14K Gold Brooch/Watch pin

[idig]

Hi there, I found this what I believe is an old gold brooch/watch pin while metal detecting an Old Wagon trail by my place.

It's solid and stamped 14K on the back and it's 1" x 3/4" ,and weighs 3grams.It has a makers mark stamp with a letter A and a skeleton key.Just wondering how old it might be? and what could it be worth? Thanks for any information.

[sugarcube5419]

bumping this

[mart]

Was looking for this and got sidetracked !! Its an old one for sure !!  Can I ask what state you are in ??  Saw something about some jewelry found along the old Oregon trail but I may never find it again !!   Can`t remember what the search words were that I used !!

[sugarcube5419]

how can you tell it is old mart?  the clasp? 

Must have been a sad day for the one who lost this.

[greenacres]

De Fleur, you could try that mart.

[Melodie]

It is a fleur de lis chatelaine pin I believe.

Found one on jansjewells.com that you could look at for comparison, see what you think?

http://www.jansjewells.com/item.php?item_id=2629&page=g&category_id=45#.VBX4X2K9KSM

[sugarcube5419]

hello melodie,

I think your image is just like it, truly old-when do you think they started stamping 14k  gold for jewelry?

[Melodie]

Here in the UK it was around the 1790s I believe, that the purity mark was introduced although they had been marking gold and silver since the 1300s routinely (and even in Roman times I guess.) We used Ct rather than K but it's just the same. I assume the US will have introduced the K around the same sort of time?

 I'm afraid my knowledge of US jewellery is limited. One of the reasons I'm here . I'm very rusty on the UK stuff too. So I may be corrected on that yet. But I'm always happy to learn.

[mart]

Excellent find Melody !!  I have been looking but found nothing !!  The one you found does not have the makers mark but that really isn`t important !!