Hand stone

The term hand stone (Handstein) originally referred to minerals or rocks taken for sampling. These could serve as proof that it was worth processing the minerals found at the site. Special specimens were collected or given away. Hand stones are also artistically worked mineral pieces, however. This fist-sized chunk of rock has inclusions of various minerals, amethyst, for example. Dating from the 17th century, it is set in a silver-plated copper plate that serves as a base. Engraved on the plate is: ‘Iron I was, copper I am, silver I wear, 1674’. The inscription refers to the town of Herrengrund (now Špania Dolina in Slovakia), where copper was mined using iron in the 17th and 18th centuries. This hand stone was decorated with silversmith work depicting various scenes from the mining industry. A miner clambers up a ladder from a shaft, while work is carried out on a tunnel to the right. On the plateau, two people operate a winch for extracting rocks, while next to it you can see a horse-drawn bailer, an engine with a pointed roof for scooping water