This past month's many finds from the "Roaring '20s Dump", including Silver and Gold!

Welcome to our Antique Bottle community

Be a part of something great, join today!

Plumbata

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 4, 2007
Messages
2,732
Reaction score
47
Points
48
Location
Peoria Co.
Whelp, it's been a while since posting any digs, so I'll be sharing a selection of the many discoveries made in my generous 1920s dump. It will take a while to round-up the many worthy finds made during this chilly digging season, so feel free to check for updates! For starters, here are the delicious precious metal eyeball finds I've made! Here is everything collected together. 113 grams of silver flatware in varying degrees of corrosion due to the chemically harsh environment of the dump. The 1946 quarter was eyeballed along a creekbank dump from the 1910s-1950s.
1533943_10104354753725440_6237643725588227909_n.jpg
40.3 gram large Coin silver (0.900) spoon, engraved with "Johnny Jany 1st /68" on the rear, (New Years 1868). Pretty kickass find considering it was dumped 60 years after it was made. The "Matson & Hoes" firm was based in Chicago from 1864-1867, though clearly may have been in partnership for a short time in '68.
10257802_10104354753421050_2627594630725287099_n.jpg
10389190_10104354753446000_2294938687933525848_n.jpg
20.06 gram Sterling spoon with nice engraved floral design, found yesterday.
10622904_10104354752937020_7967466738895549056_n.jpg
10628111_10104354753615660_1791808692400995844_n.jpg
1.75 gram, 20 karat gold ring eyeballed before shoveling it out of my hole. My first "true" gold dump find (not including some gold dentures found in a 40s dump when I was 9)
10353705_10104354753136620_1590106575053253907_n.jpg
And a Gold-Filled "Eversharp" mechanical pencil. I will probably try soaking it in concentrated Nitric acid to dissolve the copper alloy foundation underlying the gold foil. I think it is 14K but see no markings.
10649658_10104354753071750_7962351896578390754_n.jpg
Some dig/in-situ shots. In this section of the dump, one can expect many milk and soda bottles. That big cylinder is an ungainly ~100lb hot water tank. Once removed, prime bottles were located piled up behind it.
1538686_10104354750691520_4050447084715925577_n.jpg
10686939_10104354750671560_3737251612718979579_n.jpg
10527287_10104354751704490_2009748635556171554_n.jpg
10171817_10104354751829240_523383592152842900_n.jpg
A rusted bucket (part of the rim visible in bottom half and center of image) which i identified as the source of the 29 BIM cylindrical "Liquid Opeldeldoc" meds I've dug so far. Never dug one before. Definitely a late-throw-cache and very fun to find. There were 5 or so more of them beneath the 4 visible ones.
10615971_10104354752053790_8207000234538681254_n.jpg
32 ounce BIM Higgins master ink
1505639_10104354752862170_3755726542737717794_n.jpg
Scarce local soda:
10802072_10104354752602690_3342513813708179108_n.jpg
Different area of the dump, which contains my prized late BIM local druggists.
10390018_10104354753236420_6831857037030277348_n.jpg
I've dug many nice bottles and additions to the Peoria collection, so check back for more pics as I get around to processing all the stuff I've dug. Happy hunting everybody!
 

sunrunner

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 10, 2007
Messages
2,111
Reaction score
8
Points
38
I love that time pried , a time of true prosperity . As far as bottles are concerned most if not all are machine made , but a lot have character , and there's a big variety in sodas ,milks and medicine's . great dig man!
 

Plumbata

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 4, 2007
Messages
2,732
Reaction score
47
Points
48
Location
Peoria Co.
Thanks for the comments friends! Sunrunner, I agree about the time period being very interesting digging. Enough Canadian/British whiskey bottles are present to suggest that a bunch of people in the area continued boozing it up throughout Prohibition. I've found plenty other pieces of silver from the dump so obviously the people were pretty well-off, which also means that more and better bottles can be found. Late-throws are somewhat plentiful here (got a rare hutch I needed a few weeks ago), along with lots of BIM slicks which keep things interesting. No poisons yet though (and I've moved a bunch of dirt), which is unusual. The BIM druggists I find here actually are from the 1920s though, the very last blown bottles from Peoria that I'm aware of, from a pharmacy that operated from 1921 to 1937. I now have the full run from 1/2 ounce to 8 ounces, which I'm very happy about because they are rather rare (well, not so rare in this dump, but aside from that they are extremely hard to find according to the ole' timers). More pics will be coming soon.
 

Plumbata

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 4, 2007
Messages
2,732
Reaction score
47
Points
48
Location
Peoria Co.
Here are a few more finds from the heap I've accumulated: Superb Native American pestle/nut cracker/mano, about 7 inches long, with no damage as is often seen on larger field finds. My first dump-dug Indian artifact!
10635984_10104355656556160_6848243939273733738_n.jpg
10805754_10104355656576120_5714263022651747794_n.jpg
10393894_10104355656561150_7832542765792725504_n.jpg
2 BIM CFJCo 1858 masons, a quart and a lovely midget! Found the midget behind the top end of that water tank I photographed in the hole.
10498330_10104355657509250_6824856361964775141_o.jpg
10351667_10104355657614040_8787987224299697446_n.jpg
A very rare Peoria skin cream bottle, produced by the McDougal's Pharmacy (dug a quart and many smaller sizes of the standard bottles from them with the same script font and made by the same glass company). As can be seen, I dug 2 broken ones before lucking out and uncovering a perfect one. Only took me 7 years, lol! From what I've heard, only 2 or 3 are known to exist. Doesn't make it terribly valuable, but it is a special find for me.
10498330_10104355657349570_4006344362055880385_o.jpg
10403292_10104355657374520_3501484479572748066_n.jpg
 

hemihampton

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 6, 2006
Messages
9,088
Reaction score
6,089
Points
113
Nice Finds, Congrats. Any Pics of the Hutch? LEON.
 

Bass Assassin

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 15, 2013
Messages
1,039
Reaction score
7
Points
38
Location
Deep south
Plumbata, great post! Can't get enough of those in situ shots. Don't you just love those late throws? They pop up and hit you when you least expect it. Many great finds including the gold. Makes me wonder how much I've left behind by not sifting. Wishing you continued success and please keep posting. Thanks, Bass
 

Members online

No members online now.

Latest threads

Forum statistics

Threads
83,220
Messages
742,916
Members
24,237
Latest member
Fancy2cu
Top