New Zealand Gold Prospecting & Metal Detecting Forums Archive

Lammerlaw, your stories provide a great amount of history, and insight into the way that people were in the gold-rush days. They are very enjoyable to read. So thank-you for taking the time to share them.

Nobody took the hint so I gave you one instead Creamer....

Expat - These collections of yours are sort of getting to me - unless I go to Purgatory before you do then you had better tell you wife that I shall be happy to pay her what you paid for your collection! What are we collecting before I end up being lumbered with a collection of stuffed animals or something not my line!

Edited by user Thursday, 10 May 2012 7:30:13 PM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

I do sort of collect bottles - I buried a lot of gold field ones once on my place because Ihad several duplicates and no where to put any more and yes - I have lost them!

Did you say coins - ENGLISH coins - I think my oldest English pennies are King John, Henry III, and two Edward I - I also have 1/4f, 1/3f, 1/2f, farthing, !/2d Silver pennies, 1 1/2d, 2d, 3d, 4d and so on - I like English coins. Also collect pre 1921 US of A coins and Ancient world.

I only have one Advertising sign and its an red writing on white enamel on steel Kerosene one I think.

Hmmm... Might have to pop round to your place with my probe rod and see if I cant find some of those glass treasures that you've buried and lost.
Sounds like you have some great stuff LL, some nice early hammered coinage too. I guess your Kerosene sign is a 'Shell' example, since they used to use red and white in their advertising?

Another valve grinding paste - Oops Toothpaste jar lid. This was discovered at the site of a very early shop on one of Otagos early Goldfields. Once again it is Cherry Toothpaste but 'prepared' by John Gosnell and Co. These toothpaste lids were really quite q work of art, colourful and very attractive - they also came in a variety of colours of which this example is only one.

I would not say that they were common on the gold fields but the fact remains that this one came from an early goldfield and is therefore a Goldfields artifact.

John Gosnell and Co made a great many proprietary preperations and products - the list below indicates some of their products from the 1860s; -

Milk of Roses - Adamantine - Pearl Powder Bloom for the complexion
Toilet Vinegar - Inexhaustable Salts - Aromatic Vinegar - Aromatic Eau De Cologne.
Prince of Wales Perfume as used by His Royal Highness.
Princess Alexanders Perfume: Made from the choicest flower for the special use of Her Royal Highness.
La Noblesse Perfume - La Noblesse Pomade - La Nobless (sic) soap.
Jockey Club Perfume, the most fashionable and delicately fragrant Perfume for the handkerchief - I assume that this might indicate that not all miners used their finger to pick their noses!
Toilet Soap - Real Old Brown Toilet Soap, Honey, Almond, Glycerine, Oatmeal, Elderflower, Nut oil, Soap Fragrants - I might add here that similar soaps now coming back into vogue amongst those who live the self sustaining lifestyle.
Frangipani, Spermaceti, Ess Bouquests, and Sandalwood Soap Tablets of the most choice description.
Golden Oil - Moelline - Macassar Oil - Bears Grease, etc, for the Hair.
Cherry's Toothpaste - Dr Verdigons Dentifrice - Camphor Chalk Dentifrice, etc.
Instantaneous Hair Dye - Poudre Unique - Essence of Tyre.
Extra Highly Scented Toilet and Nursery Powder.
Stereodesmic or Dentists' Tooth Brushes and Trichosaron Hair Brushes, warranted to Purchasers.
Medicated Oil recommended when the Hair falls off after Accouchement, Illness, etc.
Cherry's Toothpaste is greatly superior to any white powder - gives the teeth a Pearly white likeness, protects the enamel from decay, and imparts a pleasant fragrance to the Breath.

Toilet vinegar seems to be rather bizarre but I suppose the old timers knew what it was for even if the thought of it to me leads to all sorts of weird ideas from an over active imagination. As for inexhaustible salts - Inexhaustible?

As it can be seen we can safely assume that between Holloways and John Gosnell and Company the lifespan of man should have been tripled within a very short time.
What ever the case John Gosnell's Cherry's Toothpaste lids are indeed a work of art and make great display pieces on any mantelpiece or China Cabinet today...and if you think that there are more words around today I can safely say that just as many have fallen out of the dictionary since the 1860s or at least have fallen into disuse!
Ask any Beauty therapist, Dentist or Chemist today what Adamantine, Dentifrice, Stereodesmic, Pomade, Moelline and Inexhaustible Salts are and they would probably consider that you were daft!

Comparing just two of the old time Toothpaste lids we can see that these could form the basis of a very attractive collection.

It was said that these toothpaste lids are not common and the use of this toothpaste was generally by the well to do so it might be considered uncommon to find them on the goldfields - due to its abrasive nature maybe the well off, the rich and affluent folks wore their pearly whites away while the poorer folks teeth just rotted away or maybe the miners oral germs were killed by the consumption of copious quantities of painkiller, alcohol and other liquid concoctions thus preserving their teeth even if somewhat off white in colour!

Edited by user Friday, 18 May 2012 9:19:14 PM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Hi Lammerlaw, Just trying to upload those photos for you. Dont like my chances but here goes

Ooops! That didnt quite go as planed

Edited by user Tuesday, 22 May 2012 8:04:28 PM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Yes. I knew that it had been converted
I went and found the brass plaque that had been attached to the stock at some stage and it has engraved – Gambia 1804
There is also a stamp on the stock, but my eyesight is so shot I cant make it out .
Thanks for that info Lammerlaw

Edited by user Tuesday, 22 May 2012 9:15:46 PM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Not a relic of the goldfields but rather an interesting hint re where to find gold in rivers for newbies to the game. At the end of every winter I go for a walk up the river beds to see if I can pick up a nugget or two. Over the years I have picked up the odd nugget, lying, glinting and clearly visible from several feet away.

Winter rains and cold keep people away and so no one has been there since the last few floods. Spring snow melts bring the rivers up much higher than usual and sudden downpours tend to bring a good deal of water down in a short time - summer or winter.

It is after these times that it pays to go walkabout. You look for two things - the tell tale glint of gold and areas which have been scoured clear by the floods. The bed of the river which has been scoured always has a different look to the remainder of the river bed - it looks fresh and clean - any lichen, moss or weed has been torn off it or the gravel, stones and boulders have been washed and tumbled away leaving beautiful clean river bed - this is where to look.

Also look for freshly tumbled banks, scoured edges. Right in against the bank the bed might be scoured or it might still have a thing layer of mud where the bank once existed - this thin layer of mud might only come out into the stream itself an inch or two but it hasnt yet gone completely - this is a great spot to run the detector over as the detector will find any gold which is still hidden by the thin layer of clay, hardened silt or pug. Last summer I actually detected many nuggets, larger and smaller under such spots - dont forget to run the detector carefully along any crevices and cracks regardless of how thin the crack might be.

Below is the result of last seasons haul in just one spot - there might be twenty hours work here and in total about 60 grammes though I did get considerably more but gave it away - how did I discover it? - the floods had scoured the bottom and I saw where gravel and rocks had been part of a crevice in the bedrock and so I cleaned it out - the results.

This spot has not ceased yielding gold and at the moment about ten of us are happily pottering around the vicinity including one of the forum members who will probably be with me much of next season all going well with mutual friends.

Edited by user Tuesday, 5 June 2012 10:50:59 PM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Great photos-I do like the combination of revolver and gold. Can revolvers of this vintage be fired or does it diminish their value not to mention the shooter!

Edited by user Friday, 8 June 2012 9:34:23 AM(UTC)  | Reason: spelling