Something A Bit Unusual

[sharpshooter]

One thing I love about this hobby is you never know what you might find hiding in the ground. I found this small copper plate yesterday while detecting. At nearly 10 inches deep; I could tell it's been sleeping a long, long time. At first, thinking it was junk, I almost threw it away, but noticed some engraving so I cleaned it up to see what I had found. It was extremely dirty and encrusted. Once the dirt and crust was removed, I rubbed it with black shoe polish to bring out the engraving. After much effort, I'm still not sure what it is I've found. Maybe a copper Christmas Card? It's always rewarding to find something here that predates statehood. And yes, I'm going back later in the week to see if I can find the rest of it.

Your Thoughts?

 

[romeo-1]

That is a very nice find...looks unique!

 

[seger98]

Very interesting piece, someones art work for a Christmas present?

 

[Jeff(or)]

Very, very different! I hope you find the other piece!!

 

[72cheyenne]

Maybe its half of one of them copper oklahoma waybills! 8) 8)

 

[PBK]

Underneath Oklahoma is a word or name that appears to be Boasen. Is that correct?

If so, I found references to a Frank C. Boasen, born c. 1874, residing in Oklahoma City in 1900. Still living there in 1910, he was reported at that time to have a spouse, Anna C. Boasen, born c. 1880.

UPDATE: Further checking indicates that Frank C. Boasen married in 1906, and that at the time he was listed as a jeweler— just the sort of person who might very well have turned out a bit of fancy engraving on metal!

 

[SHERMANVILLE ILLINOIS]

sharpshooter,
just a small bit of someones history.

Very nice find; keeper for sure.
Thanks for posting.

have a good un..
SHERMANVILLE

 

[Kiros32]

Very cool find man! Now go back and find the rest of it.

 

[beetle662]

PBK seems to be onto something there. I agree with what his research has turned up. Wish you could find that rest of that plate!

Very cool find! Congrats!!!!

 

[lairmo]

That is a Cool find!!!
HH!!!

 

[pippinwhitepaws]

i have seen engraved lids for chocolate boxes...from about that time period.
had the metal off one for years before i just happened to see one complete one at an antique store.

 

[DigginThePast]

Cool find. 8) Hopefully the rest turns up for you.

 

[TXPIRATE]

Now that is cool talking about if a find could speak.

 

[deathhare]

Everything seems to randomly placed on that piece that it makes me think it was a test plate for someone who was engraving things for folks.

 

[stefen]

Celebrating a holiday, birthday or other event in the turn of the century was quite different than modern times.

Money was scarce, so many people made their own cards or plaques, or personalized gifts...scarf, shirt, and the like.

Note the quality of caligraphy...even when used on an unnatural medium such as copper...that persons handwriting would have been in a caligraphy cursive style similar to John Hancocks signature...

 

[Layne]

Everything seems to randomly placed on that piece that it makes me think it was a test plate for someone who was engraving things for folks.

Exactly what I was going to say. My father used to do some engraving and he always practiced on copper plates like that. They usually ended up covered with random unrelated things. Why copper? Because it cuts easily and is a lot cheaper than silver.

 

[weemskat]

Cool find Sharpshooter.Best of luck for the other half.
I would also like to say that it just amazes me on how the Moderator's and some of the other members can come up with the information that they do.

Underneath Oklahoma is a word or name that appears to be Boasen. Is that correct?

If so, I found references to a Frank C. Boasen, born c. 1874, residing in Oklahoma City in 1900. Still living there in 1910, he was reported at that time to have a spouse, Anna C. Boasen, born c. 1880.

UPDATE: Further checking indicates that Frank C. Boasen married in 1906, and that at the time he was listed as a jeweler— just the sort of person who might very well have turned out a bit of fancy engraving on metal!

I am new to this hobby (less than a year) and am learning so much from this forum.Now to only learn my detector's better. weemskat

 

[kdismuke1]

VERY INTERESTING . LOOKS LIKE SOMETHING ABOUT CHRISTMAS.

 

[Michiganne]

Very nice find! Relics with writing on them are the best.

HH

 

[Noodle]

Can you tell us exactly what it says, especially on the upper third? Does it have something to do with Happy New Year 1901? I can see the 1901, but below it seems to say Merry Christmas 1900. Thanks!