Last 2 hunts,ya gotta see what was stuffed into this brass finial at a colonial site

[HEAVYMETALNUT]

Gotta see what was inside the brass finial.read the story.....Got out withTodd Hiltz to one site today.the air was thick and humid but we managed to save some coins & relics from this beautiful site.I got a decent Connecticut copper,what I think is maybe a cone shaped candle snuffer a few buttons,the tiniest thimble I ever seen, the lock was from yesterday & pretty unique find inside the brass finial.as I was washing it out i saw a stick inside.figuring a root grew through it so I pushed it out.right away i noticed it was no root.it was a carved stick intentionally crammed inside.as I was letting the water run through to flush out the dirt a blob of parchment paper came out.i saw lettering and carefully with tweezers tried to unfold it. It's definitely colonial era parchment paper as i can see the fibers and make out some words.a couple are pounds & shilling. any tips on preserving this small fragment of parchment paper? was a fun hunt! last week was a double draped bust LC day

 

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[BTV Digger]

Very unique find Dave and congrats on all the finds. The preservation of parchment can get quite complex if you believe any of the documentation curators have published, or put on the web for that matter. If the document is valuable things like proper RH, acid-free environment etc come into play. It may be worthwhile to take a trip to a local museum for guidance if you have time.

John

 

[l2hunt]

That is just incredible, congrats!

 

[huntsman53]

Amazing finds and congrats on a great hunt! I could be wrong but it appears that the parchment sets down or details the value or breakdown of something or some things in grains, ounces, pounds and what appears to be drams.


Frank

 

[HEAVYMETALNUT]

Amazing finds and congrats on a great hunt! I could be wrong but it appears that the parchment sets down or details the value or breakdown of something or some things in grains, ounces, pounds and what appears to be drams.


Frank

yes sir you picked out the key words also the word apothecary is in there

 

[tomhighland]

Congratulations on the nice finds. That's a couple of nice days, coinage and very nice relics.

 

[Loco-Digger]

Looking at your digs is getting me anxious for another trip east. Congrats on the great day digging.

 

[Pacivilwarluke]

Absolutely incredible! It's amazing that it survived for so long! Huge congrats!

 

[Dr.Tones]

Pretty friggin amazing man! That new haircut is brining you some good luck!

 

[ajaj]

Really nice finds, especially the colonial paper.

aj

 

[trapperart]

Congrats on some very nice finds

 

[OutdoorAdv]

That's just awesome Dave! Makes me wonder if there is even more parchment still in the finial.... perhaps they wound the paper around the stick and stored it inside the finial so it didn't get damaged in a pocket or bag.

I typed out the words I can see on it just in case anyone has trouble reading it.

four grains,
weights, one ounce
the apothecary
weight twenty
dram
one pound

I wonder if it was part of one of those conversion charts or something... this one doesnt match, but it shares many of the same terms.



The possibilities are endless!

Awesome find man

-Brad

 

[HEAVYMETALNUT]

That's just awesome Dave! Makes me wonder if there is even more parchment still in the finial.... perhaps they wound the paper around the stick and stored it inside the finial so it didn't get damaged in a pocket or bag.

I typed out the words I can see on it just in case anyone has trouble reading it.

four grains,
weights, one ounce
the apothecary
weight twenty
dram
one pound

I wonder if it was part of one of those conversion charts or something... this one doesnt match, but it shares many of the same terms.

View attachment 1347870

The possibilities are endless!

Awesome find man

-Brad

thanks! no more was inside the finial.just wondering if this has to do with medicine or coinage now

 

[Professor of Engineering]

Outstanding Relic hunt, congratulations!

I bet the paper was used to take up any looseness in the finial, great recovery!

 

[OutdoorAdv]

thanks! no more was inside the finial.just wondering if this has to do with medicine or coinage now

Humm, or even an Apothecary medicine recipe. Wish there was more of it in there to solve the mystery. I googled around but it will be impossible to pinpoint. I'm always amazed at what organic things get preserved and what turns to dirt.

 

[Sleepy]

Awesome finds! Just until you find out how to preserve the paper in a permanent way you could get one of those Ziplock Vacuum Sealers at the grocery store and vacuum seal it temporarily. Those manual Ziplock brands are cheap at the grocery store. I would seal the holder and all that you placed the paper in. It couldn't hurt and may prevent any additional deterioration until you can get some professional advice. And also keep it out of the light. Congratulations again on some great finds.

 

[huntsman53]

thanks! no more was inside the finial.just wondering if this has to do with medicine or coinage now

More than likely it is associated with an Apothecary since that word along with the measurements are on the parchment. If you have a Museum close by that deals in Colonial documents and the such, it is likely they have the equipment and computer programs to scan the parchment and then run the programs to try to fill in the missing letters and words.


Frank

 

[A2coins]

That is cool history amazing finds. I once found a mason jar it was very dirty but I could see stuff in it and of course under a tree rott took a long time to get it out hoping for coins but it was someones little time capsule from the 70s. eerrrr I put it back.Cant wiat to see your next post Thanks for sharing!!!!

 

[relic lover]

That is amazing to find paper that old. I wonder if it was in there to make that thing stay on the threads. As far as preservation I would press it between two plates of glass and keep it out of sunlight

 

[dwj]

That is amazing to find paper that old. I wonder if it was in there to make that thing stay on the threads. As far as preservation I would press it between two plates of glass and keep it out of sunlight

Great thought on the parchment being put there to keep the plug in. Use what you have to do the job, and in the process make a mystery for the future.

Excellent finds and awesome post!!!

not sure about putting that hi-res of a photo of your fingerprint on the internet though.