CyberSage
11-26-2010, 01:14 PM
The warm fall days in the high plains of Colorado this year have been a welcome and cherished change of weather. Every once in awhile we get to enjoy an extended summer before the cold of winter sweeps in and makes the ground rock hard and suspends the rest of the outside world in a frozen slumber. Along with the extra warm days came extra time to detect as well. I continue to make the 30 mile journey to the nearby town where I have found numerous Silver Dimes and the Walking Liberty Half earlier this year. Over the last few weeks I have made four trips to hunt a different park in this town. This park was one of the original parks constructed in the late 1800's. It is made up of all the wonderful things an old park should be made up of. There was a bandstand in the center of the park that existed for almost 70 years before it was tore down in 1969. It was replaced with a playground for the kids. Modern day picnic pavilions and bathrooms are now the only structures that exist in the park. There is a quiet peace that seems to blow through the branches of the huge old trees in the park. This is one of the more fascinating stories about this particular park. These massive trees got their start in 1890 when a local women's group brought buckets of water from a near by river and hand watered them until there roots became established. I have often thought about these women as I searched the roots of the trees for old coins. They must have been very strong, A mix of grace, duty, and refinement that defined them in a world not so easy to live in. Without the amenities we enjoy today they managed to go through life, raise families, provide care ,and perform countless civic duties expected of them in the community. These women who watered the trees had lived in an Edwardian environment, and were immersed in the Victorian era. Which means they did most of this work while being very proper and dressed in what would be considered uncomfortable attire by today's standards. I just can't imagine what it must have been like to carry buckets of water in 90 to 100 degree mid summer temperatures while being in a dress, just to water trees in the park. The large strong roots of the the trees stand testament to their conviction to this day. As I dug around these trees, the past began to give up it's treasures. Here are some of the highlights from my last four hunts.
ColoradoCoinShooting (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXDElp5gCQA#)
I love finding old coins. Here are some of the photos I took during my hunts. Even a single old coin just makes my day. The metal detecting Gods certainly filled my last fall hunts with wonder and intrigue.
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o187/CyberSageBH3300/BarberDig-1.jpg
This is a typical dig site for finding a Silver Dime.
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o187/CyberSageBH3300/BarberCloseUp.jpg
This time it was a 1901 Barber Dime
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o187/CyberSageBH3300/DeepIndianSite.jpg
This was a very deep Indian Head Penney. This was at about 9.5 inches when measured.
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o187/CyberSageBH3300/DIHeads.jpg
This 1907 Indian was my 10th this year.
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o187/CyberSageBH3300/FirstMercSite.jpg
Parkway strips are a great location. This one produced a hat-trick on Mercury Dimes.
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o187/CyberSageBH3300/CloseUpPendant.jpg
jewelry is a common find in these areas as well. A beautiful little Silver and Turquoise pendant was the 4th Silver of the day
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o187/CyberSageBH3300/4HuntGroup.jpg
The last few hunts produced a variety of Silver and Jewelry. Take note of the Silver ring in the above photo. Every once in awhile I chance to find something that has it's own special story to tell. Something that offers a wonderful glimpse into the past. Today would be one of these days. I did not even know what I had when I shot this video...
BuckleRing (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ro5Gwrg0EIs#)
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o187/CyberSageBH3300/RingCloseUpDig.jpg
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o187/CyberSageBH3300/RingCloseUp.jpg
I could see a buckle design on one side of the ring. I thought it may be older do to the depth it was found at. I could see several markings on the inside of the band. I put the ring in my keeper pouch and continued my hunt.When I returned home and started to give my finds a warm sudsy water bath, I discovered something very special about the small Silver Ring. Upon closer examination I discovered a full set of English hallmarks , and a makers mark on the inside of the band.
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o187/CyberSageBH3300/Hallmarks.jpg
A little research on the markings revealed this about the ring, from left right...
Makers Mark: A-S is probably the first and last initials of the Silversmith.
Date letters: The Gothic lowercase g told me the ring was made in 1881.
City Mark: The sideway anchor denotes that it was made in Birmingham, England
Silver Standard Mark: Lion passant (walking lion) means it is .925
All of the sudden I realized I had a ring that most likely was worn by a Victorian lady at some point in time. More research told me the Buckle design also had a very special meaning. The giving of a ring in the shape of a belt buckle began in Victorian times and was symbolic token of the close relationship between the giver and the wearer. Buckle rings also denote strength, loyalty and protection. Often given as promise rings they were very popular in the late 1800's. My mind once again drifted to the thoughts of the Victorian Ladies who bucketed water into the park to care for the young trees. Strength, loyalty, and protection was certainly what these ladies were all about. I regained focus and looked across the room where my wife sat at the kitchen table working on bill paying and account balancing. She works a full hard week and then comes home to care for me and do household tasks. I walked across the room and touched her on the shoulder. She looked up and said, did you find something good? I took her hand and slipped the ring on her finger and then softly replied, ...
I found your ring
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o187/CyberSageBH3300/RingHand.jpg
Keep Swing'in
Jack
ColoradoCoinShooting (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXDElp5gCQA#)
I love finding old coins. Here are some of the photos I took during my hunts. Even a single old coin just makes my day. The metal detecting Gods certainly filled my last fall hunts with wonder and intrigue.
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o187/CyberSageBH3300/BarberDig-1.jpg
This is a typical dig site for finding a Silver Dime.
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o187/CyberSageBH3300/BarberCloseUp.jpg
This time it was a 1901 Barber Dime
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o187/CyberSageBH3300/DeepIndianSite.jpg
This was a very deep Indian Head Penney. This was at about 9.5 inches when measured.
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o187/CyberSageBH3300/DIHeads.jpg
This 1907 Indian was my 10th this year.
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o187/CyberSageBH3300/FirstMercSite.jpg
Parkway strips are a great location. This one produced a hat-trick on Mercury Dimes.
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o187/CyberSageBH3300/CloseUpPendant.jpg
jewelry is a common find in these areas as well. A beautiful little Silver and Turquoise pendant was the 4th Silver of the day
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o187/CyberSageBH3300/4HuntGroup.jpg
The last few hunts produced a variety of Silver and Jewelry. Take note of the Silver ring in the above photo. Every once in awhile I chance to find something that has it's own special story to tell. Something that offers a wonderful glimpse into the past. Today would be one of these days. I did not even know what I had when I shot this video...
BuckleRing (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ro5Gwrg0EIs#)
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o187/CyberSageBH3300/RingCloseUpDig.jpg
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o187/CyberSageBH3300/RingCloseUp.jpg
I could see a buckle design on one side of the ring. I thought it may be older do to the depth it was found at. I could see several markings on the inside of the band. I put the ring in my keeper pouch and continued my hunt.When I returned home and started to give my finds a warm sudsy water bath, I discovered something very special about the small Silver Ring. Upon closer examination I discovered a full set of English hallmarks , and a makers mark on the inside of the band.
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o187/CyberSageBH3300/Hallmarks.jpg
A little research on the markings revealed this about the ring, from left right...
Makers Mark: A-S is probably the first and last initials of the Silversmith.
Date letters: The Gothic lowercase g told me the ring was made in 1881.
City Mark: The sideway anchor denotes that it was made in Birmingham, England
Silver Standard Mark: Lion passant (walking lion) means it is .925
All of the sudden I realized I had a ring that most likely was worn by a Victorian lady at some point in time. More research told me the Buckle design also had a very special meaning. The giving of a ring in the shape of a belt buckle began in Victorian times and was symbolic token of the close relationship between the giver and the wearer. Buckle rings also denote strength, loyalty and protection. Often given as promise rings they were very popular in the late 1800's. My mind once again drifted to the thoughts of the Victorian Ladies who bucketed water into the park to care for the young trees. Strength, loyalty, and protection was certainly what these ladies were all about. I regained focus and looked across the room where my wife sat at the kitchen table working on bill paying and account balancing. She works a full hard week and then comes home to care for me and do household tasks. I walked across the room and touched her on the shoulder. She looked up and said, did you find something good? I took her hand and slipped the ring on her finger and then softly replied, ...
I found your ring
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o187/CyberSageBH3300/RingHand.jpg
Keep Swing'in
Jack