Yet another Luckenbooth Trade Silver....I think?

[Mr. Digger]

Thanks again to VMI Digger for posting his spectacular Luckenbooth Brooch Trade Silver. Be sure to check out his post...I don't want to steal his thunder! When I saw that post I realized instantly that I had found something VERY similar last year and had not even given it a second thought. I knew it was silver but had no idea of the possible age and importance of the find. I dug it in a farm field that had also produced other Colonial era relics such as my first complete 1600's spectacle buckle and a Draped Bust LC. Looking more closely at the piece now I can see it is rather crudely made and does seem old. The pin is missing, and I've never cleaned it as you can see from this pics...the dirt is still in the crevices. Any insights from the experts on exactly what I have here will be welcomed. Thanks, GL and HH!

 

[Muddyhandz]

I think it's that they're being misidentified. The colonial Luckenbooth brooch like VMIDigger found, with the early clasp, is rare. But a silver heart shaped pin is not! You can still buy one like that today. So I think most of what's being found are later style heart shaped brooches.

The early clasp you're referring to is a repair job with contemporary wire. The original tongue is missing on VMIDigger's example.
I have found quite a few trade brooches that have wire tongues because the silver ones often came loose and fell off.
If the original owner of Mr.Digger's brooch took off the broken lever parts and wrapped wire around, we'd nearly have the same brooch!

 

[Scrappy]

The early clasp you're referring to is a repair job with contemporary wire. The original tongue is missing on VMIDigger's example.
I have found quite a few trade brooches that have wire tongues because the silver ones often came loose and fell off.
If the original owner of Mr.Digger's brooch took off the broken lever parts and wrapped wire around, we'd nearly have the same brooch!

With the exception that VMI's is grooved in the style used back in colonial days (and earlier) where the tongue would wrap.

 

[OutdoorAdv]

The early clasp you're referring to is a repair job with contemporary wire. The original tongue is missing on VMIDigger's example.
I have found quite a few trade brooches that have wire tongues because the silver ones often came loose and fell off.
If the original owner of Mr.Digger's brooch took off the broken lever parts and wrapped wire around, we'd nearly have the same brooch!

The early clasp I am referring to is by design and quite different than the tube hinge clasp on the brooch in this thread. Whether the wire on VMIDiggers used to be silver and was replaced with a brass wire, doesn't change the design of the clasp. Which has a smaller frame with the pin wrapped around the frame.

Here are the clasps on the early Luckenbooth brooches.



The tube hinge on the brooch in this thread is later.

 

[Scrappy]

The early clasp I am referring to is by design and quite different than the tube hinge clasp on the brooch in this thread. Whether the wire on VMIDiggers used to be silver and was replaced with a brass wire, doesn't change the design of the clasp. Which has a smaller frame with the pin wrapped around the frame.

Here are the clasps on the early Luckenbooth brooches.

View attachment 1407053

The tube hinge on the brooch in this thread is later.

That's hilarious we were responding with the same info at the same time B-rad. Although your writing is much more eloquent!

 

[Tommy G]

Great find, and a great dialog on the trade silver. Learning more every day.