Complete Pewter Spoon, Crotal Bell, 1857 Canada Halfpenny

[ANTIQUARIAN]

The finds from my first site were a decorative brass pendant frame and a #3 size crotal bell. My last find here was a complete 19thc pewter spoon marked ‘BRITAW’. I can find little about this maker online, if anyone knows about this company, I’d appreciate you sharing it with me. I also discovered a heavy stone marker set in the ground at the front of the site carved with a #2, I have no idea what it refers to? I might just have to dig it out and bring it home with me on my next visit, as this site will be developed for housing sometime in the next 10 years. Just as I was leaving my friend ‘Farmer Rob’ showed up in his Case Tractor towing a Tandem Disk Harrow.

"Pewter was the chief material for producing plates, cups, and cutlery from the 17[SUP]th[/SUP] to 19thc. The mass production of pottery, porcelain and glass products saw pewter universally replaced in daily life. Pewter artifacts continue to be produced, mainly as decorative or specialty items. Pewter mugs and tankards may be the most familiar pewter artifacts from the late 17th and 18th centuries, although the metal was also used for many other items including porringers, plates, dishes, basins, spoons, measures, flagons, communion cups, teapots, sugar bowls, beer steins, and cream jugs. In the early 19thc, changes in fashion caused a decline in the use of pewter flatware. At the same time, production increased of both cast and spun pewter tea sets, whale-oil lamps, candlesticks, and so on. Later in the 19thc, pewter alloys were often used as a base metal for silver-plated objects."

My next site was a site I’ve been detecting for 3 years now and every time it gets disked, I swear it’s like a brand-new site! My first find was the little brass toothed tab marked ‘PARIS’. I’m thinking this was possibly a suspender clip or part of a pants buckle. My next find was an 1857 Upper Canada Halfpenny, which was poking its head out of the soil at me as I swung by. I took a pic of this rock on the site mainly because in the sunlight it looked like ‘blue quartz’, but not so much after I got it home and gave it a bath. I also found a small padlock, a ‘Carhart’ overalls button, the horse teeth, the marbles and a couple of early buttons.

Just as I was about to leave ‘Farmer Don’ showed up to plant the field with this year’s corn crop. Don and Rob are brothers who farm most of the land I detect in this area.

Thanks very much for looking,
Dave

 

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[ANTIQUARIAN]

What a great post and it looks like you just beat the brother farmers to it. i have always wished to find one of those bells but my sites are just not that old in my area.

Thank you for your compliment about my post TNM, I try to provide as much background history as possible to the finds in my post.
I've always been interested in learning about the history in TN, so it surprises me when you say the sites in your area aren't that old.

If you ever happen to get up to the Toronto area, PM me and we'll get onto a few of my permissions.
Dave

 

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