First Hunt Of 2024 - Tale Of (g)old

[F350Platinum]

I just got through posting here recently that I'd never top some of my finds of 2023, but I guess I did. 🤯

I dug something so unique and interesting, and got such a rush from its discovery I feel I have to share it. I waited until today to see how I felt about it.

Please forgive the lack of specific detail and understand I'm detecting in a place I have permission to and have the current landowner's permission to appropriately preserve the relics I find taking into consideration their significance and potential ties to the original landowners or local area history.

It was supposed to be a fairly warm and windless day yesterday, so I decided to go to one of my permissions and detect parts of it that I have not been over. Deer Hunting season is almost over, and it was really quiet, I didn't see a single hunter anywhere. Ground conditions are perfect, enough moisture to keep the ground loose and easy to dig.

I first hunted the "beer zone" and "turn zone" of the field, and in almost 4 hours I got some small bits of aluminum, a Zincoln, and a very nice button with a shank as you'll see. Then I decided to go a little further into the field, got another button, what I think is a lead weight, and some odd piece of metal with a loop in it.

Upon finding that odd piece of metal, it occurred to me to circle around it, and I'm glad I did.

I want to preface this find with some advice, don't ever think you're cool bypassing buck balls, on the Deus 2 the ID is about 55-62 depending upon composition. Just like pull tabs at the beach, you will miss some incredible stuff if you're not digging buck balls from any century. Most of the balls in my area come up white indicating they are really old. So are some other things, like the ~300 year old gold ring I found.

It was a 58 on the Deus 2 with the 13" coil, about 4-6" deep. It came out as a ball of dirt with a shiny gold strip in the center, at first I thought I had found a gold coin because the edge looked reeded but it was much more than that. I carefully picked the dirt away, and when the dirt fell out I was shocked.

Upon closer inspection and help from friends, the ring is likely a Lost Wax cast with names and dates, the stone is missing but from researching history (and listening to my wife 😀) it was quite possibly a black stone called "Jet". I looked through the dirt and could not find it. The setting is mangled so it could be anywhere, sadly lost forever.

Turns out it is a "Mourning ring", a classic way to memorialize relatives dating back hundreds if not thousands of years. The dates on the ring put it at about 300 years old and the inscription ties the find directly to some of the original Colonial landowners of the permission. 

Here's the total haul, 3 buttons, a lead weight, a few tack studs, and the metal thing with the loop that prompted me to look more next to the weight. The coin next to the Zincoln is a wheat, too crusty bother with finding a date.

Here's the trash, not even a handful.

Even got a Revolutionary war Pull Tab! 🤣

This is truly saving history and I am taking the appropriate steps to preserve it for the benefit of future generations so the local history of these properties won't be lost or forgotten.

Good start to the year!

[kac]

You should go back and sift the dirt where the ring was and see if the stone is there. Bucket of water and course screen should do the trick.

Hopefully it isn't your best find for the year we got a long ways to go.

[TampaBayBrad]

Fantastic!

So the inscription was clear enough to peg it's owner as one of the former land owners? That is something else. Truly a cool/unusual find. Congrats. That's something I miss about being strictly a beach hunter. I may find my share of gold, but it ain't old!

[F350Platinum]

15 minutes ago, kac said:

You should go back and sift the dirt where the ring was and see if the stone is there. Bucket of water and course screen should do the trick.

Hopefully it isn't your best find for the year we got a long ways to go.

Thanks kac,

I did search the dirt I dug out, looks like the stone separated from the ring long ago, the clasp is mangled. Could be anywhere.

[F350Platinum]

18 minutes ago, TampaBayBrad said:

Fantastic!

So the inscription was clear enough to peg it's owner as one of the former land owners? That is something else. Truly a cool/unusual find. Congrats. That's something I miss about being strictly a beach hunter. I may find my share of gold, but it ain't old!

Thanks TBB,

It's one of those great things about gold that make our day when we find stuff made of it. Any details are still as they were, even gold coins that have been in the sea for 500 years look great for the most part. 🙂 It is quite the casting! It clearly identifies the remembered individuals.

I've only been relic detecting for 3 or so years, and this is the second gold ring I've found in the middle of a big field. First one was a 14k gold band at least over 150 years old.  With minimal cleaning it looks brand new. The hike yesterday was a little under 4 miles in 5.5 hours. I guess that is similar to some of my beach hunts. 🤔

[kac]

16 minutes ago, F350Platinum said:

Thanks kac,

I did search the dirt I dug out, looks like the stone separated from the ring long ago, the clasp is mangled. Could be anywhere.

Dig more dirt, eventually you may find it 🙂

[schoolofhardNox]

Awesome and rare find. Mourning rings were quite expensive, so the relative lost must have meant a lot. They are usually crudely made compared to modern rings, so you know just by looking at it that it must be old!!!  Congrats. Great job.

[F350Platinum]

51 minutes ago, schoolofhardNox said:

Awesome and rare find. Mourning rings were quite expensive, so the relative lost must have meant a lot. They are usually crudely made compared to modern rings, so you know just by looking at it that it must be old!!!  Congrats. Great job.

Thanks!

They are one of a kind, I'd like to know the gold content. It looks cast. It weighs 1.7g and is a woman's size, research says they were worn on the smallest finger. Mourning rings fell out of fashion after WW1.

[Compass]

I don't imagine a find like that is too common. Amazing piece of history with information to tie it directly to a specific person. I'm glad the person who found it understands its historical value! Congrats!!! That will be a tough act to follow but have fun trying.

[F350Platinum]

10 minutes ago, Compass said:

I don't imagine a find like that is too common. Amazing piece of history with information to tie it directly to a specific person. I'm glad the person who found it understands its historical value! Congrats!!! That will be a tough act to follow but have fun trying.

Thanks Compass,

Each ring like that is one of a kind, with specific information. In the 1700s it had to be made by a craftsman at probably great cost, as SoHn wrote.

Luckily there are many "bucket listers" I have yet to find 😅 This was pretty unexpected.