How interesting Bob. Are you able to date any of them? Over what sort of time period might all those thimbles be lost?
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Thimbles from the fields...
- Thread starter bluntchisel
- Start date
bluntchisel
Registered
Hi, Phil,
Apart from the silvers it's hard to date most thimbles because they follow the same style - a thimble is a thimble, right? However, some of those bearing advertising slogans are probably dateable as per the product. The silver ones are, of course, dateable by reading the hallmarks, which is ideal providing those marks haven't been crushed by the ploughing or erased through usage. The real experts at dating thimbles are the clubs and associations whose members are avid collectors and have published books on the subject. There is one style of thimble that is pretty distinctive - the so-called "beehive", from its shape. These are caste and believed to be Mediaeval, and are a lot more crudely made when compared to the machine-produced ones. The trouble with detecting stuff is that you become a Jack-of-all trades and Master at none!
Take my current mystery, which I detected yesterday. Thought it was a 1/2" ally washer then saw the legend on both sides. Under a glass I saw that it read (face side) Sr. George Moore of (reverse) Bobbing Corte in Kente. (note spelling!) No real joy on the Internet so have scanned it to the Finds Relations Officer, Maidstone, for more investigation. See below...
Regards,
Bob.
Apart from the silvers it's hard to date most thimbles because they follow the same style - a thimble is a thimble, right? However, some of those bearing advertising slogans are probably dateable as per the product. The silver ones are, of course, dateable by reading the hallmarks, which is ideal providing those marks haven't been crushed by the ploughing or erased through usage. The real experts at dating thimbles are the clubs and associations whose members are avid collectors and have published books on the subject. There is one style of thimble that is pretty distinctive - the so-called "beehive", from its shape. These are caste and believed to be Mediaeval, and are a lot more crudely made when compared to the machine-produced ones. The trouble with detecting stuff is that you become a Jack-of-all trades and Master at none!
Take my current mystery, which I detected yesterday. Thought it was a 1/2" ally washer then saw the legend on both sides. Under a glass I saw that it read (face side) Sr. George Moore of (reverse) Bobbing Corte in Kente. (note spelling!) No real joy on the Internet so have scanned it to the Finds Relations Officer, Maidstone, for more investigation. See below...
Regards,
Bob.
Penpal
Grand Master
THe plot thickens Bob . Following this with great interest.
Peter.
Peter.
bluntchisel
Registered
OK, guys,
Now I'm excited! That little "washer" turns out to be what's called a Verval Hawking Ring. This would have been fitted to a hawk's leg by jesses, and (as you can see) would have borne the owner's details. These silver vervals have been dated from the Mediaeval period up to the 17th Century. WHOOPEEEEEEEEE!
Bobbing Court is about three miles from the field I dug it up in so it's possible (only conjecture here!) that the hawk was released, maybe chased after a prey, and ended up dying in this field for whatever reason.
So, another detecting mystery cleared up. Thanks for your interest and comments, guys!
Bob.
PS. Don't we have a member who is interested in birds of prey on our site?
Now I'm excited! That little "washer" turns out to be what's called a Verval Hawking Ring. This would have been fitted to a hawk's leg by jesses, and (as you can see) would have borne the owner's details. These silver vervals have been dated from the Mediaeval period up to the 17th Century. WHOOPEEEEEEEEE!
Bobbing Court is about three miles from the field I dug it up in so it's possible (only conjecture here!) that the hawk was released, maybe chased after a prey, and ended up dying in this field for whatever reason.
So, another detecting mystery cleared up. Thanks for your interest and comments, guys!
Bob.
PS. Don't we have a member who is interested in birds of prey on our site?
Penpal
Grand Master
Has a certain ring to it. I miss the bird man too . Where are you Paul m.
Peter.
Peter.