FREE: RARE AUTHENTIC 17TH CENTURY INDIAN TRADE SILVER PIECE FOUND METAL DETECTING

The listing, RARE AUTHENTIC 17TH CENTURY INDIAN TRADE SILVER PIECE FOUND METAL DETECTING has ended.

INDIAN TRADE SILVER IN THE AMERICAS

Indian Trade Silver is unlike most other forms of silver collecting in the since that by definition it has a beginning and an ending. The proper definition itself is almost unknown. The term trade silver was applied to any item that possessed a hiolish and was used as a decoration, or for barter. This could include items made of lead, pewter, brass, tin, silver and rarely even gold.
It is a complex field of interest, and few people invest the time required to educate themselves in the field of collecting. It takes years of intense research and hands on detailed examination of collections to become proficient just in authentication.
Knowledge in metals, manufacturing techniques, trade history, cultural association, maker marks, and much more is required before one may find it safe to collect trade silver with any degree of success. To further complicate collecting trade silver it has no relative value, almost every piece is unique.
For our beginning date we will use 1605 when James Town was funded. This is a viable reference point leading up to significant trade in Northeast America.
The earliest pieces came from Europe with the explorers and traders, and then gradually the manufacture of trade silver started flourishing in the Americas.
Trade silver was primarily made by silversmiths, goldsmiths, pewtersmiths, clock makers and armorers, by makers from France, Great Britain, Canada and the Colonies. Later a large portion of trade silver was made by Native Americans and traders themselves.
Many trade silver pieces went unmarked for a lot of different reasons, but now with expert research many of the marks found on specimens have been identified. Even today there are maker marks found on many pieces that are yet to be identified.
Collecting trade silver is not for the casual weekend collector, but for the few that spend the required time, research and money it can be one of the most rewarding experiences in modern collecting.