5/9/24 Report - Seven of My Favorite Old Mystery Metal Detector Finds: Some Solved and Some Still Not.

 

Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of the Treasure Beaches Report.

Suspected Pewter Fork Handle

I recently mentioned how a lot of the fun of metal detecting comes after the find.  There is the cleaning research and all that goes with that.  Sometimes there is a lot of research and you never figure out what the item is.  At other times you might figure it out after years of wondering.  Today I was thinking of some of the mystery items I've found over the years including some that have been solved and other that remain complete mysteries after years.  Today I'll mention some that come to mind.

The first is shown above.  I think it is most likely a fork handle.  Some 18th and 17th century fork handles were made of plaster and covered by pewter.  If I'm correct, what you see above is the pewter part of such a fork handle.  I'm not certain of that, but I'd rate my confidence of it at about 75%.

Unfortunately I can't now find the source that provided images of pewter covered plaster handles.  Can anyone help me with that?

Here is a link when I talked about the item.

The Treasure Beaches Report Direct From Florida's Treasure Coast.: 1/17/14 Report - Mystery Item and 18th or 17th Century Pewter Fork Handle Find

For a long time (years) I thought the next item was probably a finial of some type, but now I'm about 98% certain that it is soldier art.  It is made of lead which has been carved.  Close inspection shows the carving very well.

Lead Sodier Art Cannon.

Comparing the item, which was found near a cannon emplacement, several features match remarkably well.

Here is the link for more about that one.

The Treasure Beaches Report Direct From Florida's Treasure Coast.: 7/12/19 Report - Carved Lead

 Soldier Art: One Found Example. Gator Tooth. Tropical Storm in Gulf.

Another mystery find is the following silver ingot.  I didn't know what it was for quite a long time, but now I'm convinced that it is an assay ingot.  Besides the big stamped one, a faint wreathe can be perceived top center.

Silver Assay Ingot.

I have no idea how old this one is.  Below is a link for more information.

The Treasure Beaches Report Direct From Florida's Treasure Coast.: 12/7/12 Report - Silver Ingots & US Coin Price Web Site

Here is one that was a real mystery for a long time.  I was way off, but now think I have it right.

I believe it is a piece that goes on a harness.  

Harness Piece.

Below you can see an example of one that is similar.

And here is a link.

The Treasure Beaches Report Direct From Florida's Treasure Coast.: 11/25/19 Report - Horse Tack and Related Finds. Gold Coin Counterfeits and Cautions. High Tides and Flat Surf.

Here is one that I've had a long time.  It was found at the same site of the soldier art cannon, and in fact not far away from the lead cannon.

Mystery Gorget-like Item.

I found two of these, or more, and they were slightly different sizes.

See Treasure Beaches Report: Pt. 2. (2020 and Beyond). : 3/2/24 Report - Mystery Item: Gorget? Reader Silver Find. Meditation for Metal Detecting and General Use. (tbr2020.blogspot.com)

I found a few of these at the same site.  They are all square, of about the same size, made of orange clay, and have a similar size hole in the middle.

Pottery Mystery Item.

Even after a lot of years I have no idea what this one is.

The Treasure Beaches Report Direct From Florida's Treasure Coast.: 1/17/14 Report - Mystery Item and 18th or 17th Century Pewter Fork Handle Find

I once found what I thought was a plimsoll marker, even though I didn't know the term at the time.  I can't find the photo of this one right now so I might have to dig it out and make a new photo, but that is another one that I have not figured out.  I have no idea now.  

Sebastian Steve told me, plimsoll marks are often written in Roman Numerals on the bow of a ship to show the "load line." These Plimsoll Marks are required by law. I have seen them on shipwreck bows underwater dating from the 1880s. They were often carved into the stem of the ship and then the indentations painted with white lead paint that evidently was quite durable!

The next one I mentioned not long ago.  It is a thin silver sliver, or razor.  When I found it I thought it was my first reale find, but now I feel it could be sliver of silver from something else.  I'm 50/50 on that one.

Small One or Two Reale Size Sliver of Silver

In either case it was my first Treasure Coast shipwreck beach silver find.

Here is a link.

The Treasure Beaches Report Direct From Florida's Treasure Coast.: 4/28/14 Report - Grading Cobs, Two Sources of Beach Cobs, Earliest Settlement on the Gulf Coast

The next one didn't take me too long to match up with a nearly exact match.

Silver Pistor Side Plate.

Of course I didn't recognize it immediately but some years ago did find a nearly exact match.  I'm very confident this one has been solved.

Here is a link.

The Treasure Beaches Report Direct From Florida's Treasure Coast.: 10/3/18 Report - Protecting Cherished Finds. Ornate 1715 Fleet Silver Gun Side Plate. More Big Surf.

I'm sure I'll think of more mystery items that I should have posted, but that will do it for today.  Those are some that came to mind first.

We are into summer conditions.  It is hot, but supposed to cool down some in the next few days.

The wind is southish and the surf is only one or two feet.

Good hunting,

Treasureguide@comcast.net