Spanish Silver, and a colonial Apothecary weight! Wow!

Scrappy

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Mar 6, 2014
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A quick post before I hit the sack. I went to an area I call Basstards of Brambles meadows. It's a place only me and the crew can go.

I found lots of buttons and such but they're soaking (not pictured)

A 1789 Spanish 1/2 reale (note the Carolous IV vs. Carolous IIII). Also, the double holing is killer. One was filled, only to have another put in it.

ImageUploadedByTreasureNet.com1503020611.396732.jpgImageUploadedByTreasureNet.com1503020623.540104.jpgImageUploadedByTreasureNet.com1503020644.421655.jpg

It other keeper and a KILLER find was an apothecary weight, 3 Drachms. (Thanks Bill D. for the ID). Looks to be 18th century from my research.

ImageUploadedByTreasureNet.com1503020793.173220.jpg

I went ahead and did a light zap in the electrolysis tank. I'm not a fan of zapping anything but iron, but I otherwise wouldn't have been able to make out the markings. Both sides are marked. ImageUploadedByTreasureNet.com1503020804.403088.jpgImageUploadedByTreasureNet.com1503020814.375135.jpg

An undug example

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Curious about apothecary weights? Here's a tidbit:

https://www.britannica.com/science/apothecaries-weight

I'll post the buttons and bits tomorrow once cleaned.

UPDATED: some buttons incl. a nice folded colonial crosshatch, a winder, and some Indians including a roached 1871 and 1872

ImageUploadedByTreasureNet.com1503102805.825489.jpg

I'm glad I was able to add this picture before my post turned in to a pumpkin. Tnets 24 hour edit rule should GO!

Good digs and good luck

Steve
 

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Upvote 52
Hi Another point of history the holed silver coin was made after the end of colonial america . TP
 

Hi one of the weights like yours i found in the yard of a house built in 1860 also found was half a coin bracelet and one of the holed silver coins is a Geo 3 Morgan & Rees silver sixpence token. The house was only owned by one doctor welsh born Dr richard Bloomfeild Rees.. So i have a hole silver coin and a weight deemed by you as colonial but found one site where no white person ever walked before 1852. Any way talking about geo 3 silver coins i have 20 you? TP

If all finds were the age of the site it was found, things would be very simple. However, variables such as random drops, multi-generation use, heirlooms, collecting, or something as simple as land being used before what was previously known, can all change the equation. It's widely agreed that one can't solely base the age of a find by surrounding items. Instead the age of something is determined by research, and I have done my research. There is no "heresay" or narrow mindedness, so if you're going to belabor a point, please do more research before responding.
 

Hi, The first apothecary weight to be a lawful weight was in the year 1878 under the Weights And Measures Act of the British Empire.his was the first apothecary weight to be connected to the crown. Considered the rarest with a Victoria Crown on it I have one found in the garden of the family home of one Dr Richard Bloomfeild Rees. By the way latter in life he had afternoon tea with the english king.. Scappy your weight was made and used in the 1900 s Found in gold rush towns and i have 3 . Patients and their numbers did not start untill the the 1850,. TP

What? :icon_scratch:
Your saying the first Apothecary weight was 1878?
So what were the ones from centuries before used for then-paper weights?
I've dug a few that predate yours and I was informed that they were from a certain era, confirmed by the export papers, and the coroner's stamp in GB.
Now I'm really :icon_scratch: because what your telling must be correct-no?
For those that are interested just scroll down the images and look at the Apothecary weight section.
coinweights
 

What? :icon_scratch:
Your saying the first Apothecary weight was 1878?
So what were the ones from centuries before used for then-paper weights?
I've dug a few that predate yours and I was informed that they were from a certain era, confirmed by the export papers, and the coroner's stamp in GB.
Now I'm really :icon_scratch: because what your telling must be correct-no?
For those that are interested just scroll down the images and look at the Apothecary weight section.
coinweights

Hi clearly stated the first apothecary weight o be stamped with a english crown was in 1878 and considered the rarest. Your link doesn, have one. Just trying to miss quote me by only selective sections of what i wrote? The very thought that many old pockets and manufactured ideas where made or lost in resent times. Dropped or copied after the fact. No true or the idea of goldminers using apothcary weights too weigh their gold. Funny both gold and apothecary are troy measurement.The second one like the colonial i found in Chinese gold diggings in Chewton. ALSO have both glass and pottery apothecary containers and the keys for either a portable side cabinet or truck used for apothecary. Colchester hunting and Wikipedia have what historical credibility. TP
 

What? :icon_scratch:
Your saying the first Apothecary weight was 1878?
So what were the ones from centuries before used for then-paper weights?
I've dug a few that predate yours and I was informed that they were from a certain era, confirmed by the export papers, and the coroner's stamp in GB.
Now I'm really :icon_scratch: because what your telling must be correct-no?
For those that are interested just scroll down the images and look at the Apothecary weight section.
coinweights

Great resource. I've actually referenced that site and should have included it apparently. At the bottom there was a great Apothecary section.

ImageUploadedByTreasureNet.com1503324411.316918.jpg
 

Hi , The very thought of an apothecary weight like the one found in this thread was used by a renown doctor of the royal medical society in the 1880, s bit to hard to handle. Appointed by the Crown as the Health Officer to Eaglehawk Victoria 1880.I have the offical title of the properity and a copy of births of children and the records of the School Mines and Medicine Sandhurst Bendigo Victoria.TP
 

Hi , The very thought of an apothecary weight like the one found in this thread was used by a renown doctor of the royal medical society in the 1880, s bit to hard to handle. Appointed by the Crown as the Health Officer to Eaglehawk Victoria 1880.I have the offical title of the properity and a copy of births of children and the records of the School Mines and Medicine Sandhurst Bendigo Victoria.TP

Surely the thought crossed your mind that perhaps a renowned Dr. may have collected Apothecary weights? And in the reference I posted above, you do see that the official use of the weights ceased in 1858? You cannot base the age of an item solely on when it was used. This thread has sufficiently provided references, pics, and sources, so unless you have something constructive to provide, please stop belaboring your point.
 

Hi clearly stated the first apothecary weight o be stamped with a english crown was in 1878 and considered the rarest. Your link doesn, have one. Just trying to miss quote me by only selective sections of what i wrote? TP

quote_icon.png
Originally Posted by tinpan

Hi, The first apothecary weight to be a lawful weight was in the year 1878 under the Weights And Measures Act of the British Empire.his was the first apothecary weight to be connected to the crown. Considered the rarest with a Victoria Crown on it I have one found in the garden of the family home of one Dr Richard Bloomfeild Rees. By the way latter in life he had afternoon tea with the english king.. Scappy your weight was made and used in the 1900 s Found in gold rush towns and i have 3 . Patients and their numbers did not start untill the the 1850,. TP

EH:dontknow: I just hit Reply With Quote and wrote my reply. So if you truly believe that I quoted you selective sections - when clearly I posted the whole link-If in fact there was more to it then well the RWQ button doesn't work.

"Colchester hunting and Wikipedia have what historical credibility".

Didn't say or link anything regarding Wikipedia so please don't mislead the readers TP

I linked Colchester as a link so others could see early dating of weights. I have found weights that have the exported papers to prove the age from the Coroners Office. If you claim different bring it up with the GB office that wrote the book, or the BM.

Just because some miner lost a weight out in the gold fields doesn't date stamp anything, nor does the Dr's homestead. The weight could of been from a collection pasted down for generations through time. If I throw my weights over the bank here does it make it come from a different era?
 

As always nice post and pics. Have never seen a holed coin filled and then re-holed, how awesome is that? Congrats!
 

As always nice post and pics. Have never seen a holed coin filled and then re-holed, how awesome is that? Congrats!

Nope, never even seen a filled hole. Thanks for looking
 

Nice Spanish and trade weight Steve

Thanks Jon, they were a nice surprise from a site we've beat up a good amount. Anyway, I hope you get out soon buddy. Cheers
 

If all finds were the age of the site it was found, things would be very simple. However, variables such as random drops, multi-generation use, heirlooms, collecting, or something as simple as land being used before what was previously known, can all change the equation. It's widely agreed that one can't solely base the age of a find by surrounding items. Instead the age of something is determined by research, and I have done my research. There is no "heresay" or narrow mindedness, so if you're going to belabor a point, please do more research before responding.

Did you forget mention you took one of many photos from a site and then edited it to id your apothecary weight. YOU FAILED to mention the Australian site owned by distinguished member of the Pharmaceutical Society of New South Wales David Coates OAM On the site home page he clearly states what i tried to tell you. TP
 

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Did you forget mention you took one of many photos from a site and then edited it to id your apothecary weight. YOU FAILED to mention the Australian site owned by distinguished member of the Pharmaceutical Society of New South Wales David Coates OAM On the site home page he clearly states what i tried to tell you. LOTSS OF PICTURES just like your find even right up to 1900 Justify for your means. A little misleading and then use harsh words and discredit my opinion. Now you got some else on your false band wagon. Think what ever you want but next time give the other members a chance to have an opinion. www. apothecariesweights. com TP

I didn't discredit your opinion, my citations did that. Ones I didn't write but instead referenced. Now stop trolling and go back under your bridge.
 

Wow! Congrats on the Spanish silver! But that trade weight is really cool, something you're more likely to find in UK !! A friend of mine found one a few years ago somewhere in Long Island. Different markings though. Way to go brother, congrats and HH

BTW. The Colechester site has some awesome information.
 

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I didn't discredit your opinion, my citations did that. Ones I didn't write but instead referenced. Now stop trolling and go back under your bridge.

What do you call someone who takes a photo from a site with a copyright , edits and then claims the photo to their citation ,? Thats exactly what you did. Your the one who trolled though large number of photos of apothecary weights until you found one you could use for your claim. Many weights on that site look like yours but you took the oldest one you could find and claimed WOW. Your one fine fellow . Good Bye
 

Hi In the past small coins where double holed so they could sewn into a cuff or hem as a safe keeper in case one needed some money in a hurry . TP
 

Wow! Congrats on the Spanish silver! But that trade weight is really cool, something you're more likely to find in UK !! A friend of mine found one a few years ago somewhere in Long Island. Different markings though. Way to go brother, congrats and HH

BTW. The Colechester site has some awesome information.

Thanks buddy. It was a good hunt with some good finds. I also found an internet troll apparently, but these things happen. And yes, the Colchester site is a phenomenal source of information.
 

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