The feminine side of old gold mining

rps20190824_095334 ! Some relics found near an old mine recently, must have been a hard life for the ladies in those days.

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Nice collection there Dave . When digging corset hooks , thimbles and brooches etc. i often wonder how a woman managed in the conditions . They must have been a hardy lot .

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Reckon that this was a blokes only miners camp, the bullet looking thing is a bottle stopper from a bottle of John Lamont soda water, bottled in Scotland.

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Doing well Dave ! Love the bottle stopper . That snake buckle is a unique design , i have never seen one like that out of probably hundreds found .:+1:

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Reckon this would have had a mirror in it once.

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Probably was a mirror. So much of the 1800’s objects are complete but their use is now unknown and nobody alive today knows what they were used for. I like the patina on this one. :pick:


Cute little pocket watch winder. Made by J Sparrow jeweler and watchmaker, Launceston.

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Good to find one with a makers mark on it. You could be on a good site.
I found a watch and then found it’s back cover on different trips to the same place. You never know. :pick:

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When I dug this yesterday I realized it was similar to the snake one you found last year. I don’t know what these were used for? To me it looks like braces for holding trousers up. Jeans were not invented until the late 1800’s and the first ones didn’t have belt loops.

I found part of the second one. Still out there :laughing:

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Perhap a coat clasp? Looks Chinese, with the dragon motif.

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Very nice snake buckle Karl . They were a belt buckle for trousers . They can be seen in some old photo,s being worn around the waist . Looks like you have the complete buckle if they came from the same spot . The belt loops connect to both ends of the snake . They come in many designs and were also used in some military equipment including the 1800’s Enfield cartridge belt . Have not seen that design before , great find .

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Re posted this link for you Karl , somehow i put it in the Lefroy topic last night . The link mostly covers military use but they were common for civilian use as well . With all their gilt plating in place they would have looked pretty good . An old pommy mate of mine said his school belt during WW11 was a snake buckle so still in use post 1900 .

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Thanks Curt.
Miguel and myself were wrong - it’s definitely a snake buckle. Looks like more dry, cold days ahead. Can’t wait to get out again :wink:

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Good luck Karl . If there’s snake buckles there then you are in the right spot for a cricket buckle , could be your next find !

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Some more little girly bits and pieces from last week.

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What’s left of a set of rosary beads. Found in an old mullock heap. I guess the mining wasn’t going so well and they were hoping for some divine help.

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The crucifix and medallion could be silver. Interesting find. There have been some good days for detecting. I’m sure 20mls of rain helps the detector go deeper.

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Yes and a portrait I should imagine. The Repair Shop tonight had a similar one looked like the handle was made of brass and the rim gold leaf

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