Message:

<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Chip Kirkpatrick, post: 3512019, member: 101265&quot;]Well here is my greatest ever metal detecting find.</p><p><br /></p><p>Found this last year on the Florida Georgia border. Originally thought it was a can lid as it was similar in size but coveted in a thick coating of black muck, dried as hard as a rock. It was headed for my recycling bins.</p><p><br /></p><p>But just as I was about to toss it, a chunk of the dried mud broke away and I saw the loop on top coming out. The loop is called a bail and is used for running a string, chain or strap through it and wearing it as jewelry, medallion or decoration.</p><p><br /></p><p>I decided to scrub it a bit with a soft toothbrush. When I got to bare metal I was surprised to see it’s tarnished meaning it’s silver. But most surprising was seeing it is hand engraved and what I saw was the&nbsp; Gaelic [hradr “I Mak Sicker (Siccar).</p><p>Surprising because that is my family (Kirkpatrick) motto.</p><p><br /></p><p>In 1306 Robert the Bruce was trying to become King of Scotland but had a formidable opponent, John “Red” Comyn. Comyn actually reported Bruce to King Edward the First for planning a revolt and Bruce had to go into hiding. Bruce sent Comyn a message asking that the two of them meet to negotiate a plan for one of them to become King. He suggested they go alone and unarmed into the Greyfriers Church in Dumphries and meet at the alter. Comyn agreedbecause the church was a place of safety. They met at the door, each with a couple of attendees. They were searched and entered.</p><p><br /></p><p>Somehow Bruce produced a dagger and stabbed Comyn and fled the church. Outsides he ran into his cousin and best friend, Roger Kirkpatrick. Kirkpatrick learned what happened and asked if Comyn was dead. When told he(Bruce)&nbsp; didn’t think so, Kirkpatrick pulled his dagger and said “I MAK SICKER” ( I MAKE SURE) and entered the church and finished Comyn off. The 2 men fled and 9 days later Bruce was crowned king. He decried that I MAK SICKER would be the Kirkpatrick family motto and gave us Closeburn Castle which is still in the family.</p><p><br /></p><p>Needless to say I cleaned the rest of this and found it’s covered in iconic Scottish symbols, phrases and mottos. There is a lion, thistle, heather, an hourglass, Jacobite heart and a hand holding a sword stabbing a rose which symbolizes England.</p><p><br /></p><p>There is also the date August 23, 1299 and the initials WW below it. I have sent pictures and information on this to a huge number of Scottish historians <u>and it is agreed the initials are for William Wallace (Braveheart)</u> and the date is the Month and date of his execution but the actual year was 1305.</p><p><br /></p><p>Of course the question arises how did it arrive here in the US? Well in 1740 Oglethorpe became Governor of Georgia and recruited a number of Scottish Highlanders to form a militia to fight the Spanish in St Augustine. Because this piece has a crease in it it’s believed it was damaged and possibly lost in armed combat. In fact I found a 1775 Spanish 1 Reale not far from where I found this piece.</p><p><br /></p><p>This has been published in 4 magazines including one in Scotland and one in the U.K.&nbsp; [ATTACH=full]931479[/ATTACH][ATTACH=full]931480[/ATTACH][ATTACH=full]931481[/ATTACH][/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

Your name or email address:

Do you already have an account?

• No, create an account now.
• Yes, my password is:
• Forgot your password?

Stay logged in