Help with Date approximation

M

MDEvans

New member
Hello all,

I am very happy to have found this site. I spend a lot of time bouncing around the desert of Arizona prospecting for gold. I have found a few broken pieces of cast in my adventures always wanting to find a complete piece.

A few months ago my desire was met. I was in a very remote area, access was in by horse or hike only, not enough room to get an ATV in the canyon.

I found a couple bits of gold going up the wash and about a half mile I found a leveled out bench elevated from the wash with a semi steep hillside. There was a lot of old miner trash in the area which always gets me investigating further to find what else they might have left behind. Up on the sloping bank I saw one of the legs of this DO sticking up out of the dirt. Much to my surprise when I unearthed it, it was complete. About 6 feet away I found the lid at the base of a tree.

Enough of the story. I am hoping anyone here can ballpark the age of this thing. I was reading about cleaning it with electrolysis but I don't know if there is enough metal in the handle on the lid to handle it or if I should just leave it as is. Right now it's just yard art.

Thanks in advance.

Mark

https://goo.gl/photos/oZ5ZvoQyv449d9Js8
 
Mid-1800s or a little later. Maker, no telling. Electro won't do anything to good metal under the rust.
 
MD
That is a great find and story. Clean it with electrolysis and use it or display it with all your gold nuggets inside :)

Jack
 
Mark, Great find! Thanks for sharing the story too! I had visions of a prospector getting so excited about his find he rushed into town, forgetting his Dutch oven ... or maybe he was attacked by outlaws and had to hastily abandon his camp? ... or ... maybe the abandonment was much more recent, maybe Doug went camping last year and forgot his vintage DO when he packed up and went home? (Although I can't imagine Doug forgetting a mid-1800's DO. Haha!)
 
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