What is the Oldest Thing You Own?

Mine is a book detailing the Civil War. It was printed in 1865.

Maybe you should go on Antiques Roadshow.
I have a 1732 penny I received as a kid for my coin collection
My bod.
An arrowhead that I found in a field on a farm in Pennsylvania. How many years old could it be? Perhaps thousands...
A bronze age dagger.
A terra cotta votive figure that dates to about 300 B.C. It's a seated figure of a woman and you can see both Greco-Roman and Egyptian influence in the style.
R3 beat me to it.
My partner.
A terra cotta decanter dated 2,000BC and signed by Moishe Dayan and is from his collection. Bought it about 30 years ago at a charity art show.
Beat ya R6 :)
Maybe my grandfather's desk, which I'm sitting at right now. I have no idea when it was purchased, as early as the 1930s.
"Lincoln Obsequies" published shortly after his death. It has the funeral rites and ceremonies in Washington DC and along the railroad trip to his final burial. I have several other books from the Civil War era, first purchased by my great-grandfather who was an officer in the Irish Brigade. He's mentioned in the books.
Earrings. Caftan.
A violin, late 17th century Bohemian
violinist%2C%20%20and%20I%20actually%20own%20a%20lot%20of%20old%20things
I also have a violin from the 1800s built by another great-grandfather who was a violin maker and organ builder.
r11
I own an uneaten crust of bread from WW1.
My house--built in 1772.
Speaking of old houses, has anyone caught Bronson Pinchot's new old-house renovation show? It was weird to see Balky do design. Sorry for the t/j.
I used to collect precolumbian artifacts. I sold most of the collection some years ago but kept a few of my favorite items. I also have a 15th century engraving
Some of my grandfather's bibles from the 1800s, and some Native American baskets and tools that might be ancient.
Indian paraphernalia - we had friends with an old farm located on the site of ong-established Indian settlements, and would pick up arrowheads and other things in the fields - they were all over. There were grinding stones left in the woods - pretty amazing. Some are more recent (@1600-1800) but some are Archaic or Middle Archaic, 2500 bc+. I also have a single small Ptolemaic coin with Cleopatra VII (the one) on it - so that's older than 29 BC. Nice thread.
R6, dealer in stolen antiquities. Thief of the culture of others. You Elgin!
This is a great thread! So many interesting and beautiful things. I don't own any cool artifacts, but my wardrobe, the bulk of which was purchased in 2005-2007, looks really sad and dated. I
Letting%20Myself%20Go
Dayan used to give those things out as host gifts - they were picked up by the score from an Alexandrian potter and Dayan would "boldly" sign them - usually the same design, with a two handled tapered jug shape and about 4-5 inches tall. How nice to have one - or several.
THAT blue dress from 1995.
Monica%20Lewinsky
Two vintage 1970s brass garden hose nozzles left behind by my home's previous owners.
Young Thang
I wonder how a book about the Cvil War from 1965 differ from a book about the Civil War written now? Are the battles all reported the same from one century to the next?
I haven't a clue what I own that is really old...seems like I have nothing new.
[quote] with a two handled tapered jug shape and about 4-5 inches tall. That's exactly right, R23. I would love any additional info you might have. Thanks.
R9
R2, have you had the penny's value assessed? R16 here. I just moved into my old house and am sure to find some coins around the property.
Meteor...5 billion yrs old.
R26 The book is knee deep in purple prose. I wish I had it here (I'm at work) because the title is hysterical. Something along the lines of "A Full and Detailed Account Regarding the Origins of the Rebellion and of the War, Campaigns and Maneuvers and Including Scenes of Bravery and Touching Sacrifice in Camps and Battlegrounds and Home" etc. I have not read much of it. Its not in the best of shape so I really dont handle it too much. One thing that does stand out however is what was considered the causes of the war. Unlike many history books today which try to paint the conflict being about social schism and state rights, this book makes it very clear. The war, as far as the people who fought it and lived through it was concerned, was over slavery.
OP
This. Circa 1500
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Christ_taking_leave_of_his_Mother,_by_Albrecht_Dürer.jpg
Apr. 9, 1986 JERUSALEM (AP) _ Four years after the death of Israeli soldier and statesman Moshe Dayan, the public will get its first look at the antiquities that critics say he plundered from the nation. Among the 1,000 items in Dayan's collection that will go on display Tuesday at the Israel Museum are rare pieces that will help archaeologists learn more about the history of the Holy Land. Other items are junk, and Dayan apparently was hoodwinked into buying some forgeries, according to Tallay Ornan, a museum curator. [more at link]
http://www.apnewsarchive.com/1986/Moshe-Dayan-s-Controverisal-Antiquities-Collection-Goes-on-Display/id-f9368fd8de3ed17152b210f80313ec95
My 4 poster bed is from the 1600s. My apartment is from the 1500's. The foundation of the place dates to the 13th century. I have prints from the 1600s - 1700s. A few pieces of furniture in late 1800s Empire style. Most of this stuff are things collected over the years, jumping at the good deal from antique markets ...not high end stores.
Late 1700's French brass inkwell
r29, I haven't but there's a book published each year that gives a rough value of the market for a lot of US coins. It's red and "Official Coin Book" or something. You can probably get the 2010 or 2011 version on eBay or Amazon for $1 plus postage, and that will give you a rough value for anything you find.
Prehistoric: Indian artifacts collected when I was a kid 9thC: some early Islamic ceramics 17thC: A couple portraits; a pair of chairs; prints and maps; a few small things 18thC to early 19thC: easily 90% of the stuff in my house (excepting books, clothing, appliances, expendable items)
I found a neatly folded 1957 dollar bill on the sidewalk last month. When I unfolded it, I thought it was counterfeit at first because it said Silver Certificate across the top and and had a blue seal.
A handful of stardust left over from the Big Bang
R39 We all own that
http://youtu.be/z0teSHmk2aM
I love early 19th century china. Brits were trying to imitate designs they found on Japanese porcelain - asymmetric designs with bold colors. It took them awhile to master true red. My oldest piece is an early 18th century faux bois pitcher with hinged lid. My history lessons made it sound like we made such great progress since the American Revolution. My colonial and egyptian revival furniture were much better constructed than any of the federalist or 'Early Eastlake' shit I've owned. The late 19th century created the IKEA sales model.
R38, it sounds like that dollar bill was cared for and treasured by someone. You should post an ad on Craigslist or put signs up stating you found a bill. Maybe someone will contact you with details to reclaim it. Heck, you might even get a reward m
Some family photos from the late 19th century I inherited from the sister of my grandfather. The reason I got them was because one of my ancestors, an artist blacksmith from Augsburg, Germany, looks almost exactly like me. Same forehead, cheekbones, mouth, eyes, hairline. I find it hilarious and almost scary at the same time
A joke book. Titled "The Wit's Vade Mecum", I think. Published in London in the 1720's. And my great-grandfather's pocket watch from the late 19th century. He worked for a Canadian railway and it was a standard issue type watch they used on the trains.
A trumpet, owned by my grandfather and played in some of Al Capone's nightclubs. I think it's circa 1930 or so. The bell is damaged but other than that, it's in good shape. Still playable. I remember my grandmother telling me that she snuck it outside into the outhouse one time to try to play it and promptly dropped the mouthpiece into the shitter. She recovered it, boiled it, and never told him.
I'd say a couple of photographs of my great-great-grandfather and great-great-grandmother taken probably during the Civil War (they were born c. 1850). The items are in the same small wooden box (that opens up to display a picture on each side). His pic is a paper print behind glass; hers is a joint sitting with her mother, a thick glass affair (NOT paper!) that could almost double as a drinks coaster.
Thank you R33. I had no idea and feel guilty now although there's not much I can do. Any reason you are so knowledgable about this?
R9
I have a grandfather clock which is 215 years old. Passed down the generations
my boyfriend
A book written of peotry by Rudolph Valentino, Daydreams, 1923.
This past Christmas, my parents got me an original WWI Irish recruitment poster like the one attached. I also have my grandfather's watch, but I'm not sure how old it is. Back in Ireland, I have a Mexican saddle that was a gift to my grandfather. I'm not sure how old that is either, but it is quite beautiful.
http://www.gamewholesale.com/ebay/wavintage-1318355971-13146.jpg
Ciaran
Pre-Columbian pottery and Chinese burial figures (Ming Dynasty (1368-1644)
A sterling silver chalice, hallmarked and made in London, 1782. The English devised an ingenious set of hallmarks for sterling silver to ensure purity in the 1600's, whereby one can tell who made this item, what year and what city.
silver%20collector
Queen Victoria's Ivory Tusk Dildo. I swiped it out out Princess Diana's purse when she was visiting New York in the 80s.
Ciarian, do you have more information about the Mexican saddle?
I have the little farm that my grandparents bought in the 1920s, and the ajacent farm that my parents bought in the 1940s, as well as my own farm across the road that I bought in the 1970s. There is a bunch of junk from the 1920s thru 1980s which is left here from my parents and grandparents, including their old houses which we use as guest quarters. My family was always just po'folks, Southern redneck hillbillies who moved west from the southern Appalachians. I doubt there is anything of value here, but there is a lot of old junk.
I own a late 1700s French writing desk. My grandmother finagled a local printer who had it stored in a back room of his shop to give it to her, and now I have it. I have a few other artifacts from her that may be nearly as old, but probably not worth very much.
My house was built in 1520
I don't, R55. I know that my grandfather got it in trade for a horse when I was very young. It is all hand-carved and it has silver on it. We never really used it because it is a western-style saddle. It is really beautiful, though.
Ciaran
R53, I have some 18th c American pewter and it has a hallmark system also. I can only date to the pewter to a range though. My fav plate is 1760-1790, John Skinner, Boston.
some coins that go back to the late 1800s.
A Russian sterling tea strainer, brought over by my GGGGrandfather in 1850. It dates from the early 1700's.
Gold Roman Lunar Talisman 2AD
My Mom had three books from the eighteenth century, all of which turned out to not be valuable. Even in England, which is where one normally goes to sell old books. I had a second edition Washington Irving from 1828, again not valuable, while a first edition would have been worth thousands. My current oldest book is a book of fashion etchings from 1849, culled from Graham's Magazine and designed for a young girl to doodle with, and paste in collages and her own designs. I also have an 1850 Conquest of Granada and a 1902 second edition Descent of Man by Charles Darwin.
A 1964 LIFE magazine with Miss Barbra Streisand on the cover!!!
Silver Denarius, from 136 BC showing the Gens Servilia from the Roman Republic Brought back from Europe after World War II by my Grandfather
I own a piece of an asteroid. It's 4.6 billion years old. I win.
My anxiety
r67, see r30.
He lies!
That's interesting r31. I was about to ask what it said being so close to the war.
My dad was an archaeologist and worked in museums around the world. I inherited all sorts of shit. Growing up, there were literally more ancient and old things in my house than new.
Such amazing artefacts! I have some antique Chinese pottery, an antique wedding basket and my oldest jewellery is my grandmother's gold wedding ring which is 85 years old - I wear it daily. Ciaran - your parents have brilliant taste in gifts!
My knees.
Zsa%20Zsa%20
Zsa Zsa, honey, I think you mean "My knee"
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2205584/Zsa-Zsa-Gabor-realised-leg-amputated-18-months-surgery.html
I have a small cherub on a plinth that dates from the late 1700s.
Post a photo of it please, R176.
Meant, R76. : )
R77
My toothbrush. Bought it in 1983. Think it's time for a new one?
I can't post a photo of it, I don't know how and I don't have a photobucket account or anything. It's about four inches high, metal, maybe an inch around at the base. It's quite small, you wouldn't barely notice it. I bought it in an antique store in London and it cost me a lot but not like a thousand or anything. The dealer told me the late 1700s bit after I'd purchased so I don't think I was snowed. He rhymed off this and that about it that made the case. Doesn't matter. I liked it. I also bought it because the love of my life was with me in the shop and I wanted a memory. Got one. Fucker dumped me two months later. Doesn't really matter, he had erection problems. But I sure loved him anyway...
My virginity.
R9/R47, NO NO NO NO NO NO NO - I was DL-goofing and thought you'd be in on the joke, because of your references and auction experience. I'm honestly sorry. It's true Dayan was a huge collector and would sign his pieces, but if it's genuinely from the Dayan collection and carries his signature, it certainly is authentic. He pulled things from all over the region, and a lot of his pieces have found their way into auctions and other sales. But rather than being devalued by the Dayan connection, his signature is considered a stamp of approval. And of course, being part of the Dayan connection, your piece also connects to Israeli history - what a wonderful thing to have. Again, I apologize.
R33
A coin of Alexander the Great.
My last name
I own a rental property that was built in 1910. I guess that's old by California standards.
Nice, R83. Is it from circa 300 B.C. then?
I can't look at it now, r83; it's in the bank. But it's larger than a silver dollar, has a profile of Alexander as Hercules with a lion-skin "cap" on ne side, and a seated Zeus on the other. I have it set in 14k. Here is a similar coin's description from e-Bay: Alexander III the Great, 356-323 B.C. King of Macedonia: 336-323 B.C. Silver Drachm 17mm (4.12 grams) Struck circa 325-301 B.C. Head of Alexander III as Heracles right, wearing the lion-skin headdress. AΛEΞANΔΡOY, Zeus seated left, holding eagle and scepter; monogram in field to left; monogram below throne.
r83
Is this another of those eldgergay competition threads?
Probably, R88. This batch of eldergays loves anything that makes them younger in comparison.
Was at an archeological dig in China and have two Neolithic bowls that I know to be from about 3000 BC. I also know them to be worth all of about $200 apiece. But I am thrilled that when I hold them, my hands take the shape of hands from 5000 years ago.
R82, do not buy into the Dayan canon.
A Roman coin. A twelfth century manuscript page. An English land deed from 1514. An antiphonal page from the 1600s. A few paintings from the late 1600s and early 1700s. And after that, a LOT of stuff from about 1750 through mid-20th century, having collected art and antiques for the better part of the last 45 years. (I started when I was 10 -- a gayling in the making.)
R82: no need to apologize. Your link was on point and I have no reason to dispute it or you. I have owned this piece forever (longer than the 30 years I stated) and see it and enjoy it daily. I hope it wasn't acquired under negative circumstances (Moishe, not me) and it will be passed along to future family members. It's all good.
R9 and R47
A scrapbook from the early silent film days. It is filled with clippings about well known actors and the forgotten.
So...you guys think a man who collects fine art, artifacts, and antiques is most likely gay?
An 1805 New York State gilt-framed mirror with eglomise panel and the original 200 year old mirror plate. My partner looks at it and says, "Why can't I comb my hair in this crazy mirror?" hehe. I love it.
[quote] So...you guys think a man who collects fine art, artifacts, and antiques is most likely gay? No, R95, not especially. The probability isn't more than about 1 in 10.
[quote]So...you guys think a man who collects fine art, artifacts, and antiques is most likely gay? No, I don't, but he'd go pretty far up on my list of people I'd like to have a conversation with.
Good, R93. I'm sure that at the time it was collected General Dayan could pick up things and provenance was neither suspect nor sullied by it at all. You're generous in excusing me. Your piece sound like a great thing to have.
You%20know%20who
R89 has a zit that's three weeks old, longer than any of his relationships have lasted. Bitterness erupts as spots among these trollettes, but luckily for them it's not like the acne detracts from what's already there.
[quote]No, I don't, but he'd go pretty far up on my list of people I'd like to have a conversation with. Or not. I asked because I'm the one with the archaeologist dad. While an extraordinary living cache of all things art, anthro, forensics and history (not kidding, probably one of the greatest ever), people's interest in him never withstood his level of douchebaggery. With the exception of masochistic people and the profoundly deaf.
That makes...very little sense, R100, especially in response to such a passing comment.
A WWII era American flag.
I own the burial shroud of Obi Wan Kenobi. I remember buying it from a tribe of Sand People in Mos Eisley, but I can't remember exactly when I acquired it, but it was a long time ago, in a galaxy far far away... Somewhere along the way, I also acquired Luke Skywalker's first buttplug.
Anakin Skywalker XXXIV
R89, your crap is not just a passing comment. It's a reflection of a mean-spirited trend that deserves being called out when it is flung like shit at posters here. Your inane post "asking" if men who collect or enjoy antiquities are gay proves the point. Why not take your daddy issues some place quiet and reflect on how the apple didn't fall far from the douchebag tree? And stuff your ellipses.
R105, Mean-spirited trends are what keep DL running. I'm NOT even the one who first made the suggestion to which you took offense! And you didn't call it out so much as pick a squabble. More crap, if you will. But I'll play. I could say your assumptions that I have "daddy issues" are part of a mean-spirited trend on this website. Someone referred to himself as a "gayling in the making" because of his collecting. My dad isn't masculine, but not gay. He's brilliant, but not someone many people end up liking, as SOMEONE ELSE asserted he would be. Oh, I noticed my dangling ellipse right after posting. I didn't want to continue the tedious trend of clogging the feed with annoying correctional footnotes. Besides, what would the Elder Grammar Fascists do without them? JEEE-ZUSSS. You seem insecure about your age. You should get over it and enjoy the time you have left with yourself and others! TL;DR: You're old and a hypocrite.
R89
Zsa Zsa.
Prince%20von%20Anhalt
HAHA R106 Your post was TL;DR.
Ciaran
R72/R89/R95/R101/R012/R106 is the entitled cunt who has been crapping her homophobic, ageist, entitiled drivel all over the site. She thinks that by hiding behind "don't speak if you can't take it" she can spread her hate speech as she will. Because she's so much smarter than anyone else. And rich - she's managed to tell everyone about her archaeologist father with whom she has issues, that she is rich, that she went to a fancy private school - and that she has to insert her loathing of older people in every thread because of her daddy issues. Blow this homophobic cunt out of here. She's playing "voice of reason" like she learned in sophomore year and has that insane tenacity associate with the worst trolls here. Oh - she also is APPALLED by the DL. Entitled asshole. Find yourself a nice textile blog, Miss Thing.
[quote] He's brilliant, but not someone many people end up liking, as SOMEONE ELSE asserted he would be. No one made that assertion.
I did not mean for my seemingly innocuous and innocent little gayling comment to derail this otherwise interesting thread. Sheesh. Enough.
R92
R110, They did, blindly. See the comment: [quote]No, I don't, but he'd go pretty far up on my list of people I'd like to have a conversation with. I'm not even the one who started the "age" joke (there are MUCH worse on this site, and it was a JOKE), I'm not rich or entitled, and I'm not homophobic. You have taken this too seriously. Though I will speak my mind if I disagree with something. I start out in a civil manner. If I'm responded to with malicious rubbish, I'll give it back. Just like everyone else, even though we "shouldn't." Capisce? And now, more artifact and antique sharing.
A little Egyptian stone scarab. 2nd millennium BC. Not worth much at all, despite its age.
You are the things you deny, R112, because on an anonymous site a consistent pattern that leaves its "voice" obvious all over the place gets noticed. "I am NOT revolting" is hardly a reasonable response, although it is a typical one from the kind of serial slimer you are. "You're too serious" and "get back to business" may be the kind of games you get away with elsewhere, but how about this? Quit being a purposeful nuisance saying nasty things about gay people. Lying about it isn't an appropriate response. Or you could find that better place to be. Please?
I'm curious to know where the collectors here, particularly NYC and East Coast, get their antiques. Do any of you go to auctions? Obscure markets? For selling, sometimes I think Ebay can pay off more. R114, How do you expect me to respond in detail, unless you want to speak with me directly in a more relevant context to your issues with me? Tweet me if you'd like. Since you know everything about me, I'm sure you know my handle. I completely mean it: be happy with you.
I have a trunk that was in WWII and Viet Nam.
I live in the mid-Atlantic area and I have gotten most of my collection at auctions; catalog, non-catalog, and eBay. In addition to local auction houses, I use Artfact.com and Liveauctioneers.com for auctions in the region and up through New England. (To go much beyond that means that the shipping costs become a bit high.) Antique shows are hit-or-miss. I've gotten some great deals at them along the way, but, in general, the prices are high and the other dealers get first crack at the merchandise, so many or most of the real treasures usually get snatched up while the show is being set up. I've had the least amount of luck with shops or malls. The dealers charge way too much for what they have, and I can usually purchase a similar item (or better) at auction. I avoid individual estate/house sales, junkyards, etc. because it takes a lot of time to sift through all that stuff and often yields very little in return. Yes, there are stories about people finding a rare book or painting at the Goodwill, but those are very few and very far between.
R92/111
[quote] I'm curious to know where the collectors here, particularly NYC and East Coast, get their antiques. Do any of you go to auctions? Obscure markets? For selling, sometimes I think Ebay can pay off more. Like my Mid-Atlantic neighbor R117, I buy mostly at auctions sometimes in person, usually by leaving bids for the auction houses to execute. Most of the auctions are on the Eastern states, from New Orleans to Maine, though I'll buy mostly smaller things from U.K. and European sales. I get lots of auction catalogues in the mail, and follow other auctions through online catalogues. Before the Internet, I bought from a mix of shows and dealers and auctions. I still go to a few choice shows and dealers' shops, but don't buy much this way any more. Flea markets and junk shops and lower end dealers are pretty much a waste of time for my interests. I've bought (and sold) some things in certain categories on Ebay, but it is past its heyday and mostly I'm upgrading furniture now, so proper auctions are a better source.
I have a collection of shark tooth fossils that date back 15- 18 million years old, the Miocene period. They are amazingly sharp and well preserved for their age.