Gold country Heart of brass

[Knut dirtfisk]

Found this little gem of a relic today at an area I've been detecting lately in placer county. There was a small town in the vicinity but no one knows exactly where. I didn't know exactly what it was at first but sent Nick79 a pic and he knew right away. This may be one of my top relic finds ever! Apparently not something you would find to often on the left coast. It's a heel plate for those who are still wondering. Supposedly used by the ladies of the night to leave a distinguishable trail for town guests to find their way to the houses of ill repute, as it was considered rude to ask. Also found a johann hoff bottle lying right on top of the ground and a tooled top vial still with cork at the same location during the last few hunts.

 

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[A2coins]

The heel lady of ill repute lost her heel and the man of ill repute finished his bottle before the deed lol Really cool finds I really like stuff like that cool story behind them Well done

 

[vpnavy]

Nice assortment of finds Knut. Take a look at a members description of your heel plate on: Brass heel plate history? (Nov 11, 2009, 03:45 PM). Thanks for sharing...

 

[CRUSADER]

It's still rude to ask. Nice story, not sure about it's truth though.(They had hearts on everything during this period, even horses)
Still a nice period complete example.

 

[Reanm8er]

Congrats Knut!

Like many I look at the photos before reading the presentation. I said Dang! A harlot's heel plate! Then I read and what a great find and story. I believe this is unique enough to be a banner find!
Also the small vial might have once contained opium.

 

[pistol-pete]

If that heel plate had been found here we would have thought it was from a high heeled cowboy boot. Who knows? Some different sizes for comparison. All fairly small.

 

[Whyme]

Those are some cool bottles! Congrats!

 

[Professor of Engineering]

Great finds, congratulations!

I love find those old heal plates...

 

[Knut dirtfisk]

Thanks y'all! Yeah I'm leaning toward the ladies of the night story being B.S.
After seeing pistol petes collection looks like the heart was just the most popular card suit in their line of heel plates.

 

[Hawks88]

Nice finds. I like the bottles. Congrats

 

[thrifty76now]

Cool heel plate,and I always enjoy seeing old bottles dug.

 

[Tpmetal]

I have found both a heart and a club. I remember a member showing an old newspaper add that had these listed some as a children's set. But at the same time someone also found an intact women's boot with one. Then you hear stories of certain civil war groups using them. So it seems they were relatively common accessories used by many types. Cool find regardless of the unknown story associated with it.

 

[winslow]

Great find and research!