King George I Indian Peace Medal circa 1714-1720

[Don in SJ]

A few years back I had the fortunate luck of finding a large bronze piece that at first had me puzzled as to what I had found, I knew it was a King George something, and not a coin. Not until I deadended on the internet that I contacted a friend who is the president of the Colonial Coin Collectors Club (C4) and he forwarded my photo to someone who did know what it was.

I was rather surprised to learn that it was an Indian Peace Medal and that the King George I medals are rather scarce. The individual who identified it also works for an auction firm and advised me the medal, even in the deteriorated condition it is in would still most likely go for a thousand to couple thousand dollars in auction!

I pondered for awhile and did decide to consign it with his firm, so I did part with it.

This link lists the medal when it was on auction and there is a brief summary written about my find and about the medal itself.

I have heard of one other KGI Indian Peace Medal being found since mine and that was by a gentleman in Canada and his was in better shape than mine, but I never heard what he did with it.

I could not submit for a best find of the year since I did not get my official verification till the end of the year and W&E shuts off the best find of the year before year's end.

OK, here is the link to the auction and the photo attached was taken by me and I added a picture of what a good one should look like.

http://www.anrcoins.com/lotdetail.aspx?lrid=AN00006152

Don in SJ

 

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[dg39]

Great item of American History! Very good price realized also! We occasionally dig up a 1700's Spanish coin down in Louisiana but nothing as significant as your medal.
DG

 

[ColonialDude]

awesome find Don!! What a thrill that would have been!

The one found in Canada was in the Detroit River (hence the condition), just off of Windsor, Ontario. It was auctioned off as well, for how much I can't recall...but it was a rather large sum.

It's tough to part with pieces like that I would imagine!!

I sold a blacksmith token I found here last year. It was VERY thin, green, and displayed almost no detail. Had to look at it under a magnifying glass and the right light to tell what it was. Based on this fact, I figured I'd sell it. Still brought me $1000 U.S. and paid for a new machine for me. Only personal find I have sold...and I have no intentions of selling any others again.

Thanks for sharing!

Wess

 

[hollowpointred]

outstanding! i would have flipped when i finally realised what it was! great stuff!

 

[DJ_Quinn]

I checked the auction link and it said price realized $1840! Pretty good sale for a medal that's so weathered. It just goes to show what a great peice that was.

 

[Gypsy Heart]

Great story. Many congrats to you and your fabulous find!

 

[The Seeker]

What a great find..........congrats!

 

[Don in SJ]

I hunted the site where I found the medal possibly harder than anyplace I had ever hunted. I pounded the place for many days over the following months, I recorded every object myself and my son (hunting partner) dug, including iron pieces.
Here is a list of the items found at the site, which included two seperate areas of occupation, which I called Site A and Site B

The site at which this medal was found is unusual in that time of occupation seems to have
occurred at two different periods. However it is possible that it was occupied only in the 1790's
for a short period, but the inhabitants still were using much older items.
The site sits on a slight rise in elevation on sandy loam, but it is adjacent to a swamp.
It appears to have consisted of two small dwellings within 150 feet of each other.
No brick material found at all and the number of different size rosehead type nails found is
not consistent with what is usually found at a site with a dwelling of substantial size.
I would say most likely two crude log cabins occupied the site.

At both sites and I designated them Site A and Site B, the artifacts found were within small
boundaries of the site themselves. Stray finds outside of the sites did not occur and in-between the
Sites A and B was clean ground, no artifacts.

The site could have been a hunter/trapper shelter or maybe an early sawmill worker. There
was a major Iron Furnace nearby, however, it did not come into existence until 1801. There was
a sawmill at the furnace site as early as 1750's.
The furnace site was active as a furnace and in later years as a paper mill and none of the
artifacts found are consistent with that time period. (1801 till late 1800's)

The following artifacts were recovered by metal detector from depths of 2 inches to 10 inches in
sandy site, no top soil exits for accumulation of layers and vegetation is sparse for the area,
it is known locally as "sugar sand".

The dates of recovery are from September 29, 2003 to October 16, 2003.
King George I Indian Peace Medal
Coin, Carolus III Spanish Half Real
Coin, Carolus IIII Spanish Half Real
Thimble
Thimble, (end missing)
Trigger Guard, Partial, Musket type - 4 pieces
Button, 15mm, Cross button, possible 1720's Spanish Cleric
Button, 22mm,Civilian Design type, possible Spanish 1790's era
Button, 28mm, plain
Button, 26mm, Tombac, plain, broken
Button, 18mm, plain
Button, 17mm, plain
Button, 18mm, Tombac, plain
Button, 18mm, Tombac, plain
Button, 18mm, plain
Button, 19mm, Tombac, plain
Button, 21mm, plain
Button, Fragment, Tombac, est original size 24-25mm
Button, 15mm, Treble Gilt, plain
cufflink, 15mm x 10mm, Oval shape, design worn, beaded border
buckle, heavily encrusted, unknown type
spoon bowl, Tablespoon size- Pewter 80mm x 44mm
spoon bowl, Tablespoon size- Pewter 80mm x 44mm
spoon bowl, Teaspoon size - Pewter
spoon handle partial - Pewter
spoon handle, large heavily encrusted, could be knife
decorative broken back plate iron
iron pot pieces, 6 each assorted sizes, one with leg attached
iron pot leg, different from pot above
oxen shoe
mule/horse shoe
assorted unknown iron pieces 6 each
Rose head type nails, 48mm 7 each - more left in ground
Rose head type nails, 70mm 2 each - more left in ground
cast buckshot, .32 caliber, several
cast buckshot, .36 caliber, several
flatten buckshot
piece of flat lead
clam shell fragments
brownstone type pottery shards
Coin, 1699 William III British Halfpenny
Coin, 1700 William III British Halfpenny
Coin, William III British Halfpenny worn smooth, identical in size to above coins
Coin, 1723, King George I British Halfpenny
buckle, shoe, Spanish, 1720 era
button, 15mm, Continental Light Dragoon, white metal or lead?
button, 15mm, non recognizable design, update: a 2nd Continental Light Dragoon button, white metal
Button, 16mm, Tombac, plain
Button, 17mm, plain
Button, 17.5mm, Tombac, plain
button, 22mm, Tombac, plain
button, 22mm, Tombac, plain
button, 15mm approx, Pewter, rotted
button, round ball, blow hole type, two part , 18mm
button, round ball, blow hole type, two part, 17mm
button, round ball, blow hole type, back piece only
button, round ball, blow hole type, back piece only
button, round ball, blow hole type, back piece only
button, 15mm, Tombac, plain
button, 15mm, Tombac, plain
button, 15mm, Tombac, plain
button, 15mm, Tombac, plain
button, Flat, 20mm, b/m of stars and wreath
round ball or buckshot unfired, .36 caliber, with casting sprue attached
round ball or buckshot unfired, .36 caliber, with casting sprue attached
round ball or buckshot chewed, .36 caliber
round ball or buckshot, .36 caliber, 5 pieces
lead, flat piece with hole, approx 55mm in length
rivet, 8 mm
file, triangle type, broken, heavily encrusted
Bolt, threaded, heavily encrusted
Screw, Common, blunt end, heavily encrusted
spike, rose head type, broken, large type
iron triangle piece, unknown ,70mm long
soft metal unknown object, 68mm long, design of Hearts and other unknown design
soft metal unknown object, same design, 68 mm, different shape from above
iron pot pieces, 2 each
iron flat piece, unknown, thin, with a drilled hole
iron piece, approx 111mm in diameter, round, with offset edge, unknown
iron piece, similar to above but partial piece
stone, broken piece, possible artifact, no stones of any type in this sugar sand
clam shell fragments
lead, melted blob
glass fragment, dark green
numerous whole clam shells
various unknown small iron pieces

The one photo is my son after finding a William III Halfpenny that actually had the date! 1699

HH Don in SJ

 

[Don in SJ]

Sorry, here is the photo of my son just after finding the 1699 William III Halfpenny.

 

[DJ_Quinn]

You look pretty happy in that pic Don, and I would be too if I had all those great finds!! Well done.

 

[Don in SJ]

LOL, not me that is happy, not mee in the photo! (my son)

Don

 

[DugHoles]

WOW, thats some find...congrats

GL & HH,

DugHoles