# This past month's many finds from the "Roaring '20s Dump", including Silver and Gold!



## Plumbata (Nov 21, 2014)

Whelp, it's been a while since posting any digs, so I'll be sharing a selection of the many discoveries made in my generous 1920s dump. It will take a while to round-up the many worthy finds made during this chilly digging season, so feel free to check for updates! For starters, here are the delicious precious metal eyeball finds I've made!  Here is everything collected together. 113 grams of silver flatware in varying degrees of corrosion due to the chemically harsh environment of the dump. The 1946 quarter was eyeballed along a creekbank dump from the 1910s-1950s.
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





 40.3 gram large Coin silver (0.900) spoon, engraved with "Johnny Jany 1st /68" on the rear, (New Years 1868). Pretty kickass find considering it was dumped 60 years after it was made. The "Matson & Hoes" firm was based in Chicago from 1864-1867, though clearly may have been in partnership for a short time in '68.
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	







 20.06 gram Sterling spoon with nice engraved floral design, found yesterday.
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	







 1.75 gram, 20 karat gold ring eyeballed before shoveling it out of my hole. My first "true" gold dump find (not including some gold dentures found in a 40s dump when I was 9)
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 And a Gold-Filled "Eversharp" mechanical pencil. I will probably try soaking it in concentrated Nitric acid to dissolve the copper alloy foundation underlying the gold foil. I think it is 14K but see no markings. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 Some dig/in-situ shots. In this section of the dump, one can expect many milk and soda bottles. That big cylinder is an ungainly ~100lb hot water tank. Once removed, prime bottles were located piled up behind it.
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	













 A rusted bucket (part of the rim visible in bottom half and center of image) which i identified as the source of the 29 BIM cylindrical "Liquid Opeldeldoc" meds I've dug so far. Never dug one before. Definitely a late-throw-cache and very fun to find. There were 5 or so more of them beneath the 4 visible ones. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 32 ounce BIM Higgins master ink
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 Scarce local soda:
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 Different area of the dump, which contains my prized late BIM local druggists.
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




   I've dug many nice bottles and additions to the Peoria collection, so check back for more pics as I get around to processing all the stuff I've dug.  Happy hunting everybody!


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## Bert DeWitt (Nov 21, 2014)

WOW, That's an impressive dump you got there! Very nice pulls! Thanks for sharing, Bert DeWitt


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## DiscoverUnderground (Nov 21, 2014)

Great finds, thanks for sharing! Looks like a great dump to dig


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## sunrunner (Nov 21, 2014)

I love that time pried , a time of true prosperity . As far as bottles are concerned most if not all are machine made , but a lot have character , and there's a big variety in sodas ,milks and medicine's . great dig man!


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## Plumbata (Nov 21, 2014)

Thanks for the comments friends! Sunrunner, I agree about the time period being very interesting digging. Enough Canadian/British whiskey bottles are present to suggest that a bunch of people in the area continued boozing it up throughout Prohibition. I've found plenty other pieces of silver from the dump so obviously the people were pretty well-off, which also means that more and better bottles can be found. Late-throws are somewhat plentiful here (got a rare hutch I needed a few weeks ago), along with lots of BIM slicks which keep things interesting. No poisons yet though (and I've moved a bunch of dirt), which is unusual. The BIM druggists I find here actually are from the 1920s though, the very last blown bottles from Peoria that I'm aware of, from a pharmacy that operated from 1921 to 1937. I now have the full run from 1/2 ounce to 8 ounces, which I'm very happy about because they are rather rare (well, not so rare in this dump, but aside from that they are extremely hard to find according to the ole' timers). More pics will be coming soon.


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## Plumbata (Nov 21, 2014)

Here are a few more finds from the heap I've accumulated: Superb Native American pestle/nut cracker/mano, about 7 inches long, with no damage as is often seen on larger field finds. My first dump-dug Indian artifact!
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	










  2 BIM CFJCo 1858 masons, a quart and a lovely midget! Found the midget behind the top end of that water tank I photographed in the hole. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	







 A very rare Peoria skin cream bottle, produced by the McDougal's Pharmacy (dug a quart and many smaller sizes of the standard bottles from them with the same script font and made by the same glass company). As can be seen, I dug 2 broken ones before lucking out and uncovering a perfect one. Only took me 7 years, lol! From what I've heard, only 2 or 3 are known to exist. Doesn't make it terribly valuable, but it is a special find for me.


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## hemihampton (Nov 21, 2014)

Nice Finds, Congrats. Any Pics of the Hutch? LEON.


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## Bass Assassin (Nov 21, 2014)

Plumbata, great post! Can't get enough of those in situ shots. Don't you just love those late throws? They pop up and hit you when you least expect it. Many great finds including the gold. Makes me wonder how much I've left behind by not sifting. Wishing you continued success and please keep posting. Thanks, Bass


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## sandchip (Nov 21, 2014)

Great finds, Plums!


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## madman (Nov 21, 2014)

SUPER KILLER FINDS!  NICE!


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## madman (Nov 21, 2014)

SUPER KILLER FINDS!  NICE!


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## deacon_frost (Nov 23, 2014)

sweet digs as usual plummy, I just wish silver would come back up for ya. I didn't dig at all this year[]


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## Plumbata (Nov 23, 2014)

Thanks for the comments everybody! And yes, late throws are absolutely awesome and welcome finds here, This dump likely serviced a slew of homes and businesses, some of which date to the 1860s or earlier, so who knows what might pop out. I've got another dump of similar age, but the neighborhoods whose garbage wound up there were pretty new at the time the dump was started, so no late throws of any significance have been found there (or are likely to be). I went digging earlier today and scored some nice bottles, and a KILLER Peoria advertising stoneware rolling pin! My first ever!  
	

	
	
		
		

		
			











 The Half gallon jug came out nice! no markings but cool to find.
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 What is this BIM druggist peeking out?
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 A 6 ounce Best and Jordan Peoria druggist! No damage and impossible to find outside this one particular dump (for me anyway). In operation from 1921 to 1937.
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




  Ohh holy hot dayum! what is this?!? 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 Oh yeah! A Peoria advertising rolling pin! [8D] Never dug even a broken piece of any stoneware rolling pin before, and this is about as minty as a dug item can get. No chips, fleabites or cracks. I'm told it is rare and worth 200-300. The company is still around, though they don't seem to work with "Coal - Thats All" anymore (more with mining related supplies and service). Not the kind of "last find of the day" I intend to shake a stick at, especially after I'd been soaked by chilly rains for a couple hours! []
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 Sooner or later I'll photograph the other good finds. Need to stop digging and focus on cleaning what I already have, hah. HH everyone!


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## truedigr (Nov 24, 2014)

That is a great pin. I have been digging for 25 years and haven't found a piece of one. Great dump, pix, and finds. If you don't mind me asking, did you find a lot of awesome stuff in that earlier dump out of town. If I remember correctly, you found some nice stuff then quit posting. There were hutches and nice earlier meds. Did you get to dig in it for long or did you have competition? I have always admired your writing and pix. I would post some of my digs, but competition here in Texas is pretty fierce. RC


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## truedigr (Nov 24, 2014)

BTW, as many smalls as you have found, that one looks right for sifting. It is definitely time consuming when you do it, but with all the tokens, coins, marbles, etc. that I find, it is well worth it. RC


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## Bass Assassin (Nov 24, 2014)

Thanks for the update Plumbata. Would never have guessed you would find a rolling pin in that condition. Makes one wonder why they tossed it. The BIM druggist is nice! That one will look great after a bath. Just curious, finding any ss cokes in those dumps? Keep us updated after everything is cleaned.


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## Plumbata (Nov 24, 2014)

Hey RC, if you are referring to the dump I found in Columbus Ohio, I dug some more decent things but couldn't locate any thick layers in spots where I could dig stealthily. The area that was likely the "epicenter" was extremely visible from a nearby road, so digging would not be the best idea. If you are talking about the TOC dump I was digging and posting alot of in 2013, it is still productive but the digging is pretty tough, so I intend to probe around and open up easier sections of the dump whenever I get bored of this spot. I've never sifted this dump (or any others besides a C. 1910 insane asylum dump) but I agree that it would be a good idea, as I've eyeballed fobs, tokens, and a cent, plus lots of stoppers and marbles and doll pieces and whatnot lately. Surely I've missed some really good stuff. Depending on how the conditions are, I will probably give sifting a try. Regarding the rolling pin, further investigation suggests that it may actually be in the 300-500 dollar range. Can't beat adding nice pieces to the collection by digging them up for free!


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## Plumbata (Nov 24, 2014)

Hello Mark, that rolling pin was a genuine surprise. I never ever even considered the idea of digging one (my imagination tends to focus on mini-jugs, heh), so I was blown-away for a bit. SS cokes are present in the dump, from both Peoria and Bloomington, IL, but every last stinking one of them has been broken-in-place or cracked. It's pretty amazing really, as I've come across probably 2 dozen or more of them and none have been keepers. Perhaps they were not annealed properly and the whole run was prone to cracking or breaking easily. I don't need them for the collection, but wouldn't mind having lots of 40-50 dollar easy sellers like them to play with.


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## logueb (Nov 24, 2014)

Glad to see you out digging again.  Great dump and awesome dig photos.  Makes me want to grab a shovel and rake and head back to the old dump I used to dig.  Hoping to throw some dirt again soon.  The rust layers, the bottles one behind another in your dump is giving me the itch real bad.   Great post .  Buster


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## tftfan (Nov 24, 2014)

Good fun. Nice pics.  []


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## David Fertig (Nov 30, 2014)

Glad to see you are still on here posting Plum.  I just decided to check in.  As always - nice pics and write up.  And some decent finds.


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## Rockhounder55 (Dec 1, 2014)

I missed this thread. Great finds, Plumby. []  ~Mike


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## cobaltbot (Dec 2, 2014)

Wow, some really cool finds as per usual with you.  You must have those special xray glasses to spot all those surface finds.  Love the rolling pin, doesn't get much better than that.  I have found that thirties dumps seem to provide the most oddball assortment of stuff, worth digging for the wierd finds and late throws, they say 30's dumps in New Jersey are a good place to find tossed out civil war veteran's stuff!


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## sunrunner (Dec 3, 2014)

just for the hell of digging , you have a dream dump!


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## Plumbata (Dec 10, 2014)

Thanks for the comments and "good vibes" everyone! 





			
				cobaltbot said:
			
		

> I have found that thirties dumps seem to provide the most oddball assortment of stuff, worth digging for the wierd finds and late throws, they say 30's dumps in New Jersey are a good place to find tossed out civil war veteran's stuff!


 Very interesting to keep in mind. I remember that Staunton Dan had found part of a Confederate buckle in his dump, and I actually found a rusty item here that looks an awful lot like what's left of a saber of some sort, so strange and awesome late throws are always an exciting possibility. Anyway, I got some more pics of the stuff to share: Big BIM Chas. H. Phillips medicine bottle. Likely somewhat of a late throw.
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





 Nice late BIM "McMaster & Derges I.B.W. Peoria, ILL" soda with 7 fl. oz. embossed below the slug plate. I think that makes it a post-1914 bottle? I've got gobs of the earlier ones lacking the "7 fl. oz." ounce bit but this is the first one in good shape that I've dug. Not dramatic but an addition nonetheless.
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 ABM "McMaster I.B.W. 7 FL. OZ. Peoria, ILL" from the mid 20s, after Derges left the partnership, in rather minty shape. Most come out cracked and/or sick.
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 This is the nice late-throw hutch I got. Dad was present for the dig and was very pleased to see a hutch (technically tooled to accept a baltimore loop stopper, but used as a hutchinson) come out of a 20s dump. Note the nifty "This bottle Is Loaned But Never Sold. Return It!" embossing. A nice one for the collection.
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	







 A big cache of BIM "Liquid Opodeldoc" bottles, which made for a very interesting "late throw" to dig through. Never dug one before this, and now I'd be fine with never digging one ever again![]
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 Thanks for looking!


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## hemihampton (Dec 10, 2014)

I like that Hutch. Congrats. LEON.


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## Plumbata (Dec 10, 2014)

Here is the stoneware from this dump all cleaned-up. Got a Western Stoneware gallon jug, unmarked half gallon jug, cracked crock, Weir canning jar, and a lovely gallon brown jug with pretty amazing glaze (dis)coloration radiating in an earthy-toned rainbow from what must have been a super hot spot in the kiln. It is very visually appealing, much more-so than ordinary brown jugs, and will be part of the collection. The rest of the stuff will be finding other owners. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




  Just look at this jug, it's a real pretty one in my opinion:


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## Robby Raccoon (Dec 11, 2014)

Incredible.


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## Bass Assassin (Dec 11, 2014)

That jug is downright gorgeous!


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## Plumbata (Jan 6, 2015)

More digs have been had here, and although I don't have many dig pics or access to a number of things (in the process of moving to Wyoming) I figured I'd share what I can: Dad in the trenches:
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	







1/2 gallon jug!
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 Nice small Western Stoneware Weir canning crock:
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 early '20s BIM Durkin druggists. 2, 4, and 6 ouncers. Got a few of the 2 ouncers. Pretty HTF:
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	










 Got about a dozen more of these Best and Jordan druggists. This lineup consists of 1, 2, 3, 4, and a 6 ouncer. Fun pieces to dig.
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	







 Got a 1/2 ounce, post-1914 Block and Kuhl department store (presumably perfume) bottle:
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 Rare and unlisted local Galesburg milk made by thatcher from 1921. This one got the oletimers talking. If you are wondering what "X.L.C.R." is all about, just say the letters aloud (perhaps with a sword in hand). []
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	







 Chipped up lip sadly.
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 I never knew this 1/3rd quart existed, as it isn't listed, but the milk guru says that he's heard of it before. Still gotta be quite rare. I now have the full set of 4 of this style from Roszell's dairy. It's a 1927. Very happy to add it.
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 I also found more silver! Got another 40.2 gram sterling spoon, and then finally found a fancy cut-glass container with a sterling cap (been expecting to find something like this for a while now):
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	







Ya can see the sterling mark:
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




  Also, regarding the move to Wyoming, I'm sad to be away from Peoria for a good while, but when checking out the area in December, on the 2nd day there I found an old dump (sparse, but these western/territorial deposits aren't like the rich deposits found further east, and this seems to be '80s-'90s, real old for the area). Pretty funny that I was able to sniff something out so quick, hah. Oughta be fun to dig and sift come the thaw. Hopefully I'll get a territorial druggist or two. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




Lotsa shoes and bones:
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




  Thanks for looking and happy hunting!


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## Robby Raccoon (Jan 6, 2015)

Super!


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## Bass Assassin (Jan 6, 2015)

Thanks for the follow-up post. I hope your move to Wyoming works out for you. Keep us updated and wishing you success wherever the road takes you.


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