treasure beach find

[Bigcypresshunter]

Just learning to use computer.These are pics of my treasure beach find last Sept. 2004 days after hurricane. Piece of brass spike could be from 1715 ship, but what is this round, silver medallion? Appears to say: Jo-Ann L. Hall 12-30-43 -- 1-2-44. Of what century? Back side: G-1506 is pictured with spike. Need help.

 

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[Bigcypresshunter]

The G-1506 on the back is very uniform. From the style of the lettering, it appears to me that it was manufactured with the tag, most likely stamped.

I could be totally wrong, but the lettering of the G-1506 looks modern to me!

Rowdy, thank you for your thoughts. No, it is not stamped. I wish I could blow this up, you would see. I am computer illiterate. Actually the letters are crude and uneven, and a little fancy. They are definitely engraved. Can someone help me blow this up? I can enlarge with paint, but it does not post as an enlargement. I have been asking for help posting an enlargement for many months.

I like your idea about G standing for Government. Thanks for the help, I really appreciate it.

 

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[Rowdy]

I blew up the one you posted, not sure if the detail is better or not. You have it in your hands, but it sure looks stamped to me!

See at the bottom of the 1 there are small serifs, also the 0 has flats on it, those are characteristics of a stamping.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

I blew up the one you posted, not sure if the detail is better or not. You have it in your hands, but it sure looks stamped to me!

See at the bottom of the 1 there are small serifs, also the 0 has flats on it, those are characteristics of a stamping.

Thanks for the blow up. I am no expert, but under a magnifier, I see that the 0 appears to be made by eight separate strokes. And look at the top of the 5. It ends in a point. The whole series of numbers is not straight or even (the five is higher). I think I need to blow up with better resolution.
I'm glad you made this observation, because the pic does look stamped, where in person under magnification, it does not.

 

[Rowdy]

Incidentally, when I was growing up I worked in the family printing shop until I was about 25. While I'm just beginning to learn about finding old pieces like this, I've looked at a LOT of type styles!

We used an old platen type press "Heidlburg windmill", the kind that actually opens and closes, which used cast lead type for printing. In effect it stamped the paper and left the ink behind. This lettering looks like that type of impression.

We also used small numbering machines in this press for raffle tickets and such. Each time the press closed, it compressed the springloaded machine. This would imprint the number, and when the pressure was released it would click over to the next number. It was fairly common for a number in the 100's column to not drop into complete alignment until the machine had passed 1 in the ten's column, that could explain why the 5 sits higher on this tab, assuming a similar machine was used.

Then again, it's entirely possible I'm full of beans!

Hope you can track this down, it might mean a lot to someone!

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

I will not get into convoluted answers. Suffice to say I have seen enough of these tags or tokens and probably had and sold at least a hundred or more over the past 30 years. Style of engraving is early 1900, Ill give you 1875 to 1900 as a gift NO more. I would have to physically examine the object to pinpoint its exact date. The back Numbers are not conducive to an earlier time frame because of style.
I think thats the key.
DG

Maybe I will send it to this museum to look at in person.

 

[Rowdy]

I spent a few minutes researching this at the national archive. I didn't find a match, but did find some interesting info in this record.

http://aad.archives.gov/aad/series-description.jsp?s=1134&cat=TS14&bc=sl

Title: Index to the Gorgas Hospital Mortuary Registers, created, 1979 - 1991, documenting the period 1906 - 1991

Scope & Content Note: This series is a necrology and partial index to the mortuary's registers and contains records of 26,213 U.S. military personnel, employees of the Panama Canal Commission and its predecessors, and Canal Zone civilians processed through the Gorgas Hospital Mortuary between 1906 and 1991. Records in the database include: name, social security number or other unique personal identifier, age, race, nationality, occupation, employer, date of death, place of death, the date the body was received by the mortuary, the person identified as being responsible for the remains, the place of burial, date of cremation, disposition of cremation remains, register entry number, marker, section, row, grave, cost, and remarks.

I did a search for the name Hall, and found this list:

http://aad.archives.gov/aad/display...&mtch=62&q=hall&cat=TS14&dt=363&tf=F&bc=sl,sd

There's no exact match, but if you look at this record:

http://aad.archives.gov/aad/record-...,5267,6857,9183,12882,13928,14951,15189,16087

You can see that they list the burial location as:

Section K
Row 75
Grave 1
Marker number 590

I'm thinking that the numbers on the back of your object may correspond to that type of location designation.

There were undoubtedly more mortuaries than Gorgas in military use, but I can't find any listings online. The Archive had a fire in the 70's and lost a lot of records for the 1940's time period.

It might be worth finding an older veteran and see if they recognize your object as military or government issue. Maybe stop ny your local VFW and see if they can help?

On the otherhand, I may be steering you in completely the wrong direction, so don't discount any other leads you come across!

Good luck, and keep us posted!

 

[Michelle]

Sure is and almost makes since how the #'s are written now too....Good Job.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

I spent a few minutes researching this at the national archive. I didn't find a match, but did find some interesting info in this record.

Yes, this is very interesting. I really appreciate your help. I will study this over. I wish I was better at researching. A positive ID on the numbers and we will have it!

 

[Rum Tide]

Check with the Navy UDT-SEAL Museum in Ft. Pierce. The WWII UDT Navy Seals trained on your beaches in 1944



UDT 5 (Ft. Pierce) Harold Hall on one knee (front right)

https://navysealmuseum.pastperfectonline.com/photo/A82BBCC5-1F72-4936-9102-861825788992

If I read it correct. Harold Hall was at the UDT/SEAL reunion in Ft. Pierce in 2005

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Check with the Navy UDT-SEAL Museum in Ft. Pierce. The WWII UDT Navy Seals trained on your beaches in 1944



UDT 5 (Ft. Pierce) Harold Hall on one knee (front right)

https://navysealmuseum.pastperfectonline.com/photo/A82BBCC5-1F72-4936-9102-861825788992

If I read it correct. Harold Hall was at the UDT/SEAL reunion in Ft. Pierce in 2005

That's a clue thanks. Its been a long time I gave up on trying to ID this piece. The name on the token is Jo-Ann L. Hall. Maybe it was his daughter? But I could not find any record of death or birth of a JoAnn Hall in Florida.

Just to update everyone, since its up again, it is silver and very THIN like a tag and the size of a quarter. Its hand engraved on the front in Old English copperplate script:

Jo-Ann L. Hall
12-30-43--1-2-44

(Dec 30, '43 to Jan 2, '44)

There are some official looking block lettering numbers on the back: G-1506.

The back is also hand engraved. The numbers may coincide with a US military grave plot but what cemetery?... What century? The G-1506 looks stamped but I think it was definitely engraved in some type of block lettering. I can see the strokes come to a point on the 1 and on the top of the 5. Its in a safe deposit box with my other finds.

Plot G- Row 15- Grave 06? The G may stand for government? It was found on the beach after 2 hurricanes in succession at the WW2 Navy Seal training area which is also the site of several old shipwrecks.

I started another post here http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/what/17078-she-only-3-days-old.html

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

I blew up the one you posted, not sure if the detail is better or not. You have it in your hands, but it sure looks stamped to me!

See at the bottom of the 1 there are small serifs, also the 0 has flats on it, those are characteristics of a stamping.

When I looked under magnification, I was convinced it was engraved. I see the serifs. But I also saw tiny hand strokes. I guess I could take another look after all these years. Stamped or engraved, it must mean something of importance. Would serifs make it older than World War 2 era?