

"The Hopi are another Pueblo tribe who share their reservation with the Arizona Tewa people. The Hopi reservation is entirely surrounded by the Navajo Reservation. The system of Hopi villages are based around three mesas. Walpi is the oldest village on First Mesa, established in 1690 after the villages at the foot of mesa Koechaptevela were abandoned for fear of Spanish reprisal after the 1680 Pueblo Revolt. Hopis also occupy the Second Mesa, while the Third Mesa is occupied by the Tewa people.

Hopi artisans usually do not work with stones at all. They are master silversmiths who form their jewelry from the sterling silver alone.

The Hopi silver work style is much different from that of the Navajo and Zuni. The Hopi put a specific shine or patina on their silver, with raised patterns. The interior of the cut work is darker because it is not polished. Be very careful when cleaning Hopi silver because you do not want to destroy the darker colors. Hopi silver will have a petroglyph, a scene, or sacred symbols etched in the silver and can be extremely simple or very ornate."

This fits with the Milagros mixed with "stick people" and someones thought that all of these were Navajo.