zeemang
Forum Supporter
Sure does look like a bunch of silverware melted into a basic blob, very cool find!
After reading the first part of that he probably had a heart attack and died. No further response necessary.That is a hammered silver paperweight used by Spanish Explorers to weigh down maps during their journeys. Based on the size and approximate weight, this is most likely belonging to, or have been lost by the Spanish Explorer Hernando de Soto, who explored the region in 1541, when he encountered the Casqui tribe in NE Arkansas. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casqui)
What is more likely is that the paperweight was traded with the tribe for goods, as it's one of those "things" that looks impressive when you're in court, but frankly is nothing more than a rock holding a map edge (of which there are plenty around, pretty much everywhere you go). It would have been quite something to know what he traded it for.
What you have is an EPIC find, there, my friend. Similar examples have sold upwards of $11,000, especially in that condition.
While Hernando de Soto explored in Arkansas in 1541, and met with the Casqui tribe at that time, in 2017, a guy named Skippy completely used that tale to spin a yarn on a forum pretending he knew what he was talking about. Basically, I just made up the above story. You are welcome for the experience, you no doubt had, while enjoying the history lesson. It is very much like finding a gold plated ring, btw. Awesome for a moment... The difference is, you still have a 12 ounce hunk of silver, even though I made up the story, and have no clue what that is.
WELCOME TO THE FORUM!
We're pretty friendly, here. And some of us are funny, too.
Cheers!
Skippy
does that look like the outline of a spoon that interrupts the chain?
I would have to say it is coin silver.
US.coins are 90% silver and about 10%copper, more copper was add for strength to make flatware.
By adding the copper that's how the coin shop came up with 85% or better.
Coin silver flatware was in demanded to replace pewter, hence the reason
why there was a shortage of coins in the 1700s and 1800s.
just my 2 cents
Yeah..this is what it looks like to me as well...Almost can see what appears to be a chain in there...like somebody melted down a load of silver finds and then pounded them to tighten it up and compress it a little? It is Super Cool!
Good answer. I bet it was mostly, if not all, sterling silver items; melted down. Now that I stared at it some more, I think I see Skippy's Aunt Marge's picture frame/fridge magnet in there.[/QUOTE]He scratched it on his test block and applied the solution and watched it turn blue. He said given his decades of experience, that shade of blue is upwards of 85% silver, possibly .925.
After reading the first part of that he probably had a heart attack and died. No further response necessary.