Recent finds: gold, silver, brass, and bonus dug bottles

[kali_is_my_copilot]

Here is a little roundup of some recent finds. First is a 14k white gold & amethyst ring that I got at a TS for three bucks. The stone has a couple of deep red inclusions and I think it’s gorgeous, I’m going to resize it and gift it to my grandma for Christmas, it’s her birthstone. The letter opener is an eBay find, it’s sterling (including the blade which surprised me) and lives on my desk at the office. The larger silver piece is Cartier, apparently it’s a meat skewer? Also an eBay find. I am debating having someone shorten and sharpen it for use as a home office letter opener.

The key ring was $6 at a local thrift store that is usually overpriced and almost never misses precious metals/anything valuable. It’s all silver, the coin is an 1893 500 reis from Portugal and both parts are marked with two pinpoint hallmarks, it lives on my house keys now. Last but not least are a nice brass cowboy boot for holding pens at the office and some bottles that our techs dug up and gave me (I work for a plumbing company). I used to have to sell everything I found but going forward will be able to keep things if I want, it is a great feeling.

 

[Red-Coat]

That’s a good haul!

Your Cartier piece is indeed a meat skewer, used to hold joints together during roasting. I found one from an unknown maker recently but mine was just silver plate:

https://www.treasurenet.com/threads/meat-skewer.663235/

Your Sterling silver piece was made for Cartier by “Old Newbury Crafters” of Amesbury, Massachusetts. Their “ONC” mark had no periods until 1955 when it then switched to “O.N.C.” with periods between the letters and accompanied by the words “Handwrought” and “Sterling”. Yours also looks to have the mark of Chester A. Dow:

Although Dow had been using this mark since the 1930s, he wasn’t appointed as Master Silversmith and shop foreman at Old Newbury Crafters until 1959 and remained in that capacity until his death in 1978. Up until the 1960s only company marks were used by Old Newbury Crafters, but from around 1965 they began adding the mark of the silversmith who actually made each item to further reinforce the handwrought nature of their pieces.

So, that would put yours between 1965-1977

 

[kali_is_my_copilot]

That’s a good haul!

Your Cartier piece is indeed a meat skewer, used to hold joints together during roasting. I found one from an unknown maker recently but mine was just silver plate:

https://www.treasurenet.com/threads/meat-skewer.663235/

Your Sterling silver piece was made for Cartier by “Old Newbury Crafters” of Amesbury, Massachusetts. Their “ONC” mark had no periods until 1955 when it then switched to “O.N.C.” with periods between the letters and accompanied by the words “Handwrought” and “Sterling”. Yours also looks to have the mark of Chester A. Dow:

View attachment 1994486

Although Dow had been using this mark since the 1930s, he wasn’t appointed as Master Silversmith and shop foreman at Old Newbury Crafters until 1959 and remained in that capacity until his death in 1978. Up until the 1960s only company marks were used by Old Newbury Crafters, but from around 1965 they began adding the mark of the silversmith who actually made each item to further reinforce the handwrought nature of their pieces.

So, that would put yours between 1965-1977

Thank you for the information!