Old silver cross??

Martinm1

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Hey guys, so I was detecting an area today on the treasure coast and came across this cross. Any ideas on what this is??? It looks really old and definitely made of silver. Could this be more of a catholic medallion? Possibly from the 1715 fleet??
 

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Martinm1

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Im leaning toward a repaired modern piece....the silver repair on the back is more than likely covering the hallmark....to much torch work !! That being said im by no means sure of anything....also the craftsmanship of the older pieces seems even more detailed in most cases....I hope im wrong so I can vote banner on it....my final answer....undecided !!
:( still holding on to hope lol
 

Blak bart

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Please have it checked with mclarty museum.....wouldn't it be tragic if it was the only example and I was the guy who gave you wrong advice....thats why I'm undecided....ARC has a great point....there are even older wrecks in the area, and some a bit more modern that could produce that cross...or a fresh drop like mark says....it is very clean....not even tarnished much ?? Take it to someone in person...please don't take my word for it. Ya never know !!
 

ARC

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Please have it checked with mclarty museum.....wouldn't it be tragic if it was the only example and I was the guy who gave you wrong advice....thats why I'm undecided....ARC has a great point....there are even older wrecks in the area, and some a bit more modern that could produce that cross...or a fresh drop like mark says....it is very clean....not even tarnished much ?? Take it to someone in person...please don't take my word for it. Ya never know !!
OR... its a piece that like mentioned was found long ago and cleaned... then worn... then lost.

Stranger things have happened... far fetched i know... but hey... why not at this point lol
 

bill from lachine

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Just an observation unless I'm missing something.

You had mentioned at the beginning of the post that the cross hasn't been cleaned if I recollect properly.

If that's the case very doubtful it's been subjected to salt water for a long period of time. If it had serious age to my mind if would be severly oxidized. Let's see what the other Florida detectorists have to say in that regard.
 

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Martinm1

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Please have it checked with mclarty museum.....wouldn't it be tragic if it was the only example and I was the guy who gave you wrong advice....thats why I'm undecided....ARC has a great point....there are even older wrecks in the area, and some a bit more modern that could produce that cross...or a fresh drop like mark says....it is very clean....not even tarnished much ?? Take it to someone in person...please don't take my word for it. Ya never know !!
Ya never know! I have found two real coins before which is really special but this one would have been amazing. I'll go by Friday to have something look at it and will let you guys know. Might be the missing maltese cross of King Philip of Spain! 😆
 

Ocean7

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Hey guys, so I was detecting an area today on the treasure coast and came across this cross. Any ideas on what this is??? It looks really old and definitely made of silver. Could this be more of a catholic medallion? Possibly from the 1715 fleet??
The loop on top is soldered on. The cross on the back is soldered on.
The cross on back has it's own loop - very odd. Two sentimental pieces taken to a jeweler? Definitely Catholic. Madonna holding Child. Perhaps work of silversmith. One cross could be from Old Europe. The solder implies more modern piece and yet it looks old.
Maybe Lovejoy made it. Don't sell it until you are sure!

 

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Martinm1

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Well guys the people at the mel fishers museum have no idea what to make of it. They said it appears to be old but doesn't identify with anything close to the treasure fleet. They did confirm my test that it is very much silver. I have searched all I can for more information about the cross and can't find any replicas or identical pieces. I have decided to put it up on ebay for sale :) any interest?
 

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Martinm1

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Well guys the people at the mel fishers museum have no idea what to make of it. They said it appears to be old but doesn't identify with anything close to the treasure fleet. They did confirm my test that it is very much silver. I have searched all I can for more information about the cross and can't find any replicas or identical pieces. I have decided to put it up on ebay for sale :) any interest?
 

WannaDig3687

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On the Random Chat thread, I have highlighted the Covid fog screw ups that mr WD has had. Friday, he Came home from work and told me, “ you have a boyfriend.”
I said,” I do ?” he said, “yes, he sent you a letter to the shop.” then he went out to the truck to get the letter and I had remembered what I had done. when he came back in the house I was laughing and said, “that’s not a letter. that’s no boyfriend . that’s Covid fog.” I proceeded to tell him about this thread where ARC and Bart (and others, but the mr mainly familiar with the usernames ARC and Bart)tried to help ID the cross and I had the brilliant idea to put the first bid on it to try and peak the interest of other bidders. Yep, you guessed it. I won.

294A90CA-BF33-416B-9F93-5161B80F702E.jpeg


2850B122-9AC0-48F4-8683-53898C18C455.jpeg


It’s a Celtic cross and I am guessing it was on a rosary or prayer bracelet or perhaps by itself on a chain of some one of Irish Catholic background. The back looks to me to be Jesus the Good Shepherd with a lamb and not Mary and baby. I could be wrong, it’s so crudely made. I knew it looked familiar from the get go. It wasn’t until I had looked it over in person and then happened to go to a friend’s house, who happens to be Catholic, and saw a similar pendant that I realized what it is.


Meet Otis372 Lol

74D0093E-EFD6-44D3-BA88-DD49460A7EC2.jpeg


But as was pointed out, it is kind of neat having a piece of Treasurenet treasure.
Thank you, Martin. The card was a nice touch.
 

Blak bart

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So cool to keep the treasure in the treasurenet family !! Win win for everyone !! Wooo hooo !! Congrats to WD, and Martinm1 !!
 

gunsil

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I will start with this... this piece is definitely interesting... and yes it is a Maltese Cross... which definitely "fits" the Treasure Fleet "MO".

It's clean smooth nature may be a result of it recently rolling around in the sand prior to being deposited in the location you found it.

The "bail" (ring) is correct... laying flat as opposed to modern jewelry.

The look is correct.

The motif is correct... BUT.... these have been... well sorta... reproduced... let me see if i can find a similar example.
That is not the bail, and it is the same as modern jewelry. The bail is the piece that the chain goes though and also goes through the attachment ring on the pendant. Note is is also opposite of the attachment ring you show in a later post. Pendants with a "flat" attachment ring need a bail, pendants with a perpendicular attachment ring do not need a bail. I think it is a modern crudely cast piece.
 

ARC

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That is not the bail, and it is the same as modern jewelry. The bail is the piece that the chain goes though and also goes through the attachment ring on the pendant. Note is is also opposite of the attachment ring you show in a later post. Pendants with a "flat" attachment ring need a bail, pendants with a perpendicular attachment ring do not need a bail. I think it is a modern crudely cast piece.
heh... its a Bail... ring or not.,,, "Bail Ring".... is that better for you ? ? ?

:P

And technically this item in question is called in TODAY's terms... "Jump Ring".
 

Last edited:

ARC

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On the Random Chat thread, I have highlighted the Covid fog screw ups that mr WD has had. Friday, he Came home from work and told me, “ you have a boyfriend.”
I said,” I do ?” he said, “yes, he sent you a letter to the shop.” then he went out to the truck to get the letter and I had remembered what I had done. when he came back in the house I was laughing and said, “that’s not a letter. that’s no boyfriend . that’s Covid fog.” I proceeded to tell him about this thread where ARC and Bart (and others, but the mr mainly familiar with the usernames ARC and Bart)tried to help ID the cross and I had the brilliant idea to put the first bid on it to try and peak the interest of other bidders. Yep, you guessed it. I won.

View attachment 2012944

View attachment 2012942

It’s a Celtic cross and I am guessing it was on a rosary or prayer bracelet or perhaps by itself on a chain of some one of Irish Catholic background. The back looks to me to be Jesus the Good Shepherd with a lamb and not Mary and baby. I could be wrong, it’s so crudely made. I knew it looked familiar from the get go. It wasn’t until I had looked it over in person and then happened to go to a friend’s house, who happens to be Catholic, and saw a similar pendant that I realized what it is.


Meet Otis372 Lol

View attachment 2012943

But as was pointed out, it is kind of neat having a piece of Treasurenet treasure.
Thank you, Martin. The card was a nice touch.
WD... great post in The Random Chat Thread on buying this... a good keepsake of the Tnet Ship :)
 

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