Topic: Big round lead thing, old?

[Tigerchips]

My mum bought this from a charity shop thinking it was a fishing weight, maybe it is, but it's a funny shaped one. It measures five and a half cm diameter. It kind of looks like it's been buried somewhere or maybe it's just old, not sure. There's a dent in it, like someone hit it with sharp object and recently. I tried cleaning it but the muck doesn't wipe off. Anyway, there seems to be a boat on it, and some zigzag lines under that. I've been searching through everything, medals, weights, medallions, pendants, seals, discs, etc. Found nothing, it's probably nothing i guess. She only paid 50p for it, and ideas?

[keith]

Might be a token of some sort, I'll see if my brother's ever seen one like it, he's into local social history.

[Anne]

5.5 cm is quite big for a token isn't it? TC try soaking it in coca cola overnight, it will take off a lot of the gubbins...  don't leave it longer or it will dissolve the whole thing over time (then wonder what it does to your insides when you drink it!) We used to clean up old brass oil lamps and chains in coke and it works a treat.

[keith]

Just a guess at a token, my brother said he's not seen one like that, the tokens he has, as Anne said are smaller,   

[Tigerchips]

Thanks Anne and Keith.

Anne i did that coke thing with the goddess i posted, came up shiny and new because it's fake. I'll try it on this too, if it's old i guess very little will happen to it. I read somewhere that olive oil works well on coins and stuff, but you have to keep it soaked for months.

[Tigerchips]

I left it in Coca Cola over night but oddly it looks exactly the same as before, this thing must be pretty old.

[Anne]

Have just asked hubbie what he thinks it might be and his suggestion is a tally from either a boating lake or a fishing fleet. The idea being that when the boat goes out the tally hangs on a board on the wall (or even just nails straight into a wall!) and when it comes back in the tally is taken down again.  Worth checking out?

[keith]

What Anne said sounds a good idea, miners used to do the same thing I believe, 

[Tigerchips]

Well it does look like a boat and some waves underneath so maybe. The boat like object is really raised up too. Perhaps it's a handmade one.

[Anne]

Miners did, Keith, they handed in the tally (sometimes called a token or a check) when they went below ground and retrieved it when they came back up. (My ex was a miner as were all his family, and hubbie's dad was also one.) There is a page about them here:
http://www.mining-memorabilia.co.uk/pitchecksanintroduction.htm

An image search on Google for tokens and tallies brought back some interesting results but nothing quite like TC's example. 

[keith]

I also have some family history down the mines, coal dealers, miners, hewers ( think that's right ) a great, great aunt died from a knee infection due to crawling with a load of coal behind her ! oh the good old days ! 

[Tigerchips]

I might have something here. I was watching a video about this guy who goes travelling around the UK, he showed a gravestone with a very familiar looking symbol on it.  https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/1a/6c/a1/1a6ca11295e8e604f0905898d165b384.jpg

What do you think, similar?

Apparently this Grace Darling came from the North East so around my area. Coincidence, maybe, maybe not. It would mean it dates to 1874 or later, and the symbol is probably for Stonehaven life-boats or something like that.