Gold Thimble Found on Thoroughly Searched Property

MineEyes92

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Oct 29, 2022
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pepperj

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That's an awesome recovery on the gold thimble.
Brass are common.
Silver is less common.
Gold is really rare.
Congratulations on your gold one.

Looking at the style it even looks older than the site.
Possible it was passed down for a few generations.

 

tamrock

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Nice, I've only online researched the old sterling thimbles I've purchased, but that one looks rather old and could be valuable to thimble collectors, especially being gold. It also looks like it could be restored to its original shape and condition by someone who knows how to work with gold.
 

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MineEyes92

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Oct 29, 2022
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Nice, I've only online researched the old sterling thimbles I've purchased, but that one looks rather old and could be valuable to thimble collectors, especially being gold. It also looks like it could be restored to its original shape and condition by someone who knows how to work with gold.
It is pretty crushed, and it does have a large crack on the side (it's pretty dang thin). It would be cool to see it restored if possible though. My heart fluttered a bit when I realized what it could be lol.
 

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MineEyes92

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Oct 29, 2022
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That's an awesome recovery on the gold thimble.
Brass are common.
Silver is less common.
Gold is really rare.
Congratulations on your gold one.

Looking at the style it even looks older than the site.
Possible it was passed down for a few generations.

I have found a couple thimbles already in this area. Based on their color I'd guess they were brass as you mentioned. I have found many items there from the 1830s-1840s and even some items from the late 1700s, so I'm sure you're right about it being old! It's very exciting!
 

pepperj

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It is pretty crushed, and it does have a large crack on the side (it's pretty dang thin). It would be cool to see it restored if possible though. My heart fluttered a bit when I realized what it could be lol.
A gold goldsmith can straighten and the crack might still be visible but it will look great.
I've had hammered silvers straightened and I know a few folks that have had their gold coins done.
It's a great recovery so some thought should go into the restoration.
 

tamrock

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It is pretty crushed, and it does have a large crack on the side (it's pretty dang thin). It would be cool to see it restored if possible though. My heart fluttered a bit when I realized what it could be lol.
I didn't know if it was cracked. Still it's old and gold.
 

sibbley

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Very nice find. Congratulations! I heard once that wealthier families would present their daughters with silver or gold thimbles on their 12th birthday as a gift for becoming a young woman. No idea if there is any truth to that.
 

tamrock

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Awesome find!!

I believe that you only found the upper half of that thimble, keep looking for the bottom half!!
I believe it's whole. More of a thimble to fit just the finger tip. That be a pretty clean break if it had something missing from the bottom of it.
 

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MineEyes92

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Oct 29, 2022
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I believe it's whole. More of a thimble to fit just the finger tip. That be a pretty clean break if it had something missing from the bottom of it.
I think both of you could be correct; on one hand, the other gold thimbles I've seen online tend to have an ornate base that's beneath the section with the dimples. On the other hand, you do bring up a good point about the symmetry of my thimble's base, tamrock. It looks too clean for it to have been broken off from another piece. I'll definitely have to go back and check just to be sure there isn't another section still in the field somewhere.
 

SD51

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Great find, Congrats! I was wondering the karat weight of a Gold thimble. Found an article that said 14 kt and the article indicated it will be marked . See if you can find any marks
on yours!
 

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MineEyes92

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Oct 29, 2022
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Great find, Congrats! I was wondering the karat weight of a Gold thimble. Found an article that said 14 kt and the article indicated it will be marked . See if you can find any marks
on yours!
Thanks for the comment! I checked for marks and didn't see any. The jeweler who tested it didn't see any either. It's possible we just just missed it, or the piece is incomplete and the marking was on the missing section, but I'm not sure.
 

tamrock

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Thanks for the comment! I checked for marks and didn't see any. The jeweler who tested it didn't see any either. It's possible we just just missed it, or the piece is incomplete and the marking was on the missing section, but I'm not sure.
Not all gold and silver objects are marked. Being this item isn't, could be a clue to how old it is and made before that became the norm for most gold and silversmith to stamp their pm's with a purity mark. Maybe it did have a very tiny mark such as the kind used by the French that became obscured from the damage? If a qualified jeweler tested it as gold, that be good in my book.
 

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