Strange Medallion In Previous Finds

[F350Platinum]

A couple weeks ago I was hunting one of my pretty heavily hit areas, and by chance got a 94 blip on the Deus 2 between some iron. I dug out a rather heavy bronze medallion with heavy bronze disease and it was obviously corroded and broken on the edges.

It's flat on one side, and sort of domed on the other. It weighs 10.6 grams and at its highest measurement it is almost 3mm thick. It is almost 1.5 inches at its widest.

Didn't look like much when I first sidelighted it, kinda like a bow or something.

I set it aside and picked it up today and saw something completely different on a different orientation:

it sort of looks like two soldiers in combat.

I thought I'd post it to see if anyone recognizes the pattern, the flat back isn't much help either.

Google lens brings up all sorts of ancient stuff, nothing that "should" be found in America. 🤔

Any help, even wild speculation would be appreciated! Also any suggestions on how I could make more details stand out.

[kac]

Could be ancient and brought over from europe. Doesn't necessarily have to be from this country.

Also check for stuff from the islands.

[CPT_GhostLight]

Very interesting find, F350. I was thinking it could be a couple of solders shaking hands or embracing, maybe like an end of the war type medallion, possibly Civil War?

[F350Platinum]

6 hours ago, CPT_GhostLight said:

Very interesting find, F350. I was thinking it could be a couple of solders shaking hands or embracing, maybe like an end of the war type medallion, possibly Civil War?

Hey Cap'n,

This came from a spot where a horse training spot was, I've found a lot of stuff dating back to the 1600s there. Spectacle buckles, Tombacs, lots of brass buttons. Further out we got a large cent and a half reale. High reactivity speared it even with the 13", I believe it was on edge.

If those boys are embracing their lowered arms appear to have weapons, it would not go well 🤣

[Geologyhound]

One of the “figures” appears to have a headdress or Roman-like helmet (see attached close-up).

Building off of Ghostlight’s theory, I am wondering about an Indian Peace Medal.  I have looked through a lot of the American series, and those do not appear to be a good match. But there are also British and Canadian peace/treaty medals.  The configuration of the few of those I have found on the internet is closer to your two “figures“ but still does not appear to be a good match.

Some of the ones I have seen had writing on the back, which could equate to your “flat“ back. There appears to be lineations on the back of your find which may correspond to lines of text.  There may also be some sort of small curving pattern in the middle on the back.

There appears to be a larger portion of one side of your medal which is broken off.  Anything made to be worn would have had a hole punched in it.  Aging could have contributed to loss of the whole area with the hole.  The odd thing is, the broken out portion is on the “side“ relating to the “figures“ and “text“.  If that is where a hole was located, then the medal would’ve been sideways when worn.

Hope you can find a positive ID, it has me curious!

[F350Platinum]

10 hours ago, Geologyhound said:

One of the “figures” appears to have a headdress or Roman-like helmet (see attached close-up).

Building off of Ghostlight’s theory, I am wondering about an Indian Peace Medal.  I have looked through a lot of the American series, and those do not appear to be a good match. But there are also British and Canadian peace/treaty medals.  The configuration of the few of those I have found on the internet is closer to your two “figures“ but still does not appear to be a good match.

Some of the ones I have seen had writing on the back, which could equate to your “flat“ back. There appears to be lineations on the back of your find which may correspond to lines of text.  There may also be some sort of small curving pattern in the middle on the back.

There appears to be a larger portion of one side of your medal which is broken off.  Anything made to be worn would have had a hole punched in it.  Aging could have contributed to loss of the whole area with the hole.  The odd thing is, the broken out portion is on the “side“ relating to the “figures“ and “text“.  If that is where a hole was located, then the medal would’ve been sideways when worn.

Hope you can find a positive ID, it has me curious!

Thanks Ghound,

It might be my head trying to make something out of nothing, but I think I can almost make out the word "wealth" below the figures. It may be some old rare Virginia commemorative.

I have searched various topics thanks to you, Peace medals, medals in general, old American bronze stuff, you name it.

Nothing yet, but I'm hoping. 🙂

Wish there was a way to get more detail, I am not well versed in restoration. 

[Geologyhound]

Almost looks like the figure on the left may be holding a threshing flail.  With the light from the right, you can see the left figure’s hand with what appears to be a rod and something dangling from the end of the rod in the middle.  With the light from the left the figure on the right appears to be holding a hammer.  You can see four fingers of the hand holding the hammer (?) shaft.