New Dirt=CHS made SC button, Eagle Button, Mystery Trade weight, USN Silver

[Stef45]

Since VMI is off playing in a large sandbox, I figured I would go find some buttons and other relics per tradition. I was able to secure a new permission through a classmate. Her family's home is in an area that saw quite a bit of CW activity, so i was hopeful. The front yard is only like 30x20 feet. It became apparent right away that it was going to be an interesting dig.

This is the first fully intact SC button that i have dug. Yet i'm not certain if it was CW or post CW. The maker PH Shuckmann made buttons, i believe, in Charleston starting in the 1850's. I saw one 18mm example that said it most likely was made for the CW. this is 21mm so not sure. Help would be welcomed on this one. Either way it is in great condition and i'm happy to have it. I thought it was for sure a silver coin because it lit up my ears and it was not very deep.



Next button has me searching. So the back mark is STEELE & JOHNSON MFG CO which i'm pretty sure is 1875-1920's back mark. Then the Eagle on the front has a weird head that I don't recognize. 21mm. I haven't been able to match the head to another example to for sure lock down the date. Help needed on this one as well.




My First Trade/Apothecary weight! I always see people finding this and its been on my list. This one however has been a hard one to ID. The Dagger, i have read, means its made in London but i can't find a weight with 2 daggers. the XVII means 17 (can't remember the name of the units) which is around the 1 oz that i measured it at. The symbol on the bottom is also hard to figure out. It almost looks like a tiny lion but i'm not 100% sure of that. Any help would be great, I've looked through like 500 pictures of weights on a website trying to find one like this, to no avail.



I was able to find a couple tiny relics. What looks like a pocket watch knob and then a percussion cap.



This spoon was a really cool find. I believe it is a WW2 era Navy Officers spoon that is apart of a larger set, obviously. Im not sure if it is silver plated or not. It is quite heavy and the spoon bowl doesn't seem to be of the same material as the handle. You can kind make out the end of the companies name "International Silver Co." and then "I S" or "L S" not really sure what that means. Either way it's always fun digging up full spoons.



Then I find another spoon and it was deep. This one is hard to read but what i can read is again perplexing. A1 over a 2 then "HEAVY". Help needed on this one as well. Still another one that i'll take!



Scored a couple Wheats and a tiny broken heart ring. And a nice piece of porcelain, would have loved to seen the whole thing.



Thanks for looking and hope y'all can help me answer some of these questions these finds bring up. Good luck out there!

 

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[Bill D. (VA)]

I'm very interested in trying to ID your trade weight, but haven't had much luck. However, it's very similar in size and design to the Victorian coin and bullion weights that show up at sites where occupancy extended into the 19th century, but it's obviously a trade weight based on the markings and probably from the same era. As you likely know, the dagger signifies the City of London authority, and that unidentifiable mark at the bottom likely represents the manufacturer of the weight. On all of the 18th century trade weights I've recovered this mark has been a "ewer", which looks like a small coffee pot and which it stands for the Founders Company. But yours appears to be different. And the "XVII" obviously represents the weight, probably in grams. Sorry I can't be more specific. Cool find!! Also, I really like the front face to that silver heart ring. Don't know if you remember, but my digging buddy Dan posted 2 gorgeous silver rings he recovered at a 17th century site last summer, and one is similar to one you posted. Thought you'd like to see how it matches up to yours.

 

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[Stef45]

I'm very interested in trying to ID your trade weight, but haven't had much luck. However, it's very similar in size and design to the Victorian coin and bullion weights that show up at sites where occupancy extended into the 19th century, but it's obviously a trade weight based on the markings and probably from the same era. As you likely know, the dagger signifies the City of London authority, and that unidentifiable mark at the bottom likely represents the manufacturer of the weight. On all of the 18th century trade weights I've recovered this mark has been a "ewer", which looks like a small coffee pot and which it stands for the Founders Company. But yours appears to be different. And the "XVII" obviously represents the weight, probably in grams. Sorry I can't be more specific. Cool find!! Also, I really like the front face to that silver heart ring. Don't know if you remember, but my digging buddy Dan posted 2 gorgeous silver rings he recovered at a 17th century site last summer, and one is similar to one you posted. Thought you'd like to see how it matches up to yours.

View attachment 1448844

I'm pretty sure that silver heart ring I found was from a 40-60s park that just got thrown in with the rest of it. If I had found it at this new site I'd be pumped! Thanks tho Bill.

 

[Steve in PA]

That weight is radically cool! I found one a couple weeks ago, but yours has more character with the daggers and the Roman numerals.

 

[danjsargent]

Really great set of finds. Congrats!

 

[gwdigger]

Great finds. I like the SC button and the weight particularly.

 

[Stef45]

That weight is radically cool! I found one a couple weeks ago, but yours has more character with the daggers and the Roman numerals.

Yeah I've been seeing them posted and figured it had to be a matter of time before I dug one...i was pretty excited to see it in the hole. It has a nice patina to it as well that i like. Thanks for reading Steve!

 

[Stef45]

Really great set of finds. Congrats!

Great finds. I like the SC button and the weight particularly.

Thanks y'all. Again very unexpected.

 

[Stef45]

Congrats on a really nice hunt Steph. The SC button is really sweet... even says "Charleston" on it. I also like the weight.

Best of luck to you sir!

Yeah, Ive dug the top piece of a SC button before, so it was nice digging a full one and then to have it say "Charleston SC" on the back really tops it off! Thanks Tom

 

[Stef45]

Awesome hunt man! I really like that weight... Hopefully Cru stops by and gives his input on it. Killer buttons too.

Thank you sir! Yeah Cru has been trying to help me on "whats it" he is leaning Georgian...and i tend to agree just because i haven't been able to find one that is even close to similar from the victorian era. But i'm still looking!

 

[Davers]

I was thinking the same about the 'Hearts' ring.
That SC Button is Sweet even the late 1800's GS is Cool.

IMO your Navy Spoon is Sterling or was protected by something in the ground or Lost not long ago, look at it with a good Magnifying Glass & look for Chipping.

Don't know much about the Weight but it Bad Arse.

Hope you get a back mark ID on the SC, if not ill check my Alberts Book later , to lazy right now.

MAN! You had a Good Hunt.
Davers

 

[fishstick]

HELLUVA HUNT!!!!!!!!!! CONGRATZ.....

 

[Stef45]

I was thinking the same about the 'Hearts' ring.
That SC Button is Sweet even the late 1800's GS is Cool.

IMO your Navy Spoon is Sterling or was protected by something in the ground or Lost not long ago, look at it with a good Magnifying Glass & look for Chipping.

Don't know much about the Weight but it Bad Arse.

Hope you get a back mark ID on the SC, if not ill check my Alberts Book later , to lazy right now.

MAN! You had a Good Hunt.
Davers

Thanks man...Yeah i have an email out to one of the experts trying to nail down a date. Im also still interested in the chicken looking head of the eagle. The SC button will come down to the size of the font and i think the PH vs P Shuckmann difference i suspect.

 

[Palmetto Pony]

Congrats Stef. Some really nice finds!

 

[Patriot Relics]

Nice pile of recoveries concentrated in such a small area, glad to see you back in some decent dirt. Soil looks perfect for preserving buttons

 

[Stef45]

Nice pile of recoveries concentrated in such a small area, glad to see you back in some decent dirt. Soil looks perfect for preserving buttons

Yeah the soil was really nice in this yard. Easy to dig too. Still looking for a large permission for when you get back!

 

[Davers]

Thanks man...Yeah i have an email out to one of the experts trying to nail down a date. Im also still interested in the chicken looking head of the eagle. The SC button will come down to the size of the font and i think the PH vs P Shuckmann difference i suspect.

Hope you figure it out.
Looked at my Alberts book & got the same info on the GS 'Type' Button & None on the Charleston Back-Mark.
But
As you know this is an old book & there are Newer Button books that likely give info on yr SC button .

Whatever time period it's from , id love to have dug that one.

P.S. was the Navy Utensil Sterling?
GD

 

[Stef45]

Hope you figure it out.
Looked at my Alberts book & got the same info on the GS 'Type' Button & None on the Charleston Back-Mark.
But
As you know this is an old book & there are Newer Button books that likely give info on yr SC button .

Whatever time period it's from , id love to have dug that one.

P.S. was the Navy Utensil Sterling?
GD

So like I said the spoon is Navy ww2 era and the bowl and stem seem to be different material. But I feel like at least part of it is streling

 

[Stef45]

UPDATE: Confirmed the eagle button to be post war...Indian War era. The Charleston made SC Button still stands as uncertain. There were buttons made by this company with this back mark made during the CW but then they started making more post CW. So this might be unknown for awhile unless someone has more info.

Thanks for all your comments and inputs. Good luck out there.

 

[Davers]

Thanks for the updates.

Davers