I haven't mudlarked this area of the Thames for years! Can you ID a Coin I found there (May 2022)

Join me on the Thames foreshore at low tide to see what the tide has left out. I love finding coins, particularly mystery coins. Can you help me to ID the coin I found in the mud in Charlton? This was an exciting mudlarking outing to an area that I don't go to very often. I found some great bits and pieces.
If you would like to try mudlarking you need a permit from the Port of London Authority
You can find the information you need on the website here:-
www.pla.co.uk/...
Thank you for watching. You can follow me on twitter and instagram @tidelineart
Nicola White
www.tidelineart.com
May 2022
#mudlarking #treasurehunting #nicolawhite

[@samuelj.hardman4712]

Dear young lady, I enjoy you treasure hunts very much. I was born in the old south and when I was a boy, there were many old homes near us that dated to the period of the Civil War. My sisters and I searched under the front porch of these old mansion and found many silver coins and not a few gold colds. Indeed, we found a $20,00 gold coin, which I yet have after more than 75 years. I think that I was born a treasure hunter. Nothing is more fun. With all good wishes, Samuel of Georgia.

[@Tonyblack261]

The copper sheathing on ships gave us the phrase "copper-bottomed" copper-bottomed adjective BRITISH thoroughly reliable; certain not to fail. "a copper-bottomed guarantee"

[@nicolawhitemudlark]

Thanks Tony!

[@f.k.burnham8491]

I would add another scenario. Here in the U.S. It was a somewhat common practice to make a wish on a coin and then drop it into a well or toss it into a stream/ river. If they were breaking ships there it might have been in the bilge of the ship and when disassembles, it may have dropped into the mud, unseen. ( I am jealous of your finding the Indian head penny. I have been metal detecting here in the U.S. for 35 years and have yet to find an Indian head penny).

[@nicolawhitemudlark]

Thank you. And isn't it strange to find that here in London!!

[@KimsNatureChannel]

@@nicolawhitemudlark not entirely...I tossed one in there (penny) when I was over as well in Wales. Maybe mine will be found in a couple hundred years! 😄 fun video as always!

[@danross9095]

Here in the USA, my wife and I really enjoy your show and all your finds. A great way to spend a cold afternoon watching you mudlarking! Thanks for sharing! 2/2/2023

[@JP-tt3xq]

The tiny doll is called a Frozen Charlotte. I believe they were a fad that started in the US, and sometimes used in puddings, rather like a silver sixpenny piece in a Christmas pudding. There is a Wikipedia page explaining their history.

[@davidletasi3322]

Hi Nicola, I loved your intro of the great barrier. Quite an interesting collection of artifacts. Noticed other people's mudlarking videos on utube but your still the best and the original!

[@nicolawhitemudlark]

Thank you very much David. xx

[@DaveLong64]

Some years ago when I worked for the Environment Agency we had a visit to the Thames Barrier and we were able to enter the small tunnel which runs beneath the Thames and carries the service cables and pipes to each of the Gates. We walked along the tunnel and came up on one the gates right in the middle of the river. A fascinating experience!

[@nicolawhitemudlark]

Wow David. I would love to do that.

[@kellyharper367]

Interesting! Thanks for sharing!

[@paulkinzer7661]

'Peanuts are the answer.' We have two young grey squirrels right now who are spending their days eating the sunflower seeds that birds knock out of our feeders. They are mysteriously calm, and move slowly and gently through the grass, unlike most youngsters, and also unlike most squirrels! I love how you express your love of thinking about just who had last touched the things you find. And, so often, you are able to give us at least a glimpse of the possibilities. I'd like to think that that couple's skiff bumped into the canoe while Mr Whistler was a passenger in it. All of them dropped coins and jewelry, and some is still waiting for you to find it!

[@nicolawhitemudlark]

I love that theory Paul! Thank you. Lovely to hear about your calm squirrels too!

[@mikedo6]

Paul... they are up to something!! :)

[@atlanticantiquesltd7372]

Regarding your Indian head cent: Indian head cents were still in circulation as late as WWII although not common. By the 1950s Indian head cents had been pretty much all removed from circulation. There is a span of about 60 years the coin could have been lost, American tourists 19th & 20th Century, WWI & WWII US military, etc.

[@Duncan_Bennett]

Hi Nicola, congratulations on the arrival of your beautiful little grandson, Joey Jett! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@alecspeight5200]

Hi Nicola, I believe your disc may be a quirsh, a coin which was used in several North African countries and which still is used in Saudi Arabia. It looks 19th century, I believe Egypt had the strongest trading links with the UK from that area at that time. I am no expert but I am suggesting this as a possible line of enquiry. I hope that you solve the mystery.

[@nicolawhitemudlark]

Thank you

[@ursamajor7645]

Turkish , maybe

[@atinemassare]

Yes turkish maybe! Before they changed to latin letters. A translator for arabic I asked about it said he could only read the word allah and suggested this same possibility

[@veronicalogotheti5416]

@@ursamajor7645 they didnt exist

[@SildegamerYt]

Its probably money used in games , toy money…

[@thomaswilliams6155]

You really are a poem in motion. All things real, beautiful, full of life and love, thanks again.

[@MsFitz134]

A few years back they were doing renovations on a landmark victorian era building in my city and discovered a lot of coins hidden in the walls or even embedded into masonry or concrete. Many of the coins had been stamped or carved with initials. There were also a few photographs and other trinkets. After some research it was discovered that when the building was under construction, visitors were welcome to tour it and marvel at the state of the art building techniques. Many of the visitors wanted to leave their mark on what would surely become a landmark and important piece of history, so they carved their initials into things they had in their pockets and left these tokens wherever they could. I wonder how many foreign coins in the Thames are similar - not lost, but someone wanting to leave a token or piece of themselves in a place that felt important. Or maybe they were just thrown in for good luck, like coins in a fountain.

[@nicolawhitemudlark]

Wow great story. Thank you

[@theresabraddock9310]

Im thrilled to see the smiling voodoo dog happily proudly displayed at home with your Thames finds. Give him a pat on the head for me!

[@shelaghjackson9577]

Very interesting finds as always! I’ve never tried Pernod and Black, but we used to drink rum and black in Edinburgh as students in the 70’s.....when someone else was paying!😉 My theory on the penny is that one of the “Dollar Princesses” dropped her lucky penny in the river when she was sent by her family from America ; to marry an English titled but boring fellow. She lost her penny, so was never happy. 🤷🏼‍♀️

[@janetslicer3637]

I thought I was watching something from Star Wars with the music playing in the background, passing around and through those strange looking lighted oval orbs that became something entirely different! Thank you for explaining the odd but spectacular invention to protect London from flooding! I am speechless and had to show my adult son! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[@nicolawhitemudlark]

It's impressive isn't it!!

[@ladywisewolf3942]

You're so right! I had that strange feeling too, like they were some alien crafts floating through space. Those ethereal lights glowing within them really give them an otherworldly appearance.

[@CarolynMulder]

Me as well! I couldn’t figure out what on earth? Glad you eventually explained. Those strange barriers had me going! 😳

[@artieash6671]

Worked all morning inside, here in the Northeast USA on 94 degree day (in May!) I needed to be somewhere else and there you were! Soon I'm walking along the Thames, picking up bits of British history. Thank you for carrying us away from our concerns and cares with your lovely videos. Maybe in NYC you will feed the squirrels in Central Park, cousins no doubt to your little friend. 🐿 And throw a penny in the fountain while you are there. 😊

[@nicolawhitemudlark]

Thank you Artie!

[@rosskn]

I love the idea of someone writing about dropping their items in the river and you finding it many years later and then reading about it, Its like a full circle of antiquity.

[@nicolawhitemudlark]

yes, I love that idea too

[@maggiemaymightnot]

I live in Swansea and for many years lived in an area that was historically known as Copperopolis. The copper smelting industry was started there in 1720 the copper ore came across the sea from Cornwall. It was the ideal location with the River Tawe the nearness to Cornwall and the excellent coal which was mined all in the immediate vicinity. There were 9 smelters and they supplied the copper for Nelsons ships in the battle of Tragalgar, apparently it made the ships faster in the water. They are in the process of restoring as much as they can of buildings etc still around the area.

[@impunitythebagpuss]

Love the information presented on this channel! Thanks for posting!

[@johngreen1907]

These days, copper dust is a content of some antifouling paints used for the undersides of boats. The copper content leaches out of the paint and the marine critters don't like it.

[@miriamdumbleton4280]

The copper you refer to, would have been nailed onto the hulls, in sheets. After some months in the water the underside of a ship would get covered in barnacles, seaweed growth, etc. This rough surface would cause resistance, in the water, thus knocking a few knots off the top speed, bad news for a fighting ship. Sheets of copper repelled the marine growth, and presented a smooth , resistanceless surface to the water, allowing the ships their designed speed.

[@111111john]

? , ??? .

[@kellyharper367]

Interesting! Thanks for sharing!

[@shanedraney7667]

My Great Great Grandpa Lea was a Waterman and my GG Grandpa Dewing was a Lighterman on the Thames and left for the USA in 1858. We enjoy watching your adventures very much.

[@nicolawhitemudlark]

Wow great family history there. The Thames would have been so different back then xx

[@leahwinn482]

Hi Nicola. My husband and I love watching your videos and the history behind some of your favorite mudlarking finds. We were especially interested in the 1881 Indian Head Penny and how it might have found its way to the Thames. We thought maybe it might have traveled with the Buffalo Bill Wild West show touring Britain around 1887. Imaging its journey is what keeps us all searching for treasures from our past. Thanks! Leah

[@nicolawhitemudlark]

Thanks Leah. I love that theory. Im off to look up Buffalo Bill's show now!

[@loismiller2830]

What a great theory! My favorite by far. There were so many interesting people in that show including Sitting Bull and Annie Oakley.

[@WJBrunt]

@@nicolawhitemudlark Do you know who performed in Buffalo Bill's show? Black Elk and Elk (his cousin I think), Lakotas. This is described in the book 'Black Elk Speaks'. There's also a picture of them in the book. It would be totally ironic if he earned this coin and then lost it in the Thames.

[@chrismaraccini8108]

@@nicolawhitemudlark The show toured a year before the penny was made so I'm not sure it would have been from that show.

[@PALM311]

Hi Nicola, The penny you found is called an ‘Indian Head penny.Although technically the United States never made a penny we make Cents. We’ve never had a coin with the word penny on it.That one that you found is actually Lady liberty in a headdress. I hope you had a good time while you were here and that you were treated with hospitality!~Paul

[@dragontdc]

Funny that our money is the only thing we use a metric system for.

[@diverdannavyvet9672]

Copper sheet metal was used as an antifouling 'cladding' on the hulls of wooden ships to prevent barnacles from growing on a ship's bottom. The British Admiralty first used sheets of copper nailed to the bottom of wooden ships as antifoulants with the frigate, Alarm, in 1761. It was some 20 years later that copper nails were used instead of iron nails as the latter caused galvanic corrosion of the iron, resulting in the loss of the copper plates.

[@timmydrake9125]

Nicola, you’re the greatest. Your voice is so soothing. Thank you from North Carolina

[@88thCompany]

Always a pleasure to watch you Nicola and your finds are incredible as always! About the coin 🪙 written in Arabic, to read it, it has to be turned up side down. The first word on the left coin is Alah, so it is a coin from a muslim country/empire. From my research, it could be from the Ottoman empire. On the right, there’s a date, but it’s really hard to read. For the design, Ottoman used the dot pattern a lot on their coins and it can be found across the entire empire with nuances. I hope that helps! Finally, the Indian head coin is simply gorgeous! Thanks, Sonia :)

[@carolinewithers1647]

Now, another scenario; How many US soldiers were in London during or just after WWI? My grandfather was a doctor and was stationed in Brest France during WWI. I know I have some Indian head pennies that my father had collected over the years along with a lot of other old coins, Minnie balls, and arrowheads he found on his adventures in the Tennessee countryside! It is fun to imagine how these treasures came to be where they are found in 2022!

[@ronaldpainting5614]

Hello again Nicola, where did the 38 minutes and 49 seconds go again, its like a time warp. How nice it was to hear your commentary without the wind, what a nice day it must have been. Relating too the copper sheets you found they were interesting. Science at the time was progressing very fast and copper was smelted in wales. Four thousand years ago copper ore was being mined on The Great Orme Llandudno. In Swansea they were turning out copper ingots and sheet copper. Royal navy ships had a big problem with marine growth on the hulls of ships. The biggest problem was a wood boring worm. They also realized that all this produced drag on the hull. I suppose they were making copper kettles cake tins and all sorts until someone noted that when in seawater copper remained free of marine growth. Thereafter all british ships hulls were clad in copper. Its the reaction that takes place with the saltwater, it sets up an electrical curcuit,like a car battery. Thats where the saying "its a copper bottom guarantee" comes from. The mines on the Great Orme are open to visitors all year round, it is a fantastic walk through thousands of years of human occupation. All the best Nicola. Ron.

[@nicolawhitemudlark]

Thank you Ron!

[@milosterwheeler2520]

I am an American. I will turn 78 in a few months. When I was a boy in the early 1950's, Indian Head pennies could still occasionally be found in pocket change. Ten or fifteen years later, coin collecting got VERY popular and older coins pretty much disappeared from use.

[@floydiandreamscapes5145]

Years ago I was assembling an Indian Head penny collection. One Brilliant uncirculated for each year they were minted. Sold it long ago. I get angry at myself now because some early days that I had are quit expensive to buy now. The flying Eagles 1856 - 1858 are quit rare in unc. Condition and valuable.

[@josephtaylor7756]

Very interested to see the nails that you find. When I researched my family tree, I discovered that in the early 1800s, my ancestors made nails in Belper, Derbyshire. It was a cottage industry then, involving the whole family.

[@cathyphegley7848]

Thank you soooo much for all the history you provide in your videos. Especially about the building of the structure to prevent flooding. Right now in the US we’ve had terrible hurricane and tornadoes. People have lost their homes and everything they own and are lucky to be alive. Many many are missing presumed dead. And all the research that you do is fascinating. I received my magnet on a rope and am eager to lean over the bridge of the Bitterroot River here in Hamilton MT. I’ll keep you posted💞Cathy

[@backr6060]

Wonderful excursion, Nicola. I would imagine an 1881 American penny is a pretty rare find on the Thames foreshore. Although I love your scenarios, I wouldn't be surprised if someone actually threw it in the river on purpose, you know, for luck. Have fun in NYC! It's been a few years since I've made it up there, but you'll love it.

[@nicolawhitemudlark]

Thank you!

[@amywolfsen4909]

An 1881 penny is rare in America!

[@valerieconductor8430]

My idea is: Joseph and Elizabeth Penell were preparing to board a paddle boat. Elizabeth took the penny out of her purse. She handed it to Joseph who promptly dropped it in the river. His attention had been on a tiny little water bird he had not seen before. He loved watching the birds along the river. My sisters idea is: Mr. Whistler had a habit of paying a different child each week an American penny to help carry his art supplies. He really did not need the help but the children thought that they were indispensable. A disagreement between two children ended when one weeks penny was dropped into the river. Your channel is so interesting! Please keep up the great work.

[@jameswardell1840]

Beautiful intro Nicola. That barrier is a marvel of engineering. You feel bad for the folks of London in 1953. Surely they'd been through enough by that point. Thanks for sharing you relaxing lark. Made for a relaxing lunch over this side of the pond.

[@jameswardell1840]

...also I'm curious after watching your roundup. With all the nails in the mud, do you worry about stepping on one and having it pierce your boot ...and foot? Maybe a pair of steel soled Wellies is in order.

[@nicolawhitemudlark]

@@jameswardell1840 Thanks James. Luckily most of the nails are lying sideways. I did however step on a spike once which went right through my foot!

[@jameswardell1840]

@@nicolawhitemudlark As we say in Canada, 'Ouch!'

[@nirmen73]

Hello Nicola .the currency on which it is Written Arabic ,You hold it upside down and put its picture in the video upside down ,/It says الله means God ,and the second word says محمد Muhammadand he is the prophet of Islam and Muslims.the last two Words are not clear to me..Ithink it is a rare coin/ Thank you

[@ТеодораКолева-й3г]

Adding to your comment, in attempt to help Nicola: If it is a coin, there might be an year written in Arabic. You can check the Arabic numbers and try to recognise any of them on the object (it is what I do with Arabic coins). Do not forget that Islamic calendar is different, so the year would not be “correct”. You would have to convert into Gregorian calendar. Google can help with both the conversion and the Arabic numbers. :)

[@nirmen73]

@@ТеодораКолева-й3г 👍🏻👍🏻

[@nicolawhitemudlark]

Thank you very much!

[@nirmen73]

@@nicolawhitemudlark There is no need for Thank Nicola.but Ihope you will amend the image of the currency on the video.because the word of الله God is sacred to us as Muslims /My sincere respect 💐

[@nirmen73]

Unfortunately I couldn't see any numbers and detes.the are not clear to me I looked at them a lot/💐

[@joanng8601]

On the offering plate the pattern is called Sri Yantra. Thanks as always for the wonder filled journey.

[@nicolawhitemudlark]

Thanks Jo Ann

[@lenkaminsky4666]

Love your theories on the cent piece. My scenario is that a couple, an American GI and a London nurse met during WWII and fell in love. They tossed the penny into the river for the luck so that the soldier safely returns to her ❤️

[@nicolawhitemudlark]

ah now I love that scenario. Thanks Len

[@cdd4248]

You are such a romantic! LOL Sweet Story and who knows that could be as true as anything else!

[@lenkaminsky4666]

@@cdd4248 Totally a romantic! 😉

[@lenkaminsky4666]

@@nicolawhitemudlark Thanks! I try lol

[@scottzema3103]

Arabic item is a near modern Algerian token, looks like. Lovely session indeed. The diagram on the copper sheet is a Hindu mandala, a sacred diagram of spiritual progress. Oscar Wilde also toured America in the early 1880's, perhaps he dropped the penny overboard!

[@cyrilthompson1846]

Love the Squirrel bit. I have a long side garden bits suitably left wild for the animals. Badgers , foxes badgers and the multitude of small creatures found in gardens . I have to leave nuts out nightly as if I didn't there would be 1 holes in the garden from badgers and 2 knocking at the windows from Squrells. I have the Lagan on my doorstep and have looked at a couple of areas but have only found shells piles of them.

[@nicolawhitemudlark]

Thanks Scott!

[@nicolawhitemudlark]

@@cyrilthompson1846 Your squirrels sound demanding like mine!

[@johnhopkins6658]

I thought possibly Ottoman empire.

[@scottzema3103]

@@nicolawhitemudlark Gosh, happy to oblige for the Queen of Tides.

[@tillybinkieking7258]

Nicola, I love your enthusiasm. You make everything so interesting. A pleasure to listen to you. It is as if we are in an on-line party!

[@hazelmacmichael9201]

Makes me sad when you leave behind pipe stems with no bowl ... all I've ever found is stems about 1/2 " long up here in Liverpool ..one day I'll hopefully make it to the Thames and hopefully find a complete one ..until then I shall continue to watch your brilliant videos....thank you and keep up the good work 👏 x

[@lauralake7430]

Shes leaving them for you!

[@victorcarmelo8606]

Terredo Nivalis (Toredo Worm) the scourge of wooden ships hulls. It bores into the toughest woods including oak and renderers the hulls to dust making them like sieves, Hence the copper platting as a prevention. Making the ships go faster was an extra bonus when copper platting was introduced by the senior service. The American coin, I’m a bit of a romantic art lover so my guess James whistler lost it. Thanks for a lovely video, miss this part of London greatly.

[@nicolawhitemudlark]

Thanks Victor

[@glennanderson7795]

I just love your never-ending enthusiasm for the craft, the filming is increasing in quality, with newly worked editing skills being incorporated in to what we view these days, make each new film more absorbing to watch. VBW x

[@nicolawhitemudlark]

Thank you Glenn

[@giny6244]

I vote for Elisabeth Pennel having dropped her bag with the coin & jewelry inside as she was loading their skiff for a marvelous ride down the River Thames.. Thank you yet again for the Best of Mudlarking videos!

[@Carolbearce]

The Indian head penny is an awesome find. Love how you use your imagination to think about how it got there. Thank you for explaining the flood solution to us. I sure wondered what those huge things in the river were!

[@vilstef6988]

Really interesting opening footage of the Thames barrier!

[@ashrafhussain2877]

Hi Nicola I think the Arabic artefact is token but it's upside down :) think it looks like 1877 Adore your mudlarking adventures and histories . Stay safe and hope you find something spectacular in NY

[@pumpupjam9648]

I looked at Medallions and Coins Arabic. I found one that looks similar to the one you found. But the one you found looks much older. The one I found online is 20th century medallion. The writing was scribbled across top of the medallion at the top and with markings on the other side with the dots in a circle. Your find maybe from earlier period then then Ottoman Empire. The one I found that is 20th Century, the online site said these were minted like the one they had in the Ottoman period. This might give you a hint as you research it yourself.

[@nicolawhitemudlark]

Thank you!

[@vilstef6988]

I find the adoption of the Thames as a sacred river very fascinating. I would really enjoy a video about the offerings you've seen and found!

[@nicolawhitemudlark]

great. I shall be doing one

[@randomvintagefilm273]

She has shown many offerings that she has found and sadly, most are plastic and polluting the river

[@susanbaker3078]

Thanks for highlighting the Thames flood barrier. I'm in the US and hadn't heard of it before. What an amazing and important engineering feat!! I was inspired to do some additional reading about its construction. Fantastic!! I love your finds. As you're scraping around I'm seeing other things that I want to look at. What a treasure of interesting stuff, and useful in all sorts of ways!❤ I love the wildlife and nature and your mudlarking buddies, too!! Thanks again 💟🐾😄💐🦢🐿

[@vilstef6988]

In the late 60s, Popular Mechanics magazine had an interesting illustrated article about the proposed Thames barrier.

[@nicolawhitemudlark]

I should like to see that!

[@eavesdroppin1]

Thank you so much for the information on the Thames Barrier. I would not have guessed that these attractive objects in the river were flood gates.

[@martinvandenanker8793]

"Close encounters of the bird kind" that really made me laugh Nicola! 😂😂 I love watching your adventures. What i also like is how you later on search things up an explain or tell about your finds. Hope you have a nice day! Looking forward to a new episode😊

[@jillmoorhouse8888]

Some great finds. I love the marbles,such lovely colours. Lovely to see squirrel again x

[@mylittleworld3507]

Nicole, I just love your show. I don’t hardly comment but I do hit the like on all of them . I love watching you fine things and I watch the after as you find out about. It’s so interesting listening to you tell about them. But I happen to catch the squirrel. I don’t know how long you have been doing this. But it is so precious. I love it , what I’m really surprised about is that he has yet surprised you by coming in uninvited since you started giving him treats. Be safe happy and healthy. 🌺🤗🌸❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️🌸🌸❤️

[@nicolawhitemudlark]

Thank you! Oh and yesterday he came in. It was not so funny!! Stay tuned to see the event

[@guadalupeknippen528]

As if your video couldn't get better, there comes your lovely squirrel 🐿️. Having a connection to an animal is so special and so are you. 🥰🌻🌻🇺🇸🐕🐿️

[@Catmoore60]

I loved seeing how the barrier works! I’ve seen the buildings, but couldn’t figure out how it worked. A very interesting series of mysteries!

[@MsManomen]

I saw a couple of youtube videos on this particular barrier and its operating and history

[@justkp9243]

I had to have a little giggle re what you said about Queen Victoria & nails, rather crude but she did have a lot of children 😉 The little doll you found is a Frozen Charlotte doll, here’s the info on them…. A Frozen Charlotte is a specific form of china doll made from c. 1850 to c. 1920. The dolls had substantial popularity during the Victorian era. The name of the doll originates from the American folk ballad Fair Charlotte, based on the poem "A Corpse Going to a Ball"[1] by Seba Smith, which tells of a young girl called Charlotte who refused to wrap up warmly to go on a sleigh ride because she did not want to cover up her pretty dress; she froze to death during the journey.[2] Forever loving watching you mudlark, Kathryn.

[@nicolawhitemudlark]

Thank you ❤️

[@mirkatu3249]

Nicola, I just love your imagination! Thanks for encouraging us to stretch our minds and see even a small, simple thing in a creative light. 💛

[@scrawltrawler6962]

Love the squirrel “easter egg” at the end!

[@thedeergarden3964]

I loved the 1881 Indian Head penny. It prompted me to use the Google machine to research more information on American penny coin history which turned out to be very interesting. Thanks for sharing your finds!

[@sorinamacgregor-portlock8869]

Thank you for another informative video. I absolutely love the blue marble and always give an little cheer when a clay bowl or pipe is found 🤗.

[@ronemond5238]

Niccola , your beauty , intellect and passion for history all combine to make for such an interesting channel . All so very well presented. Thank you.

[@nicolawhitemudlark]

Thanks Ron!

[@pollyg562]

WOW looking amazing [more than normal] in the blue blouse

[@nicolawhitemudlark]

Thank you Polly 😘

[@nicklegg61]

Nice vid nic, Just got back from Guernsey, my little piece of heaven.

[@marko-1987]

🤣🤣 with saying pernod and black and taking that photo frame you remind me so much of my birth giver. Brilliant video as per.

[@dianesaulnier9772]

I love your "side" videos of your surroundings. The barrier is really interesting and so are all the birds. I have to laugh at all your "scenarios" that you come up with regarding your finds. You have such a great imagination, you might consider writing a novel about your mudlarking finds....it would be a mystery, of course.

[@sparky71a]

Looks like you've got yourself an episode there Nicola! #TheHooverBoys

[@dr_steve]

Thanks for yet another enriching and enjoyable excursion on the Thames, Nicola! I love the research you did on the Indian Head cent and would like to think James Whistler dropped it during his drawing expeditions. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it. I hope your trip to NYC is/was enjoyable and worthwhile for you. All hail the President of the Pipe Club!

[@nicolawhitemudlark]

Thanks Steve xx

[@scottzema3103]

Whistler was essentially a British denizen for years and a waspish presence and fixture in London society; he may not have had much use to carry an American penny in his pocket, although there is one coin Whistler did carry on his watch chain, and that was a one farthing piece. He'd happily show it to you if you asked him. Because that farthing was the damages awarded him for libel in his suit against John Ruskin, a famous art critic who ungraciously called Whistler's painting a pot of paint flung in the public's face. How wrong Ruskin was was therefore proven in several ways. Cheers!

[@dr_steve]

@@scottzema3103 That was a great story about Whistler, Scott! You have earned the Nicola White Backstory Award!

[@digi6256]

It is and it was a tradition to throw a penny to the water to ensure return to the beloved place in the future. Lots of hugs - Dana

[@JamesWilliams-gp6ek]

Now my Sunday afternoon is complete. Thanks for posting, Nicola.

[@constancemiller3753]

Was holding off from planting potatoes until Nicola's video showed up. Always gives me so much to learn.

[@nicolawhitemudlark]

Thanks James! xx

[@nicolawhitemudlark]

@@constancemiller3753 Ooh I hope the potatoes are planted now Constance xx

[@baystateplugflipper7061]

Well done Nicola!!!

[@briantyler689]

I do hope you can find out more about your mysterious arabic looking disc and hopefully you can inform us when you discover what it is. I would be particularly interested due to having 2 smaller but very similar discs myself and cannot find out anything about them.

[@nirmen73]

Hello🌷 read my coment

[@beiderbecke1927]

Nicola, I watched this when it first aired, and again tonight, when I so needed an escape from the terrible tragedy of America's latest gun massacre. Last night I was in tears, and faced a sleepless night filled with anger and grief. Tonight so many things seemed silly and inappropriate to watch, but I suddenly felt I could find a bit of solace and escape in this vlog. And so I did. Thank-you, dear Nicola, I want you to know and understand how you can touch the lives of strangers out here, so far away from the Thames. And you make the Thames seems so close, and breathe life into those fragments from the past, making sense of it all. Somewhere in those fragments, in the mud, the water, among the birds and little creatures, is peace and sanity. An old man in Michigan is so grateful for your presence in this brutal world.

[@nicolawhitemudlark]

Hello. Oh bless you. Such a terrible tragedy. Its hard to make sense of it. I was so very sorry to hear that news. It's truly heart breaking. I'm glad you found some solace in the river. I wish I could give you a big hug. I'm sending you a virtual hug and lots of love ❤️ xxxx

[@sf9145]

Little squirrel gives me a lot of joy too. Has become my favorite moment no matter what you find.💕🐿️💞

[@matthewgrice6902]

All your scenarios on the 1881 Indian Head cent are probable. Many of the suggestions by people are probably closer to the mark. Just as you see religous tokens thrown in the river, coins are used in the same way. Like the old saying "A penny for your thoughts" they are used to carry your wishes or "prayers" into the river. Many soldiers might carry a lucky penny with them. But as you are near the shipyards, then as some suggested it may have been in the ship when it was torn apart. Just like your scraps of copper cladding washed into the Thames, so was the fate of the Indian head cent. Because the date is legible this coin even in it's poor condition is valued betwee $3-$5 dollars in the coin value guides today. Thank you for the video.

[@joanneowen4540]

That barrier system is fascinating.I love how you give little history lessons.The Thames does look like a beautiful place. Much love from Ontario, Canada

[@naazneenmayet9102]

Hi Nicola. I'm watching from South Africa 🇿🇦 here. That coin, certainly does have Arabic on it. It's actually upside-down in your picture, the one word I can recognize is "Allah" which is the Arabic word for "God". ....

[@tracydiller9378]

Hi Nicola just came across your channel and i am also very into finding out about different objects that me or someone like you come across.You have a new SUBSCRIBER and can't wait to watch more of your videos.Be safe my dear and continue on your hunt for these amazing objects.

[@nicolawhitemudlark]

Thank you Tracy!

[@tracydiller9378]

@@nicolawhitemudlark You are so welcome.

[@karencross1964]

Starling..." What have you found there, Nicola?" Excellent, excellent video. You are the best. Appreciate that you share.🇨🇦

[@marionbowler5440]

Awesome Nicola, loved the little leg, I hope you had time to see Si's delicious pipe bowl, what a character. Absolutely love the history through your eyes. Keep em coming x.🇨🇦🐘🍁🤗👣

[@nicolawhitemudlark]

Thanks Marion. Hope you're well xx

[@CarolynMulder]

Don’t forget Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show opened in London in May of 1887. An 1881 American penny could easily have slipped from a pocket whilst disembarking or embarking on the ship or ships that transported their company!

[@bonnerdebbie]

Great video, love the history of floods and barrier. Lovely finds Nicola, thanks.

[@charlesperez9976]

A few things,copper-related. I love those old copper nails,it’s true,they just don’t make them like that anymore,and it’s a shame,because the square shape of nails sort of cut into wood beautifully,whereas modern nails tend to have a splitting action on the grain,which is more destructive to the wood. I just purchased a stash of them from someone you know,for embellishment on my collection of African Nkisi,it gives them the proper look,rather then anachronistic modern nails. Also,funny thing,you are British,and you called that old American coin a ‘cent’! And yet,the vast majority of us here call them Pennies! They are not Pennie’s,they are 1/100th of a dollar,hence ‘cent’ Penny is,as you know,referring to pence,a different denomination. Anyway one last thing: When I was a child back in the 1970s,we would STILL find ‘Indian head’ cents in circulation!! It’s because the copper color was so instantly recognized,that transactions simply overlooked them. My brother still has dozens,just ignored by cashier and customer alike!

[@DiggerDawn]

Great video as always my friend x

[@daveyjoweaver6282]

Well Nicole, I’d say you’ve got a leg up on the mudlarking, eh? I know, a corney joke from that tiny leg. Now, as far as how that Indian head penny got there? I like the birch bark canoe story. How appropriate to drop an 1881 Indian head cent into the Thames from a Indian invention like the canoe. I have some Native friends in Canada that still build these beautiful canoes all by hand. Thank You for this interesting Tideline Art Adventure with good music, wildlife and the Ancient Thames of treasures! Much Love, Light, Peace and Joy of Being! DaveyJO in Pennsylvania

[@normplatt7549]

The Queen of the mudlarks knocks it for a home run again!

[@bryanakathefixer8366]

Oh no. Perno and black..I had a very eventful face numbing new year eve on that stuff back in the late 80's Lol. Always love watching your lark's..

[@quinco7777]

The frame you found was very nice. Can't wait to see it whenever you use it in your art.

[@rogerdempsey7227]

Well it's hard to find out but I think you're number one man James would be the 1 but I but I can't stress stress that you're gonna have a good time going to New York work I hope you have a safe trip and we get see what you see over there👍🙏🛐💘

[@justdustino1371]

I am sure you enjoyed New York but I'll bet you are also happy to be home. They used lead sheathing on ship hills too. The burrowing worms are bad in the Caribbean and other warm waters. I think if a bird lands on you or flies into your house, it is a bearer of good tidings or luck. So wouldn't it be cool if you find a gold coin now? An Indian head penny is a good find! They are bronze.

[@nicolawhitemudlark]

Thanks Dustin! Maybe a gold coin soon. I hope so!! xx

[@abdelhak1190]

Yes you are right, the writing on one side of that "coin" is arabic and it says " الله يحفظ من يحفظني" which means "God protect whoever protects me". But the other side is not clear; i can't read it. I am not sure if it is a coin. I imagine that the guy who drop it is no longer protected ( "it's elementary my dear Nicola").🤣🤣 Thanks for sharing.

[@nicolawhitemudlark]

Thank you Abdelhak!

[@ashbell6712]

A great vid as always nicola. I just love the music and video bits you put in your vids too, they're so relaxing.

[@sidneygreenglass106]

I would love to go mudlarking with you! What great fun!

[@eba44]

I feel I'm compelled to say it's Mr. Whitman. Being from Maine- we're awfully familiar w/ birchbark canoes- and understanding how momentarily precarious it can be embarking and disembarking. : ) Glad you have a great time in NY! Can't wait to see the vids from there! Cheers!

[@nicolawhitemudlark]

Thank you. Yes, I can't wait to share my NY videos. Hopefully one next weekend x

[@marthamurphy3913]

Copper was so valuable over here several years ago that people were stealing the wiring out of vacant houses to get the copper to sell. I'm surprised people aren't picking up the copper nails to sell.

[@aengusmacnaughton1375]

I would presume that every so often they test each barrier segment -- to make sure that it is all working -- would be cool to see that happen. Cheers Nicola!!!

[@helenpanshin5589]

Good news: kzbin.info/www/bejne/m4qQiXt3pLt4m7c

[@derekwright2388]

It gets closed so often I doubt it really needs testing

[@aengusmacnaughton1375]

@@derekwright2388 Oh -- I didn't realize that it was needed frequently. Well -- good thing that it works!

[@derekwright2388]

So far this year its closed 6 times (or rather in the last year its closed 6 times)

[@aengusmacnaughton1375]

@@derekwright2388 -- Wow!

[@pipparoo88]

Dear god Pernod, I got totally trashed on it back in the 80's and I never touched it again !!!! Your the best x

[@vilstef6988]

Mudlarking finds are marvelous cues for researching history and storytelling!

[@nicolawhitemudlark]

they are aren't they!

[@raewhittakerTea_pot]

Ooh Pernod my favourite!

[@victoriaann58]

This was an awesome video, I really enjoyed it. I loved the little doll leg, how sad to think that a young child lost the little doll. I liked your scenarios, but my vote goes to James Whistler since, it seems, that he spent the most time there. You have a blessed day. Looking forward to videos from New York.

[@nicolawhitemudlark]

Thank you Vicki

[@arctiknitter]

Im so glad you told us about the Thames barrier. I had no idea what those big white things were! A nice bit of info with my vicarious mudlarking!