Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of the Treasure Beaches Report.
Above is a mystery find that I put aside and have been pondering for quite some time. To me it is unique. I've never seen anything like it. One thing that is odd is how it is made. I'll show closer views of that below.
It seems to be a sword with a locket attached in the form of a book that is attached by a chain to the sword. I'm not absolutely sure it is a sword, but that is what it looks like to me even though the quillon is overly large, and the blade, rather than being flat is round and ornate.
Here is a closer view that also shows how it was made.
A single strand of (or thick square wire) is wrapped around a smooth rod. You can see the quillon and the ricasso. Even though some of the parts seem to be out of proportion, the parts of the item correspond very exactly to those of a sword. I'm of the opinion that it must be a sword.
Below are the named parts of a sword.
I found videos online showing how to make wire wrapped swords. The ones shown in the videos are generally more ornate than the one I'm showing today and they are generally simpler in design, being in the form of a simple cross. They do not seem to show the same knowledge of the parts of a sword.
Twisted wire jewelry has been made for centuries, but the mystery item does not show a much corrosion, but I'd guess that it is at least vintage if not antique. But maybe not.
The locket is not easy to open, and I haven't had the courage to force it yet. If there is s picture inside that should help me to understand the item better. When I get the courage, I'll open it with care.
I haven't yet looked into the possible significance or iconography of a book being attached to a cross.
 |
| Locket. |
What do you think?
---
As detectorists we find metal things, but as treasure hunters we can find other kinds of things as well. For example, we can find bottles, gems, paper money, collectible books and other things. Those things can have a monetary value, but they might also have a personal value that has nothing to do with their economic value. Items can be valuable to individuals because of the meaning or experiences connected with them.
As you know, my mother passed away not long ago and I've been cleaning up and going through what she left behind. She kept a lot of things of personal significance as well as documents that no longer have any significance to anyone, such as old bills and records. My grandmother and my mother kept tons of photos, postcards and documents such as my grandfather's birth certificate from 1902 or something. A lot of the items had meaning to my grandmother and mother and me, but not to much of anyone else.
Shortly before my mother passed, her memory was not so great, but I found some little cards, each one bearing the name of one of her high school classmates. They were smaller than business cards. They were yellowed but ornate. I asked her if she remembered so and so, whose name was on one of the cards, and she said yes. I was amazed that she could recall those people from eighty years ago. To me those cards provided a picture of another time - one before I was born. The cards aren't worth any money, but they are nice and tell something about other people and times. I respect those little cards mostly because my mother thought they were important enough to her to keep all that time. That makes them valuable to me. They survived many years but will eventually be discarded or turn to dust.
It is always nice to find something that others appreciate as much as we do. The only thing I like about selling finds is when they go to a good home where they will be really appreciated. I've sold a few items, that as individual items were of no great value, but they found a good home. An early St. Luce Pharmacy Rexall bottle, for example, was published in a book on pharmacy bottles. And a set of old calendar prints now hangs on the walls of a St. Laurence Seaway Historical Museum. The items were not very valuable, but they found good homes where they were appreciated more than would have been the case if I kept them.
For some reason, I like artifacts more than coins. Somehow coins just don't seem as personal or unique to me as artifacts. For example, the mystery item shown above holds a lot of mysteries. To me it seems very unique. I don't know a lot about it, which to me is part of its charm. There are so many questions remaining. Maybe it won't seem as significant when I find out more about it, or maybe it will. In either case, I had the experience of exploring it, and am sure I will learn a lot in the process.
Here is something I found online.
Artifacts are objects crafted by humans that have cultural or scientific significance. Here are some factors that can make an artifact valuable.
- Provenance: who has owned the artifact in the past.
- Attribution: who created the artifact.
- Historical significance: the artifact's connection to a significant event or person.
- Social status: the artifact's connection to a wealthy or famous person.
- Love and passion: the artifact's connection to a beloved person or event.
The mystery item probably lacks much of that. I doubt it it has any cultural significance. I doubt it is connected to any famous person. I doubt if it has any historical significance. But it might.
But even if it lacks all of that, it has a significance to me, because I found it, and I'm curious about it and the story it might be able to tell. Maybe when I open the locket, the story will become more clear.
It seems to me to be vintage or antique.
Of the things my mother left behind, it is the many worthless items connected to loved ones and memories that are most valuable to me.
As I'm sure you already know, you can't it with you. Before that time, you can do a lot to make the most of your finds. They might require conservation and study before you learn their story. Then the story can be told.
In the end, objects are objects, and it is the people that really matter.
===
The Treasure Coast will be having a small surf for several days - only two feet or so.
Good hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net
