Found these shipwreck artifacts at a thrift store...

[Betty Boop]

The store was a couple miles from Lewes, Delaware. They are in a shadowbox sort-of frame. Think there's any chance these are legitimate? How would this family have gathered them?

 

[smokeythecat]

Yes, they are genuine. I have been to Lewes many times and have found similar pieces at the Roosevelt inlet. A British ship wrecked not far offshore. Left to right you have a piece of hand made stoneware, 18th century black glass bottle pieces, and top more stoneware with a piece of looks like Chinese export porcelain or Staffordshire pottery right under the stoneware jug handle. Second row, first two pieces are Westerwald, made in Germany and last piece is Delft made in Holland. All mid 18th century. I would have bought it also. You might ask if they have any of the shipwreck coins.

They wash up on the beach from time to time but the place is heavily hunted for them.

 

[Betty Boop]

Thank you for this information, Smokey!

 

[smokeythecat]

If you want to try your own, and some shells and fossils, go to Lewes and head down the main street. There is a light there right before the old draw bridge. Go over the bridge and go about 1 mile. There is a Dairy Queen (or used to be) on the right, turn left right before then at a white building near a sign about the local Children's center. Go to the end. There is a public parking lot. Follow the trail to the right to the bay. Look along the tide line. Go very early in the am if possible as the place has a lot of visitors.

 

[Red_desert]

Nice thrift shop finds! Maybe you could start your own collection from the beach.

 

[jacobgosling]

Betty,

I like your style. Like me, if something looks even remotely legit, you acquire it and then defer the verification process to a later date.

Nice find! Of course Smokey is on target. I live in South Jersey, and such artifacts are recovered along the Delaware Bay and River quite frequently, and also dug on old homestead properties.

Best regards,

JG

 

[Betty Boop]

Kinda crazy that we were on that very shipwreck beach one day earlier. My friend and I had taken our kids down to Lewes for the holiday weekend and her son wanted to use his new magnet-fishing device. We took a salt marsh tour at Cape Henlopen in the morning and our tour guide recommended we try the magnet at that specific beach because of an old shipwreck. We didn't find anything there but had I known the whole story I would've looked a lot harder Since finding these in the thrift store I've been reading a bunch of the articles about the wreck online and it's really fascinating!

We are also from South Jersey and often go to the bay to find "treasures"... mostly sea glass but I do have a very fancy dinner plate shard that I swear looks like it could've come off the Titanic lol. Didn't know about digging on old homestead properties, how interesting!

 

[xaos]

Curious what you paid for them at the thrift shop

 

[Betty Boop]

Curious what you paid for them at the thrift shop

50 smackers 😬

 

[xaos]

Wow!

Sea Glass from the Roosevelt Inlet Shipwreck


TAMU research paper on this wreck Click on the .pdf on the left of the screen....

 

[ivan salis]

pottery shards ca be very useful in dating a wrecksite esp if the ship had some crates of it being carried as tradegoods --crates of pottery = lots of shards

 

[smokeythecat]

I have been to that museum. Most of what is on display (don't know about opening during covid), but I was there a few years ago, anyway, it was artwork with a small amount of actual artifacts on display.

At the life saving station farther south they have a nice display of the coins from the Faithful Steward Wreck. That wreck is about 1 mile NORTH of the Indian River Inlet bridge. I found a worn out Spanish maravedis there in 2020, but it's been tough the last couple years. Too much sand, not enough storms.