Victorian sterling match safe

[Lord Verdigris]

I found a new cellar hole site but the yard is overgrown with thorns. I went over my lunch break and first find was a fancy dress flat button and shortly after got a very nice silver hit. Was thinking big coin but I pulled out a match safe and instantly seen the silver marks. I searched hard for the top but the grass and thorns were to thick. I'm going to have to put some effort in to clear the site. Maybe in the spring I may find it plus hopefully loads of more good finds. There are stories that they were a wealthy family here in the late 1700's to the late 1800's. By the makers marks on the match safe I'm thinking its 1870's. Thanks for looking!

 

[pong12211]

Nice finds thanks for shacring and congrats.

 

[park pirate]

Very cool...

 

[pepperj]

Can't make out the marks, but S.M was 1911 but that doesn't jive with the Victorian export stamp. Very cool find I wonder if the lid is still around.

 

[Old Dude]

That's an awesome find in the match safe. Pretty cool button too! Hope the site gives you more goodies.

 

[Lord Verdigris]

The lid has to be around there somewhere. I even dug out the hole and searched deep with the pin pointer in case it was out of range of the detector. It wasn't there but lots of tall grass and thorns around it so may be close!

 

[UnderMiner]

Love the sight of those old hallmarks.

 

[Argentium]

With the complete hallmarks( including date letter) that you seem to have there , It shouldn't take too long to nail this one down
Very nice finds !

 

[Wildcat1750]

Cool find. I love things associated with old lanterns and matches.

 

[Lord Verdigris]

Couple more pics...

 

[ANTIQUARIAN]

Congrats on the silver match safe buddy, that button is a beauty too!
Best of luck clearing the brush to find the lid!

Dave

 

[beez0404]

Both the match safe and button are both indicative of the landowners having some money IMO. Get yourself a weedeater and put on those sharp plastic blades and clear out some of the weeds.

 

[Metal Illness]

Very cool, you can grab a Silver another day. Silver match safe, now that's not an everyday find, BIG CONGRATS! love the ornate button as well. Get that place cleared out come spring time and appears as if you'll have a honey hole! good luck.

 

[Lord Verdigris]

At least I didn't find just the lid instead. The silver is so tarnished I probably would have thought the lid by itself was junk. I knew what I found seemed different but the silver makers marks gave it away!

 

[Lord Verdigris]

Here's a few more pictures of the button I found after tooth picking it a little and unblocking all the little holes filled with crust. I put a quarter by it for scale. It's probably the nicest fancy flat buttons I ever found. Surprised it held up so well. Must have been on a woman's dress. Probably would have looked nice back in the day!

 

[CRUSADER]

London Date Letter Chart - Online Encyclopedia of Silver Marks, Hallmarks & Makers' Marks

THe easy bit I can see is London, & Vikkies Head, if its a date letter 'R' then its 1892. Its in that kind of range because of the date letter stamp shape.

 

[Ahab8]

That's a really nice find

 

[treblehunter]

I found one this summer and the lid was missing too. Nice find!