My Best Day Out Ever, But I Need Some Mark Identification Help!

[DukeBoxer]

I went out this morning to a beach that I call zinc beach because that's what I generally find there. Today was a minus tide and I got up early to try it one more time. I'm glad I did! The beach has high sand and a sharp slope about 25-30 feet to a mucky bottom at low tide. Right where the slope stops I have found some clad coins, a wheat penny that looked brand new and some aluminum bits. Farther out on the flat muck I probably dug 10-15 zincs in the couple times I had been there before. Today I walked out right where I had found some coins before and was heading right to the edge of the water. First target was a 1950 wheat that looked like it fell yesterday. The second target got my heart going! I saw a copper/gold colored edge and I thought it was another penny that rang low, I can't remember for sure what it rang up as but I think it was 10/11. I picked it up and realized it was a ring and right away started looking for marks. 18k and a C with a diamond above it as a makers mark! Awesome! I made my way to the edge of the water and walked back and fourth along the edge of the water moving back up towards the slope in a crescent shape (the water was higher on one side and I stayed right on the edge). I got a couple coins, another wheat and I dug some small trash. On one of the passes heading back down the side I got a 31 and thought it might be a quarter or a silver quarter. I was surprised when I saw the spoon and immediately rubbed the muck off the spine to see if it said sterling and sure enough! It came out bent like that, I wonder if someone was using it for something other than eating! My alarm went off for 7am and I started making my way back and got a quarter right near the hole I dug the ring from and thought to myself let me check around here a little more because I've found some heavy things right around this area. The next target I think was a 14 (I was hunting by sound more than by VDI numbers) and I dug a hole and checked the sand and muck I pulled out...nothing. Then I looked back down in the hole and saw it sitting there, another ring! Gold with a red/dark pink stone. It is cracked at the bottom and not a closed loop but still rang up pretty solid. I checked for a mark in this ring and all I saw was was looked like a weird sideways 8 and a K. I came to work (conveniently right down the street) and I washed it off and I saw the mark is a diagonal anchor with a K. I knew then it must be an old ring but my question to you all is how old and where could it be from? I'm thinking England. My town was settled in 1639, could it be from the 16-1800's? What about the C makers mark on the other ring? Any ideas?

 

[schoolofhardNox]

Great hunt! The Equinox loves gold. It's amazing!

[NSC]

Well done on some nice goodies

The anchor symbol is the mark for Birmingham Assay Office, England

K is the date letter

Go to Birmingham Assay date letters (Google search) and match your K with the various font styles listed

When you have the exact font style match it will tell you what year that was.

[DukeBoxer]

NSC, thank you. I was doing some searching before and came to that conclusion. There could be a couple different dates, but the font is hard to match, here is what I came up with...1782-83 (I don't think it's this date) 1859-1860 (Maybe this one) 1934-35 (probably not this one either). I'm going by what "box" the letter is outlined with. the 1700 one has a point on the bottom and is 5 sided. The 1900 one has a curve and point on the bottom and the 1800 is just a plain box so for now I'm guessing that one. There is still the fact that it just has those 2 marks and no other mention of what karat gold, but supposedly the sideways anchor means gold and the straight up and down anchor is silver. I talked to the local coin shop and they mentioned it's probably old English and 8 or 9 karat gold which I was thinking also. It's much duller in color than the 18k ring

 

Edit: Meant to say in the first post...This is why I metal detect! haha

[steveg]

DukeBoxer --

GREAT hunting, way to persist in a place where you dug mostly zincs in the past.  EXCELLENT job, and super finds!  I love that 18K ring, it's a nice one!

Steve

[bado1]

Great hunting! 

Dean

[Skate]

Show killer!! What a great day. Congrats

[NSC]

7 hours ago, DukeBoxer said:

NSC, thank you. I was doing some searching before and came to that conclusion. There could be a couple different dates, but the font is hard to match, here is what I came up with...1782-83 (I don't think it's this date) 1859-1860 (Maybe this one) 1934-35 (probably not this one either). I'm going by what "box" the letter is outlined with. the 1700 one has a point on the bottom and is 5 sided. The 1900 one has a curve and point on the bottom and the 1800 is just a plain box so for now I'm guessing that one. There is still the fact that it just has those 2 marks and no other mention of what karat gold, but supposedly the sideways anchor means gold and the straight up and down anchor is silver. I talked to the local coin shop and they mentioned it's probably old English and 8 or 9 karat gold which I was thinking also. It's much duller in color than the 18k ring

 

Edit: Meant to say in the first post...This is why I metal detect! haha

You are welcome mate. ?

Being English its probably 9carat

Thats a pretty big gemstone too. I wonder if its Ruby ??

I noticed it has some little chips. If its valuable it may be worth getting it cleaned up and re-cut to remove the chips.?

cheers

[Dig It]

WOW !!!! A very nice hunt !!!!!

[DukeBoxer]

Thanks everyone for the comments! Tomorrow I'm heading to a jeweler and later to my local coin shop to ask them their opinions on the ring. I'm thinking I have something pretty old here. I am going to ask about repairing it also. I'll check back after I see everyone and follow up.

I did go back out this morning to the same beach. Got more coins but I did get a little tiny rectangle, gold in color with a cursive "R" on it. It rang up around 12/13 I think and it has a pretty high pitched ring to it when I drop it so I'm thinking it's brass. It fits on top of a penny for size reference.