🥇 BANNER Colonial Silver Pomander

[toasted]

Walked onto the site turned on the F22 and started swinging. This was in my first hole. I don't know what it is yet but I'm pretty sure it's old, silver and hand engraved. I'm sure someone can tell me what it is pretty quick. I can't complain about my silver coin drought with finds like this one though

EDIT: This has been identified. It's called a Pomander and here is a link to more info and a similar piece

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomander

https://books.google.com/books?id=p...page&q=pomander drake collection pear&f=false

 

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[toasted]

I wanted to thank everyone who voted banner on my find. It is by far the best thing I have found to date. I can't imagine what ill have to find to beat this short of a key date or gold coin. Thanks again

 

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[toasted]

I've finally found a picture online of a pomander similar to mine. It doesn't appear to have the engraving work like mine but the shape and number of compartments is the same. It is indeed 18th century though it does state that dating them is difficult because due to their small size and intricate design they could avoid taxes/duties thus no hallmarks. Hope this link works. It's from a book on google books entitled " Nurturing Yesterday's Child: A Portrayal of the Drake Collection of Paediatric History " on page 196. The drake collection is in the hands of the Ontario Museum

https://books.google.com/books?id=YN_KXT64J6wC&pg=PA196&dq=silver+pomander+pear+shaped&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CCgQ6AEwAGoVChMIl5O5m6WYxwIVRGs-Ch0F0As7#v=onepage&q=silver%20pomander%20pear%20shaped&f=false

 

[Vino]

Hey Toasted, that is one of the most awsome pieces I have ever seen on here.
That is definitely a Banner find.
Congrats.
George

 

[Isaac]

Good God that is one exceptional find!!!!! Huge congratulations! What a unique and personal piece!!!

 

[Erik in NJ]

If it had only one chamber, your piece would be called a nutmeg grater. With multiple chambers, it becomes a pomander.

Looks to be coin silver. The engraving looks pretty early, but I'd need a few better pictures to try to draw any conclusions. It is almost certainly 18th century, but I'd need to examine it more closely to know for certain.

The fact that it is unmarked makes it very likely that the piece is American. That makes it very special indeed. May I ask where (in rough geographic terms) you found it? That might help me give you a little more detail.

Hey Toasted -- OWK really knows his stuff when it comes to early silver...get him better pics and dimensions and he'll nail a date for you! He was instrumental in cracking the mystery of the 18th C coin silver engraved spoon I found that was part of a wedding gift to a man from a prominent local family and his bride .

 

[Erik in NJ]

This find is historically more significant than anything up on the banner right now. Put your votes in folks.....this is seriously a good one!

 

[CRUSADER]

Thats a great period find - CONGRATS

 

[RelicMedic]

I've finally found a picture online of a pomander similar to mine. It doesn't appear to have the engraving work like mine but the shape and number of compartments is the same. It is indeed 18th century though it does state that dating them is difficult because due to their small size and intricate design they could avoid taxes/duties thus no hallmarks. Hope this link works. It's from a book on google books entitled " Nurturing Yesterday's Child: A Portrayal of the Drake Collection of Paediatric History " on page 196. The drake collection is in the hands of the Ontario Museum

https://books.google.com/books?id=YN_KXT64J6wC&pg=PA196&dq=silver+pomander+pear+shaped&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CCgQ6AEwAGoVChMIl5O5m6WYxwIVRGs-Ch0F0As7#v=onepage&q=silver%20pomander%20pear%20shaped&f=false

That's the one! I found it easy enough the first time, but I was ready to pull my hair out when I tried to find it again lol

 

[FreeBirdTim]

There's no way that would have unscrewed unless it was either silver or silver plated brass. Is it heavy? If it's relatively light, it's silver. If it's heavy, it may be silver plated brass.

 

[Silver Tree Chaser]

Has a pomander every been posted on T-Net? How about a silver pomander? How about an 18th century, silver pomander? How about a ornate, 18th century, silver pomander? How about an ornate, 18th century, silver pomander in excellent condition. My vote is in for banner. This is an obvious banner find to me.

 

[toasted]

Thats a great period find - CONGRATS

Are pieces like this dug with more regularity across the pond and throughout Europe? Just trying to get an idea of its rarity because there is very little info online.

 

[Gunny71]

How do you vote banner in Tapatalk?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

 

[toadspaghetti]

Ya put yer weed in it....

 

[toasted]

I added some close up pics at the top of this thread

 

[toasted]

Has a pomander every been posted on T-Net? How about a silver pomander? How about an 18th century, silver pomander? How about a ornate, 18th century, silver pomander? How about an ornate, 18th century, silver pomander in excellent condition. My vote is in for banner. This is an obvious banner find to me.

No one knowing what it is at first doesn't help but should also point to its rarity

 

[toasted]

There's no way that would have unscrewed unless it was either silver or silver plated brass. Is it heavy? If it's relatively light, it's silver. If it's heavy, it may be silver plated brass.

It is relatively light. I have been told it is most likely gilt silver and the new close up pictures tend to confirm this. These were owned only by the elite of colonial society

 

[toasted]

I just weighed it at 11.7 grams. That would interestingly put it just under the weight of a half crown/4 reale or half dollar if a little later. I know silversmiths melted down anything silver to make new silver items but more evidence for it being "coin" silver?

 

[Erik in NJ]

It's so beautifully made I'd be willing to bet it's solid coin silver. I doubt they would go through the trouble of doing all of that hand engraving if it was just gilt.

 

[toasted]

It's so beautifully made I'd be willing to bet it's solid coin silver. I doubt they would go through the trouble of doing all of that hand engraving if it was just gilt.

What I meant to say is that it is solid silver with GOLD gilting. You can see its goldish hue in the pics

 

[OWK]

It's so beautifully made I'd be willing to bet it's solid coin silver. I doubt they would go through the trouble of doing all of that hand engraving if it was just gilt.

It was not very common, but silver objects which were expected to come into contact with salt or other potentially corrosive things were sometimes fire-gilded to prevent pitting.