By Steve &
Jonathan Stewart
Several years back, while detecting an old farm field on the west side of Methuen, I decided to wander just outside the field area into the woods beyond a stone wall. Some of our best finds are recovered near these walls. Most of the stone walls were built by farmers clearing stones that were getting in the way of the tilling plows. The laborers would lift these rocks off carts and place them on the walls that ended up marking their properties. Because of the constant lifting and dropping, many items connected to the workers went missing. That’s where many detectorists investigate and slowly run their machines, in hopes of finding something unique. On that winter day, I recovered an unusual object – something in a class by itself.
I discovered the object using my Garrett AT Pro detector in an area covered with thick brush and leaves. The ground in many spots was frozen solid, yet diggable enough in the woods to enjoy the hobby. The leaves and pine needles act as blankets, keeping the soil warm even in sub-zero temperatures. Keeping the hunt close to the walls, I hit a signal that has been masked many times before as a crushed aluminum can.
Once I pushed the leaves away from the target signal, the sound grew stronger and switched to a silver tone. On our machines that usually runs on our VDI (Visual Discriminator Indicator) between 84 and 99. At this point, you know you have a treasure!
However, some solid brass and copper metal trash can also run in this range. Cutting through the soil I dug a hole and, as soon as I flipped the plug (a way of opening the earth to reach something keeping the roots or grass connected at some point to protect them), I noticed an item with two coin slots. Never seeing anything quite this unique, I slowly cleaned the object with a brush and was amazed at my treasure! It appeared to be a coin-holder locket of some type made of silver. The inscription on the front read, “An Old Shoe For Luck.” Turns out, it was a late-1800s silver alloy locket found right here in Methuen, lost by someone probably moving rocks over 100 years ago. This is why we dig everything – because that one item that sounded like a trashed drinking can ended up being something pretty cool!
Beginning in the late-1800s and continuing until about the 1940s, these little gems were quite popular. Many folks would wear these around their necks on a chain or stash them in their pockets. The coin holders usually stored their favorite coins for good luck! The one I recovered is in remarkable condition, but is missing the back cover that would have protected the coins. It is unfortunate because the cover was in the design of a shoe. Most of these lockets were made of German Silver created from nickel, copper and zinc, not exactly pure silver but a copper alloy to make the object look like silver.
First appearing in the 1820s in Germany, our item was more than likely created in England around the 1880s or ’90s. It is stamped German Silver. The cases would open and close smoothly, then tightly with a nice snap! The interior would consist of spring-loaded slots big enough to carry quarters, dimes or pennies. Its measurements are about the size of a skinny business card, 3.5 inches long by 2 inches wide. Although this one was small, several on the market back then were bigger and could carry half-dollars.
The price today for this antique complete (not missing the cover) would run between $45 and $70. My item is valued between $25 and $30.
The etched message “An Old Shoe For Luck” resonates to a time when items were used for luck or good will to eliminate bad vibes or evil (similar to the 1700s when boots were left between walls or coins nailed to doors). Today its rabbit feet, barn stars or four-leaf clovers to name a few. It amazes me the number of people who still acquaint luck to coins or tokens. Today, some cultures still throw old shoes or burry them – all for ability to wish happiness and good fortune.
Finally, the term “Old Shoe” was widely used back in the day to be associated with a person or item that someone felt comfortable and relaxed with, thus a perfect façade for safekeeping lucky coins.
Metal detecting is such a fun hobby, but what I enjoy most is the treasured history behind the object. A product like this lucky coin holder was such a common item 100-plus years ago, yet today very few know it even existed! That’s the adventure this leisure activity takes us on. Our goal is to get out and detect year-round, to find lost history and bring its fascinating background to you.
Thank you to everyone who has reached out and had us over to find treasure! We are always looking for new property to detect and locate great items like this one, but we can’t do it alone, and we need your help! Every property is unique and each yields its unknown history. However, once that property is gone, so is everything that was buried in it. Stay warm in them boots and stay lucky!
Methuen father/son treasure hunters Steve and Jonathan Stewart were the August 2019 MethuenLife cover story. They run YouTube, Facebook and Instagram accounts called Mass Metal Detecting and have followers around the globe. They love to save history and enjoy talking about it. If you’d like to invite them to your property for a hunt, you may be included in a future article! Please drop them a note via MethuenLife@msn.com.
Shown are the front facade of the late-1800s locket (at left) and the inside (as the back cover is missing) revealing the coin holders. The etched message “An Old Shoe For Luck” resonates to a time when items were used for luck or good will. Steve Stewart photos
