What Is it?
On this page I will picture some items we are in the process of researching. Any information and help you can give will be sincerely appreciated. Even Guesses will help. If you are interested in the item, please e-mail us, and as soon as we do have a price, we will be happy to contact you.
If you have any information, guesses, or are interested, please e-mail us using the link below
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Bronze box, The Thompson Trophy on the Art Deco piece on the front, two
airplanes. Wooden lined. Made by Allen Cleveland Metal Specialties Co. You can
see the two airplanes on the front. Approx. 9 x 4 x 2 1/2 inches. This was from
the Thompson Trophy Races. I think before WW II. These came from the estate of a
man named R.L. Smith. I bought some other aviation related, and WW II related
items from the same estate. I do not know if Mr. Smith was a pilot, engineer,
mechanic, or what. Someone e-mailed me and said that this box was only given out
in 1928 and 1929. He said it was given out the winner, he thought, but was
told that "they" did not know if it was given to other racers or not.
He also said there was a pair of bookends, and a medal as well. Do you have any info?
Info on the purpose of the box,
what it was given for? Any info on Mr. R.L. Smith?
I found this brass tube in a box of firearms and reloading related items I
bought from an estate sale. Inside was on cartridge, shown. Rimfire, bigger than
a .22 but smaller than a ,30 caliber. As you can see it comes apart, but has a
locking arm. Is it a reloading tube that held extra cartridges, or some other
type of gun part, a magazine, or etc. Around 4 inches long. Any help would be
appreciated?
20mm approx. 3/4 inch bronze token. Shows a woman, and the year 1937. Blank on
the reverse except for a rim like on the front.
Ok, just what is wrong with these pictures? Notice the back of the button Says
Waterbury Button CT USA. As in Waterbury, Connecticut? Ask yourself the
following: Now just why would a Yankee company be making buttons for the
Confederacy? And why would the Confederates allow the backs of their buttons to
be marked USA? My belief was that this was a fake. The question I had is how old a fake?
The button does appear to be old, with honest age and wear. What purpose was it
made? Maybe confederate veterans? Re-enactors? Fraud? 7/8 inch,
22 mm. I had someone e-mail me and say the following: "the Waterbury Conn.
made CSA button is not a fake many northern companies made this type of product
for the confederacy and sold them to the south by way of England". So, is
it a fake, or real? Value?
Dunscomb's Shot Case. Patent July 15, 1879, Dillingham & Co., Sheboygan, Wisconsin. stamped inside
the left hand drawer. I looked up the patent, it was number 217,508 but that was
for a less refined version of this box. . This was used in a general or hardware store to dispense shot for
shotguns. Each bin would have held a different size of shot. Holes at the top
are for filling the bins, you probably used a funnel there. Each bin has a cast
iron gate, with latch. 25 inches long, 10 inches wide, 12 1/2 inches tall. Oak.
I expect the two drawers were to hold bags to dispense shot into. Any additional
information would be appreciated. Value?
S.C. Memorial Sergeant badge. Nickel plated brass. 1 1/2 inches. Is this from
South Carolina? What purpose did this badge serve? Any help will be
appreciated.
I bought this nice carved duck decoy recently at an auction in Boone, North
Carolina. . There are a couple of holes in the bottom where a keel weight, and
anchor attachment would have gone. Mallard, solid pine or fur body and
head, dowel to join head to body. Body is 13 inches. Glass eyes. The second
photo shows the mark on the bottom. I am curious if anyone knows this mark ? I
am thinking Swan Quarters, North Carolina, maybe as a meaning for the mark? Any
information would be appreciated.
The two receipts below were found mounted in a very old frame:
Receipt. I think it says "Aug. 5th 17?6 Receive of Wm Lytle in full of
(Eason Rickets?) due bill and certificates. Wm Clark"
This one says: "Received of William Lytle the amount of James Gunn pay
while in the Continental service in certificate & dubill. James Gunn.
I found both William Lytle, James Gunn, and William Clark in various records from the revolutionary war. I found a James Gunn from Pennsylvania, who was a Brigadier General. I found a William Lytle from both Pennsylvania and New York.. I also found William Clark as in the Lewis & Clark expedition. I have no idea if any of the names on the receipts are the famous bearers of these names. All I know for certain is that James Gunn was in continental service. Someone thought enough of the receipts to frame them many years ago. Any ideas on these two receipts?
I purchased this poster/print recently. marked "The Navy by Henry L. Turner
Copyright 1899". From what I have been able to find out this seems to be a
depiction of the Spanish American War, Battle of Manila Bay flagship Olympia. At
least that was the intention, but the actual ship depicted is probably the New
York. The flags on the sips mast are supposed to signal "Remember the
Maine." But there is a mistake in their order. That tells me two things.
The artist was working of a picture of the New York, but may not have been aware
that it was, and was not 100% familiar with Navy signaling. Flying on the ship's
mast, is a two star flag for Rear Admiral Sampson, who was on the New York, but
at the top left, and bottom right corners are 4 stars for Admiral Dewey. 16 x 26
inches. Old plaster on wood frame, old glass, and wood back. Slight staining of
the print at the seam between the two pieces of wood on the back. Any idea of
value? Was it just a patriotic print, or a Navy Recruiting Poster? Someone
wrote me and told me they had a book, Saber, Saddle and Sentiment by
Henry L. Turner, and that they had seen a magazine, The Interior Weekly,
from 1898 with a picture of Colonel Henry L. Turner on the cover. Maybe this was
cover art for a book?
I purchased this map at an estate
auction of a college professor. As both a history professor and
missionary, this man had traveled all over the world. Written on
the back is a note from him "I paid 80 francs, about $3.20,
for this map unframed. I bought it at a book stall on the Seine
river bank in Paris in 1928." The map measures about
23" X 18". The illustrator for the map is Jodocus
Hondius, and the date is 1606. It is a map of America, as the
Portuguese explorers knew it. It looks to be a print, possibly
hand colored. From what I have learned so far, the Portuguese
were printing maps then. The question I have is its age? Is it
from the 1600s, or a 1900s copy? What is it worth?
My father purchased this pair of signaling guns at
an estate auction a few years ago, being sold as candleholders.
They are very small, measuring 3 1/4" tall, by 2" at
the bottom (not counting handles. Each weighs about 5 lbs. Made of
brass or bronze. The shield on the front has what looks like
"i-A" on each. I found pictures of similar guns in a
book on Nautical items, but they were much larger, 17-30 lbs. I
think these were used to signal between ships, or to lookouts.
Apparently you just poured in some black powder, tamped in a wad,
then touched flame to the hole at the bottom where some powder
was exposed. Something about these makes me think they might be
Spanish, but that is just a guess. How old are these? Where are
they from? What were they used for? Any ideas of worth?
My parents purchased this map at an estate auction.
It is hand drawn, in pencil and ink, measures 35" X
27" It is from New Jersey. Wonderful illustrations
of wildlife, inns, has the Jersey Devil on it. Beautifully done, very detailed.
It looks as though it's a map of what is now Wharton State Forest in New Jersey.
The artist
is Roy Winterbottom. Inserted is a close-up of the Wharton Estate . The hunting and fishing theme runs
throughout the picture. The compass rose is a crossed gun, bow,
and fishing rod. Thanks
to folks who viewed this page, I have received a good bit of information on the
area and on the Jersey Devil legend. But so far I
haven't found out anything about Roy Winterbottom? Any idea of the age of
the map? Any idea of worth?
It's looks to me that it's made of brass. Both top
and bottom are domed. Lead solder inside? Heavy, well made, though a bit
crude. Interesting engraving, They look like joined leaves or Christmas trees
on the top, and stars. Has the name(?) DAVED LEWIES on the top. It came from a
local estate here in North Carolina, my thinking is that it's very old, at
least Civil War era. Approx. 3 inches long, 2 inches wide, and 1 1/4 inches
thick closed. One possibility I had thought of was a snuff box. Is it a snuff
box? If not, what could it be? Age? Any idea where it's from? Value?
Commission certificate confirming the promotion of
Daniel Cameron as a Brevet Brigadier General in the U.S. Army.
Apparently Cameroon was given a battlefield promotion during the
Civil War, and this document was just officicially confirming it.
It is signed by President Andrew Johnson, Secretary of War Edwin
Stanton (Stanton was the reason that impeachment proceedings were
brought against Johnson. Stanton was also secretary of War under Lincoln) The paper is dated March 13, 1867 with the date of rank
of March 13, 1865 promotion was given for "valorous and
meritorious service during the war." Bears the presidential
seal in blue. In the corner is a note is some writing in red ink,
stating that this paper was consigned to the Adjutant Generals
office March 18th, 1869. Daniel Cameron was born in Scotland,
1828 died Chicago in 1879. Colonel during the war, led a kilt
clad Scottish regiment of the 65th Ill. Infantry, then was a
prison camp commander. From a historical document from the
department of the army, Cameron was the first to issue his troops
with repeating rifles. The document measures 19" X 13
1/2" I have a photocopy of a picture of Cameron, courtesy of
the U.S. Army, records and historical division. With the seal,
and that it was for a general, I believe the signatures to be
both Johnson and Stanton, not clerks signing for them. The army
confirmed that this was probably the case. Some wrinkles, as the
document was folded. What is it worth?
6" cannon ball. Purchased
about ten years ago from an estate auction in Asheville, North
Carolina. The iron base has two brass plaques riveted to it. The
first says"COEHOE MORTAR SHOT 6 INCH SEIZED FT. SUMPTER S.C,
- APRIL 13,1861" The second says "PRESENTED NEW
ORLEANS, LA. BY GEN. P.G.T. BEAUREGARD, C.S.A. This ball had been
in the family for four generations. The family was from the New
Orleans area during, and just after, the Civil War. I have
conferred with the curator of the Ft. Sumter museum, and there
were guns at Sumter that fired this size shot, but not necessarily mortars. I
have read that Beauregard had the flag pole sliced up for souvenirs, and feel
that the stand may have been made from a section of the Fort Sumter flagpole. Any information you could give us would be appreciated.
Especially if you know of any articles mentioning General
Beaureguard giving cannon balls to anyone in New Orleans. Any
idea of worth? Or of how to go about proving if the ball and
stand are real? I have heard of other ball and stands being sold, with the same
information on them.
Very detailed Trout planter, obviously old, but
unmarked. They are hard to see in the picture, but most of the
surface is crazed with age lines. Hand painted, some hand work in
finishing such as adding the fins, etc. Clear glossy glaze. 6 1/2
inches tall. No damage. Could it be majolica? Staffordshire?
German? Any help with age and value would be appreciated.
I don't know what this thing is, it's shaped and carved like a fish. I bought it
from a woman who had gotten it from the estate of a man who traveled all over
the world. She said he spent time in South America and Asia. It's obviously old.
It came with the clay/pottery pieces shown in the last photograph. Crude, ethnic
carving. It's hinged on a nail at the front, but I think the nail may be newer
than the rest of the piece. As you can see it's hollow, has two cavities. 13 3/8
inches long, 4 1/4 inches wide, and 3 1/4 inches tall. From the dirt and etc. in
the groves it looks old to me. The largest clay disk is 7/8 inch wide, and maybe
1/8 inch thick. Any help with what it is, where it's likely from, value,
and Age, would be appreciated. Could it be a game? Possibly missing some
pieces?
Anheuser Busch Prototype Atlanta Olympics steins 1996. 18 1/2 inches tall
including lid. Ceramic, made in Germany. It says on the stein. "Atlanta
1996 Centennial Olympic Games 776-1896 Athens 1896 S. Jeux Olympiques Collection
1896-1996 Atlanta 1996". On a piece of paper taped to the inside of the
stein it says "1996 Olympic Games Prototype - 1 of Only Six - Gift of Tom
Pomozzi " then handwritten "June 2005". Has a made in Germany
sticker. One has a pewter lid, one did not have the lid. These came from a
collection of Steins that included other Budweiser steins, German steins, and
etc. that were sold at auction. Any
additional info on the steins would be appreciated. They will be for sale, but I
am currently researching them. Would be happy to entertain offers. Am only
interested in selling as a pair unless you wanted the stein without the lid. The
stein without the lid did not have a piece of paper inside it, but I copied the
paper from the first and attached it assuming the second stein is also part of
the six prototypes. Did Anheuser Busch ever produce this stein in
quantity?
I found out that Tom Pomozzi is a large collector of steins. He was nice enough to provide the following info:
"I bought a collection of German made steins when I was in Hohr-Grenzhausen Germany. The 2 steins were produced by Gerz. When Gerz went out of business a friend of mine from Hohr bought these unfinished mugs that Gerz had made for AB at auction in Germany when Gerz went under. Most of them were chipped or cracked and all were unpainted and not finished. AB only bought 1996 finished steins from Gerz. AB'S # CS267. Originally the finished steins sold high because of only 1996 produced. There were only 12 good mugs rest were broken or cracked I purchased all 12 and shipped them back to the United States. A friend of mine added a lid to 6 of them and left 6 un lidded. I have 6 in my collection and I gave 3 friends of mine the other sets. One of them must of sent them to auction. They are unique because of not being finished and the lid attached are from Hohr-Grenzhausen Germany bought the 6 lids there while visiting also to put on them and had them shipped back with mugs. I have not sold any of them generally."
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