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!

 

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[foundatreasure]

I am still hoping to confirm or dismiss the Hopi mark theory. I wrote to the person whose family uses/used this mark but no response

 

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[SODABOTTLEBOB]

Hang in there ... we're still here and rooting for you!

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[foundatreasure]

Found this:

"The Hopi are another Pueblo tribe who share their reservation with the Arizona Tewa people. The Hopi reservation is entirely surrounded by the Navajo Reservation. The system of Hopi villages are based around three mesas. Walpi is the oldest village on First Mesa, established in 1690 after the villages at the foot of mesa Koechaptevela were abandoned for fear of Spanish reprisal after the 1680 Pueblo Revolt. Hopis also occupy the Second Mesa, while the Third Mesa is occupied by the Tewa people.

Hopi artisans usually do not work with stones at all. They are master silversmiths who form their jewelry from the sterling silver alone.

The Hopi silverwork style is much different from that of the Navajo and Zuni. The Hopi put a specific shine or patina on their silver, with raised patterns. The interior of the cut work is darker because it is not polished. Be very careful when cleaning Hopi silver because you do not want to destroy the darker colors. Hopi silver will have a petroglyph, a scene, or sacred symbols etched in the silver and can be extremely simple or very ornate."

This fits with the Milagros mixed with "stick people" and some ones thought that all of these were Navajo.

 

[foundatreasure]

Anyone own this book?
Hopi Silver: The History and Hallmarks of Hopi Silversmithing. University of New Mexico Press, 2003, by Wright, Margaret Nickelson. 300 pages with thirty pages of makers' marks.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Have you thought about writing back to Vanessa to tell her about the matching Hopi mark we discovered and see if she has an opinion on this new information?

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Any updates?

 

[foundatreasure]

Any updates?

Nothing new so far. Still have them & still curious about them. Thanks for remembering!

 

[ipsilateral]

Tremendously cool find. Well done. You might check with one of the big pawn shops/trading posts. Those guys on or near the "Rez" in UT or AZ will know in a heartbeat all about these. Box looks totally authentic and good to me. They are probably exactly what the label says they are.

Nate

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

This is another post where we went back and forth but never positively IDed it. Sometimes a post will go on for years before its solved.