Successful outing before the snow came, need pewter medallion ID help

Jaichim24 · Feb 10, 2016

UPDATE Successful outing before the snow came, need pewter medal ID'd!

***UPDATE - Video of this adventures finds!

Late last week here on the East Coast I managed to get out for a couple of hours before we started getting hit by snow storms. The weather had been unseasonably warm, with a ton of rain which defrosted the ground very well. I hit a spot that produced very well for me last year. For most of the hunt, the finds were a bit sparse, however my last two signals as I headed to my car in near dark were a 66th or Berkshire Regiment of Foot Officers Coatee Button 1830-55 and the 1860 Victoria half penny in pretty nice shape. I did not know what I had until I got home and did some research.

One thing I was not able to figure out what it was is the pewter or lead medal or medallion. I was hoping someone may be able to assist. It looks like some sort of state seal on the front, but it has different dates and numbers around the edges, both on the front and the back. I am not a state seal expert by far but most of them usually have Latin inscriptions. I wonder if this is some sort of commemorative medal or something? Let me know what you think. Thanks for looking.

UPDATE: Thanks to t-net member Dakota Sioux's diligent research, the medal has been identified as an 1883 bicycle tournament medal from Springfield Massachusetts. I've attached pictures of what the medal looks like, as well as a post card from the tournament.

Additionally, this find links back to another find of mine from 2013, a Hendee "Silver King" safety bicycle head badge dating to 1895 from Springfield Mass. Hendee eventually went on to create an Indian line of bicycles, which in turn were motorized with the result being the Indian Motorcycles we know today. Hendee got his start racing high wheel bicycles in the 1880's. Since he is from the Springfield Mass area, there is a pretty good chance he raced in the tournament this medal represents! Very cool! Below is a link to my post from 2013.

http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/t...ar-5-hour-hunt-kg-s-silver-first-skunked.html

CRUSADER · Feb 10, 2016

The 66th is not a Victorian Crown, so must be 1830-37 (Will IV)

CTwoods · Feb 10, 2016

I would like to find out why English coins were in Connecticut around 1860S?

Recently I found a English full penny dated 1858 in a unplowed hayfield. It is a lot larger and thicker than a US large cent, so I thought it was odd to see these in circulation here, as it is very bulky for the era?

I have read several posts that say coins were scarce in the CW period, but I don't understand why that would be?

Jaichim24 · Feb 10, 2016

CRUSADER said:
The 66th is not a Victorian Crown, so must be 1830-37 (Will IV)

Hrmm, I was able to find the attached which lead me to the date range I described. Is the crown different in this picture than in mine? Or is the information incorrect in it?

against the wind · Feb 10, 2016

Very nice hunt
Congrats

trapperart · Feb 10, 2016

Very nice finds congrats

Steve in PA · Feb 10, 2016

Nice finds. Good luck researching the medallion.

CRUSADER · Feb 10, 2016

Jaichim24 said:
Hrmm, I was able to find the attached which lead me to the date range I described. Is the crown different in this picture than in mine? Or is the information incorrect in it?

As PMed, the info is incorrect, I have no book, but a date range that covers two monarchs has to be wrong. Its one or the other, not both, the crown is the clue.

CRUSADER · Feb 10, 2016

CTwoods said:
I would like to find out why English coins were in Connecticut around 1860S?

Recently I found a English full penny dated 1858 in a unplowed hayfield. It is a lot larger and thicker than a US large cent, so I thought it was odd to see these in circulation here, as it is very bulky for the era?

I have read several posts that say coins were scarce in the CW period, but I don't understand why that would be?

Wear is important when deciding when it was lost, looking at the coin its was not lost in the 1860s.

can · Feb 10, 2016

nice finds

Jaichim24 · Feb 10, 2016

Here's a write up of the 1883 races, it looks like Hendee took 1st place in a couple races!!

Trezurehunter · Feb 10, 2016

Very nice finds. I like the buttons & the Half Penny.

CASPER-2 · Feb 11, 2016

I was going to ID that medallion by the seal - Ive found 2 of those when I was a kid (in the late 70s)
- both mine had similar backs to yours but heads were different
my guys had bigger beards - I found one in real good shape - down about a foot at an old college soccer field - thought it was a silver dollar when I pulled it out - the other was in good shape - more pitting - knew what it was cause of the 1st one
sold them both yrs ago when I was a teenager - wish I didn't - very rare (American picker guy - mike would probably have love them)

CASPER-2 · Feb 11, 2016

OH - CONGRATS ON THE FINDS

Jaichim24 · May 4, 2016

I just finished putting together a video of this hunt, enjoy!

Bruce R · May 4, 2016

The piece labeled "drawer pull " is the decorative head of a picture nail, it slipped over the head of a fat copper nail. See my post "No Coins"

Jaichim24 · May 4, 2016

Bruce R said:
The piece labeled "drawer pull " is the decorative head of a picture nail, it slipped over the head of a fat copper nail. See my post "No Coins"

Wow, you have a lot of posts!! I had to scroll through to like the 8th or 9th page before I found your pictures. Pretty cool getting the ID of a picture nail with the milk glass head, I never would have guessed. Thanks!

Bruce R · May 4, 2016

I got this iPad for x-mas and this forum is my first voyage into the cyber world, I guess I'm just a little enthusiastic about finding out there's others with the same brain damage as me.