Dear all,
Thanks for all your comments.
The location for the find was "mixed up with rocks on the River Lune near
Orton".
To answer Bernard's question about the letters, the inscription is very
regular, with some serifs on the numeral. They appear to be stamped into
the material.
Peter Jackson
-----Original Message-----
From: mining-history [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
Bernard Moore
Sent: 16 March 2010 10:25
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Silver
Dear All,
May I presume to suggest the following - most of which I am sure others
have thought about already!
The numerals could well indicate a date, viz., 1807 or 1907. The 'prefix'
of R could indicate a Mine or Mill name, but the 'M' is more of a problem as
this could stand for either Mill or Mine! - so, possibly we are looking
for a mine that smelted beginning with R, or a Mill name beginning with R!
-
both of which were working in 1807 or 1907. I can't remember off-hand and
without checking, what smelters were working within, say, a ten mile radius
of Brough in 1907 - Nenthead obviously, Roughton Gill (in 1807 - not sure
off-hand if smelter there operating 1907. Anyone know what stamps were put
on Greenside raw silver from their mill???). "Inscribed" was used to define
the ID on the piece, but does this mean engraved (or heavily scratched on),
or stamped? Do the marks look of a 'vintage' scribe or type mark?
For a piece of raw refined silver to be found like this does tend to
indicate theft, and furthermore quick 'disposal' for some reason or another.
Later collection was probably intended, but after a safe period of time the
'disposer' might not have remembered exactly where it was thrown, hastily
hidden, or put, and the 'disposer' might have been concerned with wandering
about intensely looking for 'something' in case it might bring attention to
him - partic. if he worked at a smelter... and some silver had been noticed
to have gone missing some months before.
All this is supposition of course, and just free thinking, but I throw it
into the melting pot all the same!
Regards, Bernard
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