Found box marked Navajo Trade Tokens

[foundatreasure]

I stumbled on this site trying to research a treasure find. I hope it is OK to post for other than a find with a metal detector. I own one but haven't used it yet!

Anyway, found a sealed box(at a thrift store) that is marked "Navaho(sic) Trade Tokens\Sterling 1810's 3429B(a catalog number?)

I've never seen such things before & wondered if anyone new anything about them.

Looks like there is about 20 items in the box. It is sealed so I didn't think I should open it as it looks very old itself.

Appears there is a crude Bull, a Donkey, a Kneeling person, 2 heads that look like Native American person on a buffalo head nickel, 3 other (female?) heads that remind me of a liberty dime & about 12 stick people. The 12 stick people have similar hash marks on them like a number sign # but with only 1 vertical line. They are all a little different. On the non-stick people, didn't see any marks.

Any info is appreciated!

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Treasure of Victoria Peak - Grab it through Amazon!

[Bigcypresshunter]

All I can say is wow. Thats a cool thrift store find. Welcome to TN.

I think its 1890's.

 

[SODABOTTLEBOB]

Found-a-t ~

Welcome to the forum. Great find, indeed! You wrote 1810's ... but it appears to say 1890's. I have never heard use of the them 1810's/1910's, etc. There should be quite a bit of information on this topic on the Internet. As you likely know, the Navajo and other Native Americans of the Southwest used silver and other materials like nickle in the making of turquoise jewelry. There is also a term known as "pawn" which applied to the securing of goods by way of loaning a merchant a piece or pieces of jewelry in exchange for food, etc.

If I come across anything of interest I will let you know. And please do the same.

Thanks.

SBB

 

[SODABOTTLEBOB]

Below is a link to a website that talks a little bit about trade tokens. But my intial search revealed that the majority of trade tokens were made by the merchants themselves and were in the form of a coin. So I am not entirely sure if your "globs" are true tokens from an earlier period or something else like left over silver from jewlery making.

Link: Token info is mentioned in paragraph six. http://www.wmonline.com/area/pforest/hubbell.htm

SBB

[ Example of common trade tokens from Holbrook, Arizona merchant ]

 

[mojjax]

That is an amazing collection . Please post more pictures ! Nice !

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

You posted in the right place but I would like to suggest also posting in the American Indian section. Those members will most likely have more experience with Indian trade items. http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/board,89.0.html

Ill bet those are melted US coinage. Can we get the size?

 

[SODABOTTLEBOB]

More research is needed here. It appears the term "trade token" may not correctly apply to your "items." Every reference to trade token I was able to find referred to it as a "coin" of some type.

That is unless they are from a much earlier period. But that doesn't seem to apply either because some of the examples seem to come from newer concepts. The only other term I am familar with is "Wampum" which was a means of trade used between the Indians themselves before the Spanish and later explorers came along. However, wampum was primarily seashells and is where the phrase "How much did you shell out for that?" came from.

So I am totally confused exactly what you've got there. Are you sure they are sterling silver? Again, they may just be left-over slag from jewlery making. I just don't know!

SBB

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

More research is needed here. It appears the term "trade token" may not correctly apply to your "items." Every reference to trade token I was able to find referred to it as a "coin" of some type.

That is unless they are from a much earlier period. But that doesn't seem to apply either because of the "Liberty Head" example that is clearly a newer concept. The only other term I am familar with is "Wampum" which was a means of trade used between the Indians themselves before the Spanish and later explorers came along. But wampum was primarily seashells and is where the phrase "How much did you shell out for that?" came from.

So I am totally confused exactly what you've got there. Are you sur they are sterling silver? Again, they may just be left-over slag from jewlery making. I just don't know!

SBB

I havent commented much because I dont know. Are they trinkets to trade with the Indians? Or are they items the Navajos made from silver coins to trade? The word token sounds OK.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Navajo or Navaho? http://www.jstor.org/pss/977783

 

[SODABOTTLEBOB]

Navajo with a j

I think the proper term we are looking for here is ... "Trade Silver." I have just barely skimmed the surface on researching this, but it's looking pretty good so far. Below is an example.

SBB

 

[Bramblefind]

Those are awesome - great find! I don't know anything about them but read a little of this book and I think this paragraph might describe something about how they were used:

http://books.google.com/books?id=sf...q="navajo" trade" "silver" "pendants"&f=false

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

I guess typewriters werent available to everyone. I would open that tray up and see if you can find any other clues. Anything at all on the back?

 

[foundatreasure]

That is an amazing collection . Please post more pictures ! Nice !

The folks on this forum are amazing! I really need to learn how to use my metal detector. All of your treasures make me want to give it a try. I am less than 5 miles from the Fl Gulf Island beaches!

Thanks to all for the help & advice. I will post at American Indian Artifacts. Thanks for the link as I am too new to be able to use the search function.

The pictures show clearly that the date written is "1890's" vs the "1810's" as I thought I saw in my excitement.

As requested I am posting more pics with a penny on one for a point of reference on size.

My examples of "looking like" something is just my way of explaining what I see & not an exact match. I did research trade tokens & came up with the same thoughts on them being more like coins. I agree "trade silver" makes more sense. They each do have a ring to hang each item on a string. They would display very well though as they would be sideways if strung unless the point wasn't to see the individual item but instead the quantity of items a person owned. That makes sense after reading about trade silver. The maker marks in the article made me look at my stick people markings. One seems to look like a turtle along with the hash mark.

Thank you for the link to the book that has examples of trade silver & more history to ponder!

 

[foundatreasure]

Hey, Welcome to t-net. They appear to be Milagros charms. I don't know if you could tell for sure if they were native american cast pieces, unless there are some type of specific hallmarks/makers marks on them? and a more certain provinance about their origin.

You hit a home run; not so much for me!

Found the exact match on eBay to 3 of my charms in a lot of 30 asking for $6.95 with no bids. If I am lucky they will actually be sterling & would have some scrap value. Makes sense on what they are as I am in a Hispanic area.

Thanks!

 

[SODABOTTLEBOB]

Congratulations Buckshot! You nailed it! This just goes to show us not to believe everything we read on boxes. Even the 1890s date is in question now. But all things considered, a cool find and discussion. We learn something new every day on Tnet.

Milagros is a Mexican word that means "Miracles"

Here is the e-bay link w/ accompanying picture below.
http://cgi.ebay.com/30-CHARMS-MILAG...226?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1e64e4c182

Here is another link which discusses milagros and has various pictures of them.
http://www.sacredartimages.com/milagros.html

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Hey, Welcome to t-net. They appear to be Milagros charms. I don't know if you could tell for sure if they were native american cast pieces, unless there are some type of specific hallmarks/makers marks on them? and a more certain provinance about their origin.

You hit a home run; not so much for me!

Found the exact match on eBay to 3 of my charms in a lot of 30 asking for $6.95 with no bids. If I am lucky they will actually be sterling & would have some scrap value. Makes sense on what they are as I am in a Hispanic area.

Thanks!

Great ID buckshot. Sometimes its best just to sit back and learn lol. I find myself wanting to post on every topic. It appears they may not even be silver. The way it is dispayed in the box so you cannot open it to test. The crude writing, shellaced wood box. I would have fallen for it myself. You can really get burned out in the antique market. I hope you didnt pay much. Burned at the thrift store? http://cgi.ebay.com/50-MEXICAN-FOLK...865?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item25655a5d31

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

I was posting that same picture Bob. I think thats his cow with horns.

They are made with the old sand casting method, and they can be made out of gold, silver, tin, lead, probably zinc and pot metal or any shiny metal that melts easily.

Beware of anything made in Mexico or China. They even hand blow bottles in Mexico.

 

[SODABOTTLEBOB]

The other link I posted shows that so called "Liberty Head Lady."

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

The other link I posted shows that so called "Liberty Head Lady."

yep the womans head. Green check.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Also the kneeling person and the donkey.