"COMPLETE 17TH CENTURY SEAL SPOON"

[Rick624]

Found this 06-25-18 didn't know what I had Threw it on a paper towel with the highlights took a pic and posted in my facebook group, the response was quick. I was told it's a 17th early 18th Seal Top spoon rarely found complete. Original pic

Some pics people asked for top Bowl

After Electrolysis A poster here suggested I post this by itself under that heading thanks http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/members/41654.html Silver Tree Chaser!


here's a link to an English one https://fipad.org/2012/08/24/17th-century-seal-top-spoon/

 

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[CASPER-2]

awesome save
Ive got handful of bowls and handful of tops - but never a complete one - most I find are from farm fields and get chopped up- usually you will see one
found complete from a cellarhole - have a few friends that have
best ive gotten -and again rare complete - complete trefid - which I have many handles and bowls too
this one was from a farm field BUT - believe it was from dirt from around cellar hole of 1700s house - they raised the house and bulldozed everything under and around it and put a new foundation in replace of its original field stone one - they dumped all that good dirt onto the field after harvest and was
one of the first ones to hit there - got lots of goodies from a field that had been pretty cleaned out before they did what they did
I think that is why my spoon survived the way it did - not bent not nick or scratched - if it had been lost in the field - would've been in 3 pieces by now

 

[Ahab8]

"COMPLETE 17TH CENTURY SEAL SPOON"

Well done Rick! These latten spoons are a very tough find. Are there any “touchmarks” inside the bowl? A lot of these had a makers mark inside the bowl. I found a very early site through some research that I know was gone by about 1690. Here’s the spoons I found there. I’ll likely never sniff another one of these. One is a strawberry knop with touchmark.


You have a very special find my friend and I’d place it squarely in the 17th Century. Was it in a field or next to an early homesite? I located the trash pit at this site which was loaded with marked pipe stems and even found a Farthing and a couple jetons in it. I’d be real curious to see what else you might find there. I also highly recommend this book on early spoons. It’s a great reference

Here’s most of the family. I’ve added a bowl or two since this pic.

 

[Rick624]

On a hillside overlooking Orchard st. No history of a dwelling on the site. Plowing on the hill would have been very problematic the incline is steep. The Towns poor farm was across Orchard st. and in between that and the hillside was a town dumpsite. The only other Colonial artifact I've found there is a Buckle. The area in 1900 was developed A school, DPW yard, Town Stadium and this Hillside conservation area are left. Has a History of Teenage alcohol consumption. Last 2 hunts Bottle caps and clad. It'll take years to clear out the bottle caps, pop tops. Thanks for the info!

 

[Rick624]

Well done Rick! These latten spoons are a very tough find. Are there any “touchmarks” inside the bowl? A lot of these had a makers mark inside the bowl. I found a very early site through some research that I know was gone by about 1690. Here’s the spoons I found there. I’ll likely never sniff another one of these. One is a strawberry knop with touchmark.
View attachment 1607122
View attachment 1607123
You have a very special find my friend and I’d place it squarely in the 17th Century. Was it in a field or next to an early homesite? I located the trash pit at this site which was loaded with marked pipe stems and even found a Farthing and a couple jetons in it. I’d be real curious to see what else you might find there. I also highly recommend this book on early spoons. It’s a great reference
View attachment 1607126
Here’s most of the family. I’ve added a bowl or two since this pic.
View attachment 1607124
View attachment 1607125

Nice collection! I have to admit when I pulled it out I almost did the Stealth Diggers toss. I really didn't know what I had. No makers mark, the top is flat no Signet there either. Mine looks like your last picture.

Found on the site of the Wincoll, Whitney, How Allotments The town has a nearly 400-year history of Settlement. 1630 Thanks for the info!

 

[Ahab8]

On a hillside overlooking Orchard st. No history of a dwelling on the site. Plowing on the hill would have been very problematic the incline is steep. The Towns poor farm was across Orchard st. and in between that and the hillside was a town dumpsite. The only other Colonial artifact I've found there is a Buckle. View attachment 1607133 The area in 1900 was developed A school, DPW yard, Town Stadium and this Hillside conservation area are left. Has a History of Teenage alcohol consumption. Last 2 hunts Bottle caps and clad. It'll take years to clear out the bottle caps, pop tops. Thanks for the info!

Rick,
These 17th Century home sites were usually simple cabins and will show absolutely no sign of a home ever being there. That’s a nice early single chape buckle and I’d be hitting that area hard. I have a funny feeling that once you remove the crap off the top you’ll be rewarded with some great early finds. All of the 17th Century sites I’ve found have shown no cellar hole/foundation. Just a little iron patch and nothing more. I believe many people have walked right over these sites many times. People get tunnel vision on finding cellar holes or seeing visible signs of a home site. I also found a Pine tree Shilling in an area with no sign of a home. I would strongly encourage you to put some good time into that area. You will have bad hunts and get frustrated but eventually it will pay off. It’s all about putting in more effort than others are willing to put in. That spoon and buckle are very good signs. And they’re both early

 

[Ahab8]

Btw Rick I would place that buckle between 1690-1720 so that lines up pretty well with the spoon. Likely an undocumented home site on top of the hill. Tons of these early homes have no recorded history

 

[Rick624]

I've been there well over 20 times detecting, it's one of my where to go today places. Grew up in the area Sledded there built forts and played army there. Most avoid it I keep going it's close and all the dirt is old here.

 

[Hawks88]

Nice save Rick. Congrats

 

[Ahab8]

I've been there well over 20 times detecting, it's one of my where to go today places. Grew up in the area Sledded there built forts and played army there. Most avoid it I keep going it's close and all the dirt is old here.

That’s the right attitude my friend. Most people want it to be easy and convenient. If you want to find the great stuff it’s never going to be easy. I kayak in the Atlantic Ocean, hike miles and miles into the woods, and have scaled cliffs to get to spots just on a hunch it may be good. I often go home exhausted and beat up with nothing to show for it. But I’ve also gone home with amazing finds from undocumented virgin sites. Keep at it Rick!

 

[Rick624]

That’s the right attitude my friend. Most people want it to be easy and convenient. If you want to find the great stuff it’s never going to be easy. I kayak in the Atlantic Ocean, hike miles and miles into the woods, and have scaled cliffs to get to spots just on a hunch it may be good. I often go home exhausted and beat up with nothing to show for it. But I’ve also gone home with amazing finds from undocumented virgin sites. Keep at it Rick!

It helps that if I had to I could walk there. I stay off the trails and bushwack My legs are scared all over the bushes wack back. In 1630 Watertown's western border was the Pacific. as the charter had no western border. Like I say it's all old dirt here.

 

[Professor of Engineering]

Beautiful 17th century spoon!

 

[Patriot Relics]

Definitely curious to see what else comes out, what is the base metal of the spoon?

 

[Rick624]

Definitely curious to see what else comes out, what is the base metal of the spoon?

Looks to be Copper