Silver Piece---Please Help! (New Photos Added)

[BuckleBoy]

Hello All,

I found this silver piece at the same place that I found a CW Eagle Button, two powder flasks (one a CW Remington Revolver Flask), and my latest find--an Early Militia Buckle (I'll be making this post soon!)

Is this a soldier or a hunter? The finds from this area have been all 1860's or earlier--pewter spoon frags, flat buttons, TWO Half Reales, and a One Reale (all dated in the 1700's). This piece is an inch and a half long or so.

Thanks in advance,


Buckleboy

 

[BuckleBoy]

Re: Silver Piece---Please Help!

I made pocket knives for a bit. Never saw a design for one with only 1 hole. Nor would I think it was attached to a gun stock. Again, one brad won't hold it. If it was held in place some other way (brads/pins) hidden under the piece, why let one show?

I think what is on the back may help figure out how it could have been attached. If it was somehow held in place by a "frame" the one brad could have been a "safety" brad to keep it from falling off (looks like it didn't work) if the frame somehow let it go.

What does the back look like?

Daryl

I'm pretty sure the piece is broken in half (at the rifleman's waist). The other half probably had the hole. I'm now pretty dang convinced it's part of a silver penknife--but trying to find a photo of a match. Thank you so much for the link, Montana Jim--that gives me a great idea of what I'm looking for. I just posted a photo up above of the reverse of the piece, as well as a photo of it beside a dug quarter for scale.

Regards,


Buckleboy

 

[BioProfessor]

I think the fact that it is broken makes it more likely to be the decorative side of a pen knife. The other hole would be in the other piece.

Two holes means it still could be a decorative piece for a stock or something similar.

Still a good find.

Daryl

 

[stryker-one]

I would say it has got to be a knife scale that has lost one of its mounting holes to an accident--best guess.

Great find no doubt.

Stryker

 

[BuckleBoy]

Two holes means it still could be a decorative piece for a stock or something similar.

Quite true! I think its true purpose was one of these two things (stock decoration or penknife). I'm still looking though knives--dang, there are a lot of silver knives online!

-Buckleboy

 

[teverly]

heres one i found at the site of an old house tear down. By the size i would i have to say it was on a pen knife or pocket knife.

 

[kieser sousa/rip]

Hey BB,You could solve the mystery better if you were to go back there and find the rest of it rather than sittin there searchin your pc !

 

[BuckleBoy]

Hey BB,You could solve the mystery better if you were to go back there and find the rest of it rather than sittin there searchin your pc !

LOL we've beaten the site to death. Only got Half of two different powder flasks, Half of that piece, and only one Eagle Button...We have to wait for the area to be plowed in the spring and we'll see if we can get a few more pieces out of it.


-Buckleboy

 

[kieser sousa/rip]

Hey BB,You could solve the mystery better if you were to go back there and find the rest of it rather than sittin there searchin your pc !

LOL we've beaten the site to death. Only got Half of two different powder flasks, Half of that piece, and only one Eagle Button...We have to wait for the area to be plowed in the spring and we'll see if we can get a few more pieces out of it.


-Buckleboy

I have sites like that myself.I recently hit a site that my buddy and I have pounded hard and found a 1779 1/2 reale.When I dug it it was stuck to the bottom of a large cobble stone.This site is cleaned out so well that I have to constantly cheak to see if my machine is on.But next spring after it's plowed there should be more for sure.One thing is the corn stalk's get them out of your way and your golden for a whole new hunt !

 

[CRUSADER]

Re: Silver Piece---Please Help!

Thank you all for your replies...I have become more convinced that this is part of a decorative knife (pocketknife sized). The back of it is hollowed out--so it was meant to go over something most likely. I would LOVE to find a photo of this piece, undug. I've been looking through photos of pocket knives for hours...I will post a photo of the back sometime tomorrow.

With respect to the question of whether or not it is a hunter or militia man on the piece, Feline Peachy pointed out that the guy is in PRONE position--not all that common with hunting, and perhaps more in common with soldiery. Excellent work, Peachy!

Regards,


Buckleboy

Thats what I said Penknife

I know, Crusader. I trust your sharp eyes. But seeing is believing. I'm trying to find a photo of the whole piece somewhere.


-Buckleboy

Seeing is over rated.

 

[Montana Jim]

Re: Silver Piece---Please Help!

Thank you all for your replies...I have become more convinced that this is part of a decorative knife (pocketknife sized). The back of it is hollowed out--so it was meant to go over something most likely. I would LOVE to find a photo of this piece, undug. I've been looking through photos of pocket knives for hours...I will post a photo of the back sometime tomorrow.

With respect to the question of whether or not it is a hunter or militia man on the piece, Feline Peachy pointed out that the guy is in PRONE position--not all that common with hunting, and perhaps more in common with soldiery. Excellent work, Peachy!

Regards,


Buckleboy

Thats what I said Penknife

I know, Crusader. I trust your sharp eyes. But seeing is believing. I'm trying to find a photo of the whole piece somewhere.


-Buckleboy

Seeing is over rated.

Crusader... I agreed right away. You did guess penknife first .

 

[CRUSADER]

Re: Silver Piece---Please Help!

Thank you all for your replies...I have become more convinced that this is part of a decorative knife (pocketknife sized). The back of it is hollowed out--so it was meant to go over something most likely. I would LOVE to find a photo of this piece, undug. I've been looking through photos of pocket knives for hours...I will post a photo of the back sometime tomorrow.

With respect to the question of whether or not it is a hunter or militia man on the piece, Feline Peachy pointed out that the guy is in PRONE position--not all that common with hunting, and perhaps more in common with soldiery. Excellent work, Peachy!

Regards,


Buckleboy

Thats what I said Penknife

I know, Crusader. I trust your sharp eyes. But seeing is believing. I'm trying to find a photo of the whole piece somewhere.


-Buckleboy

Seeing is over rated.

Crusader... I agreed right away. You did guess penknife first .

Not worried about that, just a comment on that sometimes there isn't a picture for it. So faith & experience then plays a part.

 

[BuckleBoy]

Re: Silver Piece---Please Help!

Thank you all for your replies...I have become more convinced that this is part of a decorative knife (pocketknife sized). The back of it is hollowed out--so it was meant to go over something most likely. I would LOVE to find a photo of this piece, undug. I've been looking through photos of pocket knives for hours...I will post a photo of the back sometime tomorrow.

With respect to the question of whether or not it is a hunter or militia man on the piece, Feline Peachy pointed out that the guy is in PRONE position--not all that common with hunting, and perhaps more in common with soldiery. Excellent work, Peachy!

Regards,


Buckleboy

Thats what I said Penknife

I know, Crusader. I trust your sharp eyes. But seeing is believing. I'm trying to find a photo of the whole piece somewhere.


-Buckleboy

Seeing is over rated.

Crusader... I agreed right away. You did guess penknife first .

Not worried about that, just a comment on that sometimes there isn't a picture for it. So faith & experience then plays a part.

Well as far as I'm concerned--this one is SOLVED. I'm pretty darn convinced that it's a piece of a penknife, even without a photo. As far as experience goes, I have dug many, MANY targets out of the ground in the last 16 years of detecting, but this one was a first. Thank you all again.


-Buckleboy