Going back in TIME... 1700s Sundial.

pitdiggers

Full Member
Feb 16, 2009
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Northern Virginia
Detector(s) used
Whites MXT, Shadow X5, Tesoro Cibola, Minelab XTerra
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Going back in TIME... 1700's Sundial.

Thanks to my digging partner Monkeyboy this may be my best find ever. The pitdigger and monkeyboy clans hit the woods at a spot that was settled in the 1700's. Monkeyboy has popped out some super early coins that go back to the 1600-1700's over the years. After a few hours of popping out some tombacs, cast pewter and flat buttons I got a huge signal in an area where a natural spring was in the woods.

A few inches in the rocky wet ground I pulled out a large brass disc. The water gave this thing a different looking patina and it was covered in dirt so I carefully put it in my pack and kept digging. I had no idea what I had just found. Once we all took a break I pulled out the disc and handed it to monkeyboy. With a little water he slowly started to see some markings. Without hesitation he yelled SUNDIAL!!! Unreal. All of the roman numerals and markings are hand-engraved with excellent detail. The compassrose is hand engraved or stamped N,S,E,W. I was ecstatic!

After getting home I used a little water to continue to remove the mud and have done nothing else to it. After some research I found out that the early american settlers would use sundials instead of more expensive time pieces. Could be my best find to date!
 

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Re: Going back in TIME... 1700's Sundial.

pitdiggers said:
Thanks everyone! Thanks Treasurenet. Your comments are all exciting to read.

I have to thank Monkeyboy for this. First he introduced me to this great site and second he shares his dig sites and research with me which is what lead me to this awesome relic. I hope all of you have as great a digging partner and friend as I.

That is an awesome lead one you found IP. If anyone else has found one I would love to see a pic. I am so pumped I will be researching these things all weekend.


If you happen to come across anything similar to mine I would be interested in seeing it. It was dug with stuff dating mid. 1700s and not later than 1820. I was hoping it was a counterfeit coin when I first seen it, but a sundial is cool too.
 

Re: Going back in TIME... 1700's Sundial.

Great find!

I think the shadow would need to fall from the center to the number to show local time. What would the holes be used for?

While on the subject of time....
As the railroads worked their way West the US had well over 500 time zones. This was because it was considered to be noon when the sun was at it's highest point in the sky, which was when the sun was also due south. Each railroad station was on a different longtitude. Of course there were clocks then and local time was set by the sun at "Local Apparent Noon" (LAN). It wasn't until the telegraph was in use that there was a way to syncronize clocks in the time zones we use today.
 

Re: Going back in TIME... 1700's Sundial.

Awesome relic :icon_king: Congrats on Banner :hello2:
 

Re: Going back in TIME... 1700's Sundial.

Cool find !! Congrats on the banner find, you don't see too many of them found. :icon_thumright:

TommNJ
 

Re: Going back in TIME... 1700's Sundial.

THAT IS A KILLER FIND! WISH I WAS YOU:
 

Re: Going back in TIME... 1700's Sundial.

Superb find!

And congrats on the banner!

DCMatt
 

Re: Going back in TIME... 1700's Sundial.

pitdiggers said:
Thanks everyone! Thanks Treasurenet. Your comments are all exciting to read.

I have to thank Monkeyboy for this. First he introduced me to this great site and second he shares his dig sites and research with me which is what lead me to this awesome relic. I hope all of you have as great a digging partner and friend as I.

That is an awesome lead one you found IP. If anyone else has found one I would love to see a pic. I am so pumped I will be researching these things all weekend.

Thanks man!! Always a blast digging with you guys.. ;-) Funny how we seem to have great finds at the other's spot!! ..and I will NEVER forget seeing the random 2 foot deep holes that ALWAYS seem to pop out some great relic... even if I happen to run my monkey paws on it and break of the rim of a VA staff button!!! ::)
 

Re: Going back in TIME... 1700's Sundial.

WooHoo, made the Banner. Huge congrats. :notworthy:
 

Re: Going back in TIME... 1700's Sundial.

Unbelievable relic!!! What an unusual piece. Congrats PD. :thumbsup:
-MM-
 

Re: Going back in TIME... 1700's Sundial.

That is cool. Like most, that's the first one i have seen dug.
Congrats on the banner.
 

Re: Going back in TIME... 1700's Sundial.

I hope you find the pointer part, that is a superb relic I love it :notworthy:
 

Re: Going back in TIME... 1700's Sundial.

Does anyone have the time ??? :hello2: :laughing7: great find

God bless
Peter
 

Re: Going back in TIME... 1700's Sundial.

What little I know about antique sundials, is that they were often made by clock makers, and were very often signed, because clock makers were in guilds , at least in England. If this was imported at that time, then you might find a signature lurking beneath the patina and dirt, that then would be able to give you a better dating.

Good luck.. It is a one beautiful piece of history.
 

Re: Going back in TIME... 1700's Sundial.

Congrats on the awesome sundial! Would be great to find the arm for it. HH, Mike
 

Re: Going back in TIME... 1700's Sundial.

Congrats on a great find, I'm not well versed in the art of sundials but someone at the North American sundial society surely is. Here is the link. http://sundials.org/ Try and contact someone there and maybe they can help. Again, congratulations on a great find!
 

Re: Going back in TIME... 1700's Sundial.

nice time piece.
 

Re: Going back in TIME... 1700's Sundial.

Very cool dial you got there P.D. I would try cleaning it up and mounting it someway. To find the missing part, would be awesome. It is at least a wall hanger!
 

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