What are Venetian trade beads? 'The Curse of Oak Island' team discovers 'precious commodity' from over 500 years ago on Lot 5
NOVA SCOTIA, CANADA: The February 6 episode of 'The Curse of Oak Island' Season 11 titled 'Tea Time' was action-packed, with the typical mix of answers and mystery.
Sticking with the topic of antiquities from Lot 5, Charles Barkhouse and Jack Begley met with an expert who analyzed the multi-colored beads collected during the previous two weeks, which are considered to be Venetian trade beads and might be quite valuable.
Last week, the archeologists and Alex Lagina returned to the Lot 5 excavation location and resumed their work. Archaeologist Moya McDonald uncovered another bead that appeared identical to the one previously unearthed.
According to reports, it looks to be 14th-century Venetian glass.
This week, Jack and Charles proceeded 50 miles northeast to Halifax, Nova Scotia, to meet with Philip Doucette, a glass bead expert, in order to analyze the believed-to-be Venetian beads. Phil established that they had been in the ground for some time based on the pitting on the ends.
Phil appears to understand exactly what they appear to be. He calls them "drawn glass beads". "And what truly distinguishes these as sketched is that the stripes are exceedingly straight."
Phil argues that the straight lines are caused by pulling on the glass. "It pulls them out straight," he continues.
Phil appeared to be "very confident" that these beads had been produced in Venice. The hues red, blue, and white "are very early formulations of glass in that color".
Based on the color and pattern, Phil firmly stated that these were "made between 1500 and 1650".
Phil describes them as a "precious commodity." He recalls, "There was a really brisk trade going on. Five or six of these beads would buy a beaver pelt. And that's a high-value item."
He further says, "A bracelet would probably have 40, 50 beads on it. That's a small fortune in trade. And it was a great currency for the people that were coming across the Atlantic. In particular, in Nova Scotia."
Phil maintains that the Portuguese, Spanish, French, and British all seized Louisbourg. The Portuguese were prominent traders throughout the American and Canadian coasts during this period.
How much are Venetian trade beads worth?
Since gold was scarce in Venice, makers chose to mimic the tint using other dyes and ores. Hudson Trade Beads generally sell for between $40 to $500, depending on age, quality, heritage, and the quantity of gold used in manufacturing.
This is often determined by the brightness of the rouge coloring. Today, they are also referred to as White Heart beads.
Twisted trade beads are among the few that were made and cut in Venice (most others were transferred to Bohemia for cutting and polishing). This year, one recent find sold for $620 on a specialist auction site in the United Kingdom.
What does Venetian trade beads discovery mean for 'The Curse of Oak Island' team?
It is likely that these Venetian beads, which may be 500 years old or older, might provide proof that the feature on Lot 5 was created about the same time. If that's the case, it might have been built by the same people who built the stone road across the triangle-shaped wetland.
This could possibly explain the significant trace evidence of precious metals found across the Money Pit region.
How to identify Venetian trade beads?
Try to figure out what substance it is composed of. Glass, stone, and metal should be cool to the touch, but bone, wood, and plastic should be warm.
A Venetian trade bead must be made of glass. If you can identify particular metals or stones, you can limit the origins of a bead.
'The Curse of Oak Island' Season 11 airs Tuesdays at 9/8c on History