✅ SOLVED ...Lead game pieces? Found amongst trade silver.

[mk4125]

Over the last few years I have been finding these lead circle-shaped items....But don't think they are buttons. They have all be found in Northern Lower peninsula and all have been found in the immediate vicinity of 'trade silver'. Surely they were not a form of currency...But not finding much documented stuff on the internet. ??

 

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[huntsman53]

I am not saying that they are these but I have seen similar holed round lead pieces to hold tar paper to the side of a house or on a roof and they have also been used for holding down tin roofing.


Frank

 

[mk4125]

... Possible. Not sure how many fur traders had tar paper though .

 

[Bramblefind]

Nice finds! I think they could be "whizzers" - this is from the book Indian Trade Relics (Lar Hothem).

 

[mk4125]

That's definitely a picture items that match these...And they were all found on / near known Indian sites. Solved. Thanks guys!

 

[Mud Hut]

Not saying they aren't whizzers, but how does a whizzer work having only one hole.

 

[mk4125]

True...it would be a bit difficult to perform the whizzer spinning action with just one hole. It must be some sort of similar game / function tho. The pieces have always been found alone...leading me to believe they are part of an individual game (similar to a whizzer). There are no markings on the discs but one does appear to have a certain design made to the edge.

 

[huntsman53]

Maybe they were used to secure a bundle of furs together or even secure furs to a lodge or hut. They sure look like whizzers but with only one hole, it is doubtful that that is what they are! The problem with identifying such items is assuming that only a few types of activities occurred there and/or only certain individuals lived, worked and traded at or traveled through that location over a period of hundreds of years.


Frank

 

[ivan salis]

maybe part of a bale seal run a wire thru hole and then twist it so that it can't go back thru --for baling up furs into bunches
Indians could have made whizzers from them by punching extra holes in them when they met fur traders

 

[mk4125]

Possible. The center hole (on any of them) does not looked stressed / worn...which may be expected if it was used to secure something of size. Hmmmmm.