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cargo. Often, they had to remain docked for a month or more at a time One method becoming popular when mudlarking in America and
until enough people were available to load or unload cargo and bring it Europe is that many modern Mudlarks now use magnets to help them
to one of rhe many warehouses near the docks. search river shorelines and shallows. Many American magnet fishing
The stationary nature of the docked vessels in London provided easy aficionados come up with modern finds. For example, some have found
targets for another type of population at the time – thieves. As the safes, shopping carts, or vehicles. However, rare historical finds also pop
thieves looted the vessels, they often dropped goods along the shoreline up from time to time. For example, a man in Virginia discovered an
when making their hasty retreats. Mudlarks later would come along approximately 300-year-old boat anchor in 2021. Such finds help us
and claim those goods when the ship and the ride went out. Then they piece together American history and document it more accurately.
sold the goods to help them pay for shelter, food, and necessities.
Common Mudlarking Finds
Victorian Mudlarks Mudlarking is common in many parts of the world today, and
By the late 19th century certain areas are known for specific finds. For example, London
about 300 Mudlarks would Mudlarks commonly find clay pipes or portions of them along the
swarm to riverbeds at low Thames. That is due to the number of pubs and hangouts that used to
tide to see what the sea exist along the river’s edge for sailors and the popularity of pipe smoking.
brought into the Thames. In the U.S. there is one area known as “Dead Horse Bay” in New
The Victorian Era created a York where several businesses—including glue factories—would
sec ond wave of mudlarking not only dump their waste, but other materials thanks to the industri-
pop ularity thanks to rhe alization of the region. Thousands of bottles, broken and intact, and
signifi cant amount of infra- antique, litter the shoreline after the trash heap burst in the 1950s.
structure projects happening
at the time. London Bridge
was being rebuilt, and
the increasing population
brought with it a need for
creating new embankments
and sewage systems that tore
up the land all along the
Thames.
With all the construc-
tion, historic finds were
being discovered by the
workmen and laborers in the area. Many of the treasures were brought
to shops, museums, and collectors who were more than happy to pay
large amounts of money to buy them.
On top of that, each day the tide would bring with it hundreds
of items that had been dumped, lost, or deserted in the water over
the centuries.

Mudlarking in London Today Other items such as pottery, clothing, etc. continue to wash up, and
scavengers continue to dig in the mud to discover more history.
Today, mudlarking along Happenings like this, along with deserted buildings and trails near
the Thames is as popular as ponds and lakes, all add up to a perfect spot to scavenge.
it ever was, but for entirely Other mudlarking finds that are popular regardless of country or
different rea sons. Modern region include coins, buttons, and bottles that are often found along
London Mudlarks must have the shores of most rivers where boat travel is or was popular. Brooks
permits and belong to a and waterways that go through old homesteads or smaller towns are
special club. They are typi- also teeming with items.
cally most inter ested in his-
torical preservation. In fact,
they are required to report Mudlarking and Coin Collecting
older finds to the Museum of Not surprisingly, coins—especially antique coins—are among the
London. Doing so helps preserve the rich most desirable mudlarking finds. In London, commonly
history of rhe city. found coins include those used in the city over the centuries,
such as George II halfpenny coins that were commonly
Mudlarking in the U.S. considered not just currency, but good luck charms in the
1700s. In the U.S., American and British coins are the most
The term “mudlarking” is perhaps not as common, but rare old coins from other countries can also
popular in the United Stares, but the process is sometimes be found in American waterways thanks to the
continually becoming more and more popular. country’s long history of immigration and commerce.
American Mudlarks tend to focus on bodies of
water that were used for large amounts of
commerce and transportation throughout the (left) The Torquay Mudlark came across this
centuries. The Mississippi River is certainly at hammered gold coin along the Thames River
the top of that list. Mudlarks along the and brought it to the Museum of London
Mississippi have found old city seals for the City of St. Louis, bullets where it was record ed on the PAS database
and other Civil War memorabilia, glass bottles, pottery, and more. and then returned to the finder.
The next day I returned to where I had
Other popular areas include rocky shorelines that may hold items found it and as I was walking to the area I
from shipwrecks or things lost at sea. The Hudson, Susquehanna, spotted a gold wedding ring in a little rock
and Savannah rivers hold treasures from the early days of the U.S. pool. It was close to one of the river boat piers
along with Native American findings and natural discoveries such as and path next to the river.” How it landed
fossils and bones. All these objects tell the stories of the river’s history. there is a mystery.
continued on page 32
18 Journal of Antiques and Collectibles