Treasure Auction #2:
Artifacts (lots #434-505)
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Lot title and description |
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Jump to Other Artifacts (not from shipwrecks but related)
| ARTIFACTS FROM SHIPWRECKS | |||
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Unidentified ca.-1450 Chinese wreck off Indonesia |
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434 |
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Earthenware mercury vessel, European, 1400s?. 958 grams, about 7½" tall and 5" in diameter at its widest. Among the many amphora-type vessels made in Europe since ancient times were small jars with very narrow mouths, like this one, used to transport mercury (or quicksilver), an important liquid metal for silvering mirrors and extracting pure silver and gold from ore. The jar tapers to a narrow, flat base, and is widest at its top, in which there is a small hole (half inch diameter) where a stopper was placed. While the inside actually jingles with the sound of flaked-off encrustation, the outside is loaded with the same stuff but still adhering, all very white and beautiful against the grayish color of the original earthenware. A rare object, and quite cute. |
$500 - $700 |
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Spanish “Manila Galleon wreck” in the Philippines, ca. 1571 |
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435 |
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Small, ornate bronze cannon, Spanish, 1500s., about 47 pounds, total length about 25", about 4" in diameter (not including trunnions), 1¼" bore. What a beautiful cannon this is! Its small size means it was probably more ornamental than anything else (or a signal cannon of some sort), with lots of bells and whistles: "dolphin" lifting handles, M•V•S in escutcheon behind the second reinforce, trunnions and cascabel, and large but somewhat damaged touchhole with stanchions on either side (sights?), the muzzle very bulbous and with no less than 13 bands, and graced with a lovely patina all over (really from a shipwreck?). Shame there is not more known about its origin, but for a display artifact at least you could not ask for better! From the collection of Robert F. Marx through Seahawk. | $4,500 - $5,750 |
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Atocha, sunk in 1622 southwest of Key West, Florida |
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436 |
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High-grade emerald ring. 5.7 grams about 5/8" in diameter, with approx. 1-carat stone This fabulous artifact contains one of the best (darkest and clearest) emeralds ever recovered from this wreck, in its original high-karat gold setting from the 1600s, made for a lady and still useful for that purpose today! The design around the stone (which is rectangular) is like a Tudor rose, understated but elegant, a jewel that had high value in its own time as well. The Fishers' original price (as printed on the accompanying tag) was $43,000, but you can have it for far less now. With Fisher hologram photo-certificate #95A-29458 from 2003 along with an appraisal certificate for $43,000 that specifies the item as "Kane Fisher [Mel's son] 2003 Division Ring." | $17,000 - $20,000 |
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437 |
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Single silver chain link. 4.2 grams, oval, about 1" x ¾" A single, fused link of high-grade silver, purpose unknown, possibly an example of how the Spaniards smuggled silver without taxation. With Fisher photo-certificate #86A-4863. | $250 - $375 |
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Santa Margarita, sunk in 1622 southwest of Key West, Florida |
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438 |
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Gold spiral-link chain (77 links, 139 grams). 142.3 grams 18½" long, each link about 3/8" in diameter Next to the gold bars, perhaps the most obviously valuable of all the artifacts from the Atocha and the Santa Margarita were its many gold chains, the biggest of which sold in the original Christie's auction of 1988 for $319,000! Since that auction there have been very few gold chains on the market, and this is clearly one of the nicer ones, with good-sized links of fluted (and every other one twisted) gold, probably high grade but certainly in excellent condition. The length is just right for a lady, but it is heavy! The ends of the links are slightly open, the idea being that one could easily break off pieces of the chain to use as a form of untaxed money, hence the term most often associated with these artifacts is "money chain." The original point value for this piece, stated on the certificate, is 973 points, which in 1985 had a value of about $54 per point according to the State of Florida (roughly $52,500), although prices as high as $108 per point have been realized at auction. With Fisher photo-certificate #68 from 1985. | $75,000 - $100,000 |
| Maravillas, sunk in 1656 off Grand Bahama Island | |||
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439 |
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Thickly encrusted silver buckle. 41 grams, roughly 2" x 1¼" A typical small, rectangular buckle with moving parts fused to main part, all rather "puffy" from oxidation and with green and white encrustation on the black surfaces, rare from this wreck and a neat little display. | $300 - $450 |
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440 |
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Earthenware "olive jar" neck and side (Spanish). Side piece: 703 grams, about 11" x 5"; neck: 252 grams, about 2" tall, 3¾" in diameter, with 2¼" aperture. These are the typical objects found on a colonial shipwreck site: not the intact vessels but just the broken sides and tops (necks), inexpensive artifacts that make great displays. You can get them from the 1715 Fleet by the bucketful, but you hardly ever see them from the Maravillas, as these are. Both pieces are a nice reddish orange with bits of white encrustation, very thick and solid. Sold as a lot of two pieces only. |
$60 - $90 |
| Vergulde Draeck (“Gilt Dragon”), sunk in 1656 off Western Australia | |||
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441 |
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Earthenware "Bellarmine" jug. German or Dutch, ca. 1620 959 grams, about 8¼" tall, 6" in diameter across the middle, 3¼" base So-called Bellarmine jugs like this one, with a grotesque, bearded face on the neck, were first made in the early 1500s, but by the 17th century they were mass-produced in Protestant areas of Europe to poke fun of Cardinal Robert Bellarmine, who was very unpopular for his theological views (most famously, he was the one who warned Galileo against promoting the heliocentric theory, which of course is factual today but at the time was heresy). These distinctively brown and bulbous beer jugs then found their way into nearly every self-respecting pub and tavern across Europe and even abroad, and some have even been found on shipwrecks, like this one. The condition of this piece is near perfect, with a right-facing rampant lion in medallion on the side below the face (both features with a hint of blue color), "rat-tail" style handle, some wormy encrustation in places, quite rare in this condition from a documented wreck. From the Rodney Harmic collection of Bellarmine jugs, with tag #B0141. | $1,500 - $1,800 |
| Consolación, sunk in 1681 off Santa Clara Island, Ecuador | |||
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442 |
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Iron horseshoe mounted on a plaque. 375 grams (including plaque), about 5" x 3¾" (plaque: about 7½" x 6") Mundane iron artifacts from shipwrecks, like horseshoes and ax-heads, are harder to find than one might think, mostly because they rarely survive the oxidation. This horseshoe, however, is in relatively decent shape (professionally conserved), even with three nail holes still in evidence, a little wrinkled and corroded but definitely "all there," mounted upright (for good luck!) on a sturdy, dark-brown particle-board plaque with imprinted nameplates at top and bottom that say "Santa María de la Consolación - 1681" (top) and "Isla Santa Clara, Ecuador 'El Muerto'" (bottom). With ROBCAR photo-certificate #I00003. | $25 - $40 |
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443 |
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Complete bronze hull-pin with markings. about 3 lb., about 30½" long, ¾" in cross-section The ribs of a ship were generally held together with all sorts of fasteners of wood, iron and bronze, but perhaps the most impressive of those was the hull-pin, a long nail that fastened the wooden skin of the ship and was blunted at both ends to keep it in place. Most of the time we see incomplete hull-pins or the more-common spikes that, albeit large, had one blunt end and one pointed end, but this pin is complete. This one also has the added distinction of carrying a very clear marking "XXXVII" (Roman numeral 37, probably to show where it went in the building of the ship) deeply slashed in the center, in an area that is polished and looks more brassy than bronze. The rest of the pin shows encrustation and a slight bend to it, all very solid and intact. With ROBCAR photo-certificate #B0008. | $100 - $125 |
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444 |
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Complete bronze spike. about 1 lb, 3 oz. 8¾" long and 13/16" in cross-section Another impressive part of the architecture of the ship, this with one flat end and one pointed end, the latter tapering to a flat point with six slashes on each side to help the spike keep its grip (now holding tight to some grayish encrustation), the rest of the spike quite straight and alternating black and brassy in color. With ROBCAR photo-certificate #B0009. | $40 - $60 |
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445 |
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Group of nine small brass nails and tacks. 1.5 oz. total, each between 2 and 11 grams, the nails about 1" to 1¾" in length, the tacks about ½" long and 7/8" in diameter. The most common and mundane fasteners on a ship. This lot consists of four flathead tacks and three small nails, plus one larger nail with square cross-section, each its own color (coppery to brassy), some with encrustation and patina and some completely clean, sold as a lot of 9 items only. With ROBCAR photo-certificate #B0010. | $30 - $50 |
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446 |
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Earthenware "olive jar" neck with section of side attached. 504 grams, approx. 8" x 7" overall, the neck about 2-7/8" in diameter Impressive fragment of an olive jar, with wide-mouth neck and section of the shoulder of the jar, with dried brown mud caked on the inside and little bits of encrustation here and there. With ROBCAR photo-certificate #C00025. | $20 - $30 |
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447 |
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Lot of three earthenware "olive jar" necks. Between 150 and 300 grams each, roughly 3"-4" in diameter (each) The tops of three separate jars, each with a small portion of the shoulder of the jar too, in varying degrees of preservation, some wormy encrustation on one. Sold as a lot of three only. With ROBCAR photo-certificates #C00026, 7, 8. | $45 - $75 |
| “Porto Bello wreck,” sunk in 1681 or 1682 off Porto Bello, Panama | |||
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448 |
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Long steel rapier blade, Spanish, professionally conserved. A little over 1 lb. and just over 45" long and ¾" at its widest In the 1990s one of our diver contacts here in Florida told us he had a box of Toledo rapiers for sale from a 17th-century Spanish shipwreck, so we met him and bought what we could. The rest were taken to a conservator and eventually got the notoriety deserving of such rare relics. After all, how could such thin and fragile iron artifacts survive centuries of oxidation under the sea? The answer is that they were found in the silt just as they had been packed, inside big wooden chests, and not spilled out all over the sea-floor. The divers were a little disappointed, as they were hoping the chests would be full of silver and gold, but the sword-blades were actually much rarer! After conservation, each blade ceased rusting, as they had been since recovery, and remained solid and even still sharp! This piece is typical, a two-sided foil with dark brown color throughout, its very tip broken off but otherwise intact and impressive. With July-August 1998 issue of Treasure Quest magazine, which contains an interesting article by Daryl Pinck about the salvaging of these blades and the wreck that yielded them (and how he was thrown in the Panamanian jail in the process!). | $125 - $175 |
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449 |
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Steel short-sword blade, Spanish, professionally conserved. 179 grams, about 20" long and 7/8" at its widest Same story and condition as above but a totally different type of blade: one-sided, slightly wider near the tang, more like a dagger or extra-long steak knife. The point is intact and very sharp, and parts of the surface are uncorroded and even show some ornate design. Somewhat rare, as most of the blades were of the rapier type above. With July-August 1998 issue of Treasure Quest magazine, which contains an interesting article by Daryl Pinck about the salvaging of these blades and the wreck that yielded them (and how he was thrown in the Panamanian jail in the process!). | $125 - $175 |
| Unidentified wreck in the Bahamas, late 1600s/early 1700s | |||
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450 |
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Professionally conserved section of hemp. Three small sections, total about 10" x 7" Among the many mundane materials that virtually never survive centuries under the sea is hemp, a rope-fiber used (in this instance at least) to make baskets, hence this item is extremely rare. The sections of weaving present here look as good as the day they were made, just a little dark (brown) and fragile, which is why they are safely displayed in a glass-top Riker mounting box. |
$50 - $75 |
| 1715 Fleet, east coast of Florida | |||
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451 |
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Gold ring with purple amethyst. 4.2 grams, about ½" in diameter, with large (3-4 carats) stone. A very curious jewel, with a large, rectangular, "emerald-cut" amethyst mounted off-axis (to draw attention?) in a dainty little ring that would require a small lady's finger, perfectly intact, about 22K gold, the stone quite dark and beautiful. While the odd mounting is not today's style, it was popular in the Spanish colonial era, as evidenced by the many emerald dress-mounts from the Atocha (for example). Found in the area of the "Corrigans" site off Vero Beach. | $6,000 - $7,000 |
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452 |
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Iron cannonball (unconserved) Nearly 8 lb., about 4" in diameter Iron cannonballs, being solid iron, do not keep well in the ocean. They rust and fall apart, unless they get covered with coral, and then they fall apart later if the coral is not sealed airtight. This is an example of one that either lost its coral shell or somehow did not rust away, but it is flaking (very uneven exterior) and needs to be conserved. A simply lacquer coating will do the trick, although then it will not have the nice, smooth black surfaces that conserved balls do. The problem is that professionally conserving one cannonball costs more than the ball is worth! Anyway, it is fragile but heavy, and still a high-demand artifact from the Fleet. | $70 - $100 |
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453 |
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Small iron cannonball-type hand grenade with replica fuse. 775 grams, about 3" in diameter A small, professionally conserved ball with a twist: It was cast with a hole and hollow center for packing in powder and inserting a fuse, so that the ball would explode like a modern hand-grenade. Of course the original wooden fuse and powder are gone, but a very convincing replica fuse has been inserted instead. A rare item from the Fleet, and in high demand. | $500 - $675 |
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454 |
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Brass gimbal from the ship's compass. 2.6 grams, about 7" in diameter, the strips about ½" wide This is really just two thin bands of metal, one (the outer ring) with holes in it for holding the other (the inner ring), the outer piece band with a small section missing but the inner piece nearly whole, used to hold a compass level no matter the pitch of the ship, a rare and important artifact, even if not completely intact. With Fisher photo-certificate #26036. | $150 - $200 |
| “Ca Mau wreck,” sunk ca. 1723-1735 off Ca Mau Island, Vietnam | |||
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455 |
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Small, intact, blue-on-white Chinese porcelain powder-box, K'ang Hsi period. 62 grams, about 2¼" in diameter and 1" tall A few years back we sold a ton of porcelain artifacts from this wreck, including many small, round, lidded boxes like this one, but in a different design, this one being six vine-like ornaments around a 19-point sunburst (as opposed to the grassy design before). This is also one of the more perfectly preserved specimens we have ever seen, with no chips or cracks or repairs, just some typical crazing under the still-slick glaze. With Sedwick certificate. | $120 - $150 |
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456 |
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Blue-on-white Chinese K'ang Hsi porcelain shards. 58 grams, originally about 4" in diameter and 11/16" tall It survived a shipwreck and 250+ years under the sea, but not a trip through the postal service! This was once a cute little saucer, with floral design on the interior and brown on the exterior, but now it is just shards (three big ones and five small ones). The value of this piece, even if one were to glue it back together, would be minimal as a porcelain collectible; but it still has artifact value—consider that this is the exact same type of material (in shard form) found on the 1715 Fleet that is so rare today. | $25 - $50 |
| 1733 Fleet, Florida Keys | |||
| 457 |
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Small bronze cross. 1.2 grams, about 1" tall and ¾" wide, cute little artifact, encrusted with small bits of shell and nearly black from oxidation, but with some design visible and the loop at top intact. The value of this piece comes from its original certificate from Art McKee. With color certificate on thick cardboard hand-signed by Art McKee and dated February 23, 1965, and also pedigreed to the Craig A. Whitford auction of November 24-25, 1995, with lot-tag and clipped description. | $275 - $325 |
| Nuestra Señora de los Milagros, sunk in 1741 off the Yucatán peninsula of Mexico | |||
| 458 |
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Pewter buckle. 11.9 grams, rectangular, approx. 1-7/8" x 1-7/16" Highly ornate and beautiful buckle, the hasp and any attachments missing (just the main part), with Baroque scrollwork throughout the design on the front, plain back. | $70 - $100 |
| “Ronson wreck,” sunk(?) ca. 1750 off Manhattan (New York City) | |||
| 459 |
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Pair of English leather shoe soles, early 1700s. about 3 oz. total, each about 10"-10½" long and 3¼" wide. Can you just picture a colonial merchant wearing these? Completely black but still 100% intact, these were the insoles from shoes (we're guessing size 10) that were found in the hull of this mysterious ship found buried in lower Manhattan. Sold as a pair only. | $40 - $60 |
| Geldermalsen (“Nanking Cargo”), sunk in 1752 in the South China Sea | |||
| 460 |
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Blue-on-white Chinese porcelain plate, "boatman" pattern. 358 grams, 9" in diameter and 1" tall. A beautiful, perfectly preserved china plate (doesn't even look like it could ever have been in the sea!), its blue design consisting of two buildings on opposite outcroppings in a river with a fisherman in a boat in the center, six flowers around the rim, not a single chip or crack or loss of glaze anywhere, simply sublime! As nice as this one is, it was among thousands just like it on the wreck and in the original auction! From the Christie's "Nanking Cargo" auction of 1986, with lot-sticker #1755, booklet, certificate and stand. |
$1,200 - $1,500 |
| 461 |
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Blue-on-white Chinese porcelain bowl, "scholar on bridge" pattern. 280 grams, about 2-5/8" tall and 5¾" across the top Perfectly intact bowl with design on exterior showing a man (face downcast, deep in thought) crossing a bridge between two rocky shores, no chips or cracks or wear. Again, one of thousands of identical examples from this wreck alone. From the Christie's "Nanking Cargo" auction of 1986, with lot-sticker #3122, booklet and certificate. | $1,000 - $1,250 |
| 462 |
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Blue-on-white Chinese porcelain cup and saucer set, "Imari pavilion" pattern. cup: 52 grams, saucer: 53 grams. The cup about 1½" tall and 3" across the top; the saucer about 11/16" tall and 4½" across the top. A matched set of the same design, which is a building (pavilion) on a rocky outcropping, with gray and gold and even a hint of red overglaze highlights, no chips but some of the paint worn away and some flaws in the rim of the cup as made (under the glaze) as well as a hairline crack in same, noticeably inferior to the two premium pieces above but still remarkably well preserved and attractive. With certificate and stand. | $400 - $600 |
| Nuestra Señora del Rosario, sunk in 1753 off Montevideo, Uruguay | |||
| 463 |
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Lot of 4 wooden knife handles. about 7" long and ½" wide when full Wood rarely survives under the sea, due to the dreaded teredo worm, but sometimes the wood is buried deep in the mud or silt and thus preserved, as were these knife-handles (the iron in these knives, however, did not survive for a different reason!). Two are complete, each with one rounded end and one flat end with a hole and in two thin parts, then a third piece is just one thin part with a big concretion of debris at one end, and the fourth is just a fragment. | $40 - $50 |
| 464 |
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Lot of 20 small buttons. Diameters of ½" to ¾" Small, plain, flat buttons, some with the back loop intact, some with encrustation, mundane but still historical. | $40 - $50 |
| Tilbury, sunk in 1757 off Nova Scotia, Canada | |||
| 465 |
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Lot of eight pieces of brass musket "furniture," English, early 1700s. Anywhere from about 15 to 50 grams each 2½" to 6½" long and up to 1" wide. The various brass trappings (trigger-guards, side- and butt-plates, etc.) on a colonial-era musket are known as "furniture" and are often the only part of the musket to survive on a wreck, as the iron and wood disintegrate. These eight pieces, therefore, appeal to firearms collectors and shipwreck-artifacts collectors alike, especially the one piece that shows a "broad arrow" marking to indicate its English origin. Some are cleaned and brassy, but most are uncleaned and rusty with patina. Sold as lot of eight pieces only. | $300 - $450 |
| Tounant, sunk in 1779 off Haiti | |||
| 466 |
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Two-handled earthenware bowl, French (intact) 409 grams, about 2-5/8" tall and 6¼" in diameter, with two 1½" handles. This beautiful piece, probably some kind of porringer, is perfectly intact (which is rare for pottery from a sunken warship) and attractive, with tan color all over except for the places where the original green glaze remains, also both handles (each in a sort of arrow shape) remarkably intact. | $200 - $300 |
| Unidentified wreck, ca. 1781, Yorktown area | |||
| 467 |
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Large iron cannonball from the Revolutionary War (unconserved), about 17 lb. Over 5" in diameter Like lot #452, this piece needs conservation to keep it from disintegrating (large sections have already flaked off, and the winning bidder can have those piece too, if desired), but that may be worthwhile, as this is a poignant memento of the Revolutionary War! This is actually one of the biggest cannonballs we have ever handled—the cannon that shot it into the unidentified wreck that yielded it must have been huge! The starting bid on this one is quite low, so it may be a bargain. | $40 - $50 |
| HMS Bounty, scuttled by mutineers in 1790 off Pitcairn Island | |||
| 468 |
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Brass tack , about 1¼" long and 5/8" in diameter across the head An unassuming little tack, but consider its place in history: This small nail was once part of the famous ship HMS Bounty, whose famous voyage and mutiny have been retold many times in print and on film. Pivotal to the value is the accompanying certificate from Bob Marx, who mentions of the finding of these tacks in his various books. With custom certificate from Robert Marx. | $250 - $375 |
| Leocadia, sunk in 1800 off Punta Santa Elena, Ecuador | |||
| 469 |
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Long, hollow-link gold chain 54.2 grams, about 60" long, each link about 1/8" in diameter Yes, you read that right—this piece is five feet long, and it is surely the "sleeper" of this auction! It was found with various coins and artifacts by U.S. servicemen stationed at Punta Santa Elena, Ecuador, during World War II, and was acquired and marketed by the well-known salvager Capt. Carl Fismer in the 1990s. The 18K spherical links are intricate but curiously hollow (almost like tiny skulls) and remarkably light, making this super-long chain rather wearable. It is in perfect condition, with no encrustation (probably cleaned), and very impressive, easily a six-figure item if it had come instead from the Atocha or Santa Margarita! With Capt. Carl Fismer photo-certificate and color photos of Fismer holding the chain underwater, and also with a copy of the August, 1992, issue of Treasure magazine, the cover of which features a similar photo of Fismer underwater with the chain, the cover hand-signed by Fismer. | $7,500 - $10,000 |
| S.S. Central America, sunk in 1857 in deep water off North Carolina | |||
| 470 |
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Pinch of gold dust in capsule with wooden presentation box. 1.5 grams. This is a promotional package, but in effect it is the only affordable way to get a piece of this well-known shipwreck, and at least it is something valuable: gold! In addition to the many gold coins, this ship was carrying quite a lot of gold nuggets and dust, straight from the panners in California known as "49ers"! The gold dust is safely contained in a typical plastic "slab" from Collectors Universe, printed with "California Gold Rush / Pinch 1.5 grams / S.S. Central America 1857" inside. Housed in a 10" x 4½" x 3¼" wooden box with sliding lid imprinted with "DESTINATION: NEW YORK" containing a small booklet and certificate #3983 (also with unapplied foil seal for the outside). | $200 - $250 |
| OTHER ARTIFACTS (NOT FROM SHIPWRECKS BUT RELATED) | |||
| 471 |
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Huge (17" diameter) pewter plate with hallmarks, probably Spanish, 1600s?. 4 lb., about 16½" in diameter and ¾" deep. Truly we have never seen such a big round plate, probably a serving platter of some sort, let alone in such beautiful condition. The surface shows many years' worth of knife-cuts and other wear, but the hallmarks (three on top, one on bottom) on the wide rim are still in evidence, two being a sun and an anchor and the other two not so identifiable, in addition to three clear letters R, P and S. There are no wrinkles or holes or corrosion, as you see with shipwreck specimens, which typically cost well into the thousands of dollars! Found in the Chagres River near Ft. San Lorenzo, Panama. |
$500 - $1,000 |
| 472 |
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Small iron cannonball-type hand grenade, probably Spanish, 1600s?. 900 grams, 2¾" in diameter. See lot #453 for an explanation of what a cannonball-type hand grenade is. This one does not have a fuse (replica or otherwise), so you can see the hollow interior very clearly. Also it has not been conserved and therefore is a rusty brown color instead of black, but it is completely stable and solid (since it did not sit under the sea for centuries). Found in the Chagres River near Ft. San Lorenzo, Panama. | $300 - $500 |
| 473 |
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Bronze breech block, probably Spanish, 1600s?. 18 lb., about 7¾" tall and 3¾" in diameter at its widest, with 4" long handle. This object is akin to a signal cannon (see lots #479 and #480) but with a handle for dropping into the firing end of a breech-loading cannon. The concept is the same: You load powder into the breech block and insert a fuse into the touchhole to ignite the powder and propel the cannonball. Breech blocks, however, are much rarer than any kind of cannon because they were sort of an "accessory" that typically got thrown aside and lost when not in use. This particular block is in great shape, with just minor pitting on the otherwise smooth surfaces of an old dark-bronze color (no patina), with ¼" touchhole and 1-3/8" bore, very solid and heavy. Found in the Chagres River near Ft. San Lorenzo, Panama. | $500 - $1,000 |
| 474 |
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Silver thimble, Spanish, 1600-1650. 8.5 grams, about 1" tall and almost ¾" in diameter across the bottom. A very ornate thimble whose inscribed lateral design features a pelican and the sacred heart (referring to a Christian legend in which the pelican pierces its own breast to shed its blood for its young to drink, like the Christian practice of communion), a bit dented but completely intact and silvery with spots of patina. From an early-1630s hoard in southern Peru. | $500 - $700 |
| 475 |
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Silver spoon, Spanish, 1650-1725. 51.7 grams, about 7" long, with bowl about 2½" x 1¾" and 3/8" deep. A beautifully preserved "rat-tail" type spoon, made and used in Peru, with straight, cylindrical handle and flattish, almost rectangular bowl, perfectly intact and usable, mostly silvery from cleaning, no markings. >From an early-1630s hoard in southern Peru. | $500 - $700 |
| 476 |
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Silver cloak buttons (pair), Spanish, 1650-1700. 13.8 grams and 14.6 grams, each about ¾" tall and 1" in diameter. A matched pair of cloak buttons that would make a perfect set of cufflinks now, each one round and smooth but rising to a point in the center, with scalloped edge, probably high-grade silver (good way to avoid colonial taxes), with spots of verdigris, sold as a pair only. From an early-1630s hoard in southern Peru. | $400 - $600 |
| 477 |
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Black-glass "pancake" onion bottle, English, ca. 1690. 948 grams, about 5½" tall and 6" in diameter at its widest. As onion bottles go, early English ones are the rarest, and are distinguishable by their pontils (the sunken center on the bottom), which are flatter (like a pancake) than on the later (and commoner) Dutch bottles, with a base that is wider than the bottle is tall. This specimen also happens to be in excellent condition, with no cracks or chips or repairs, and the string lip at top is all there as well. It is a lovely green color with patches of pearlescent flakes inside. Very rare and choice. | $1,000 - $1,300 |
| 478 |
 |
Bronze gunpowder pourer in the shape of an eagle's head, British, ca. 1690. 86.3 grams, roughly 2½" x 2" x 1¾". A curious spout in the shape of an eagle's head, with a 3/16" hole in the head and a ¾" hole at the other end for affixing to a powder-flask, also with a ¾" double bar sticking out of the top with a tiny hole for connecting to a chain, and three square-shaped knobs near the back that probably formed some kind of spanner for a musket, all intact except for one of the square knobs, and with excellent detail for having spent several centuries in a riverbank. Found in the River Thames (London, England). | $50 - $100 |
| 479 |
 |
Large bronze mortar/signal cannon, Spanish, 1600s-1750. About 14 lb., 6" tall and 5" in diameter across base, 2½" bore. Signal cannons (appropriately nicknamed "thunder mugs," a term also used for chamber-pots!) are usually small, mug-like objects that shoot straight into the air, like a colonial-era flare-gun. The smallest ones, some believe, were only used to test powder. This huge one, however, seems more like an actual cannon (although who wants to shoot an iron ball straight up overhead?), as it is rather large and heavy and has a cannonball-sized bore. It is also in excellent condition, with a nice dark finish and light patina, very thick and with three reinforcements on the outside, also fine straight lines inside the bore corresponding to where cannonballs scraped the sides, and with large (½") touchhole near the flat bottom. Found in Peru. | $600 - $750 |
| 480 |
 |
Small bronze signal cannon, Spanish, 1600s-1750. 998 grams, about 3" tall and 2" in diameter, 7/8" bore. As above but much smaller, so possibly just a powder-tester and not for shooting balls. Very dusty and patinated, nice and solid (very thick), probably because it stayed on land. Found in Peru. |
$200 - $250 |
| 481 |
 |
Bronze miniature cannon, European, 1600s-1700s?. 1029 grams, about 8" long and 2" in diameter at its widest. In the 17th and 18th centuries it was common for cannon foundries to present potential customers with small samples to show what the finished products (which were very expensive) would look like. These samples were scale models and fully operational, as is the case with this piece. It is rather ornate and intact except for the lack of one of the "dolphin" lifting handles (the other one is present and nicely detailed), with large touchhole (where the fuse went) and ½" bore. Unfortunately the cannon does not show any markings to indicate the foundry or craftsman who made it, or when. >From the collection of Robert F. Marx, sold to Seahawk in the 1990s, identification #M-138. | $500 - $675 |
| 482 |
 |
Bronze hawking bell, Spanish, late 1600s/early 1700s. 11.5 grams, spherical, roughly 1" in diameter. Inhabitants of more northern climes would consider this a sleigh bell, but the technical term is "crotal bell"—ball-shaped with a slit in the bottom and a ball-bearing-like clapper inside, with a loop at the top for attaching to leather straps. But in colonial Panama these bells were used for hawking, the bells tied to the legs of hawks to keep track of the birds. This bell is a little wrinkled, with the clapper missing, but otherwise intact, and with a nice, dusty patina all over. Found near Nombre de Dios in Panama (Camino Real trail). | $40 - $60 |
| 482a |
 |
Bronze mortar and pestle set, Spanish, 1600s-1700s. Mortar: 1414 grams, about 3¼" tall and 5" across top; pestle: 775 grams, about 8¼" long and 1½" in diameter at its widest. Like cup-weight sets, the mortar-and-pestle (used for grinding and mixing foodstuffs and medicines) was a colonial necessity that makes for an attractive collectible today. This set is beautifully matched, both parts completely intact and useable, the inside of the mortar beautifully patinated at the bottom where things got mashed (no telling what traces might still be there!), both pieces a nice dark bronze color. | $500 - $700 |
| 483 |
 |
Bronze buttplate for flintlock pistol, Spanish, 1700s. 27.5 grams, roughly 1¾" x 1½" x 5/8". A cap for the round butt-end of a flintlock pistol, with hole in center for screw or nail, a design of parallel lines (deeply engraved) around that, and smooth outer part with four dimples in edge. The metal is bronze but is silvery in color (washed or plated?), with green encrustation spots in the interior, very solid. From an early-1630s hoard in southern Peru. | $100 - $150 |
| 484 |
 |
Silver reliquary pendant, hand-painted mother-of-pearl inside, probably Spanish (colonial), 1700s. 11.3 grams, oval, about 1½" x 1-3/16" and ¼" thick. A beautiful Brazilian antique, possibly from a shipwreck (since it was found on a beach), but in way too nice condition to have spent much time (if any) underwater. The case is plain silver, with a tulip pattern around the rim and twisted wire around the outside and small loop at top (ready to wear), but the inside is gorgeous, hand-painted mother-of-pearl with gold inlay, with Jesus on the cross flanked by two figures on one side and a crowned Mary with crowned Christ-child in her arms on the other side. Found on a beach in Brazil | $700 - $900 |
| 485 |
 |
Gold/crystal reliquary pendant, probably Spanish, 1720s-1770s. 2.9 grams, oval, about 1¼" x 7/8". A dainty little artifact made of high-grade gold filigree, with a cross-topped sunburst monstrance and four candles inside a clear crystal with ornate design around the outside and a gold loop at top for wearing on a chain. The gold work is very intricate and delicate, as if spun by a spider! One can imagine it around the neck of a wealthy passenger on a nearby unidentified shipwreck, the stated origin of this piece, but if that were the case then surely the glass would be gone and the gold wire would not be in such perfect condition! Found on the coast of Brazil. | $2,000 - $3,000 |
| 486 |
 |
Black glass mallet bottle, English, ca. 1700-1740. 916 grams, about 8¼" tall and 4¼" in diameter at its widest. The fat bottom section of this bottle is close to cylindrical but with a slight flare near the base (with very deep and wide pontil), so it looks like a mallet (hence the name), and it is made of very thick glass that is so opaque that unless you hold it up to the light it looks black instead of green (which it actually is), nice smooth surfaces in perfect condition (no chips, cracks or repairs), and with intact lip at top. | $300 - $400 |
| 487 |
 |
Iron carronade, European?, ca. 1750. About 104 lb., total length about 36", about 3½"-5¼" in diameter, 2½" bore. Unlike the other cannons in this sale, this small but heavy piece was definitely used for warfare, and its rusty (but stable) brown surfaces show centuries of wear and abuse, but it is all intact and even well marked, with a crown above "SJS" between the first and second reinforces, a rope loop (for lifting) on the cascabel, intact trunnions, the touchhole cinched shut from oxidation. Has a very "Pirates of the Caribbean" look to it, although it is not known whether (or when) this piece ever saw service in this hemisphere. | $3,000 - $4,500 |
| 488 |
 |
Two intact glass "onion" bottles, Dutch, ca. 1720-1750. Anywhere from 600 to 850 grams each, and each about 8" tall and 5½" in diameter at its widest. These were the wine bottles of their time, with rolled lips and bulbous bodies (like an onion) inside which are deep pontils (the sunken center in the base), which made them more or less stackable. We have made sure to choose perfect ones, intact and unrepaired, and not too worn from their stint at sea, nice dark green, for best display. Sold as a lot of two bottles only. Found in colonial harbors in Central America. | $150 - $200 |
| 489 |
 |
Two intact glass "onion" bottles, Dutch, ca. 1720-1750. Anywhere from 600 to 850 grams each, and each about 8" tall and 5½" in diameter at its widest. These were the wine bottles of their time, with rolled lips and bulbous bodies (like an onion) inside which are deep pontils (the sunken center in the base), which made them more or less stackable. We have made sure to choose perfect ones, intact and unrepaired, and not too worn from their stint at sea, nice dark green, for best display. Sold as a lot of two bottles only. Found in colonial harbors in Central America. | $150 - $200 |
| 489a |
 |
Two intact glass "onion" bottles, Dutch, ca. 1720-1750. Anywhere from 600 to 850 grams each, and each about 8" tall and 5½" in diameter at its widest. These were the wine bottles of their time, with rolled lips and bulbous bodies (like an onion) inside which are deep pontils (the sunken center in the base), which made them more or less stackable. We have made sure to choose perfect ones, intact and unrepaired, and not too worn from their stint at sea, nice dark green, for best display. Sold as a lot of two bottles only. Found in colonial harbors in Central America. | $150 - $200 |
| 490 |
 |
Glass longneck "ladyleg" bottle, Dutch, ca. 1750-1770. 763 grams, about 11¼" tall and 3½" in diameter at its widest. The name for these bottles comes from the fact that, when turned upside-down, the fat cylindrical chamber atop the long thin neck looks somewhat like a lady's leg—at least to 18th-century colonists! This piece is perfectly intact, even the lip at top, with deep pontil in the bottom, and the glass is attractively slick and green. Found in colonial harbors in Central America. |
$75 - $115 |
| 491 |
 |
Glass longneck "ladyleg" bottle, Dutch, ca. 1750-1770. 748 grams, about 11¼" tall and 3½" in diameter at its widest. As above except with longer and slightly more flared neck, shallower pontil, surfaces a little scuffed from salvage, a few tiny bubbles in the glass for character. Found in colonial harbors in Central America. | $75 - $115 |
| 492 |
 |
Glass porter bottle, Dutch, ca. 1750-1780. 763 grams, about 9½" tall and 3½" in diameter at its widest. A fat, cylindrical bottle in dark green glass with rolled lip, perfectly intact with slick but slightly bubbled surfaces, probably held a lot of beer in its day. Found in colonial harbors in Central America. | $75 - $115 |
| 493 |
 |
Glass porter bottle, Dutch, ca. 1750-1780. 724 grams, about 9¼" tall and 3-5/8" in diameter at its widest. As above but slightly shorter and much darker and brown instead of green, with great smooth surfaces except for a 1½"-long scar (as made) in the side. Found in colonial harbors in Central America. | $75 - $115 |
| 494 |
 |
Silver British naval officer's seal from the time of Nelson, dateable to 1794 (London hallmark). 5.6 grams, about ¾" tall, with oval face about ¾" x 11/16". A small stamper with anchor design (not very deep, probably worn from heavy use), perfectly intact with four hallmarks on back (one a clear "CF" for the London maker on one side of the post, the other three in a row opposite the other mark with what appears to be the letters "Q" and "t" flanking a lion), the post almost in the shape of a sextant, possibly connected with the famous Admiral Horatio Nelson and his Fleet. Found on "Ballast Bank" (very near where Nelson's flagship Victory used to anchor) in Portsmouth Harbor, England, the British Naval Base whence Nelson and his fleet set out for the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. | $75 - $100 |
| 495 |
 |
Bronze lantaka, Dutch, late 1700s/early 1800s, with yoke and wooden tiller. About 30 lb. and about 32" long (with 6½"-long wooden tiller) and 2"-3½" in diameter, 1" bore. Also known as swivel or rail guns, bronze lantakas like this one were generally cast in the Netherlands for trading for spices in Indonesia and were fully operational but mostly used as bridal dowries and other displays of wealth (affluence through weaponry!). Some aspects of this cannon are typical: "dolphin" lifting handles, trunnion and yoke, tubular cascabel, flared muzzle with front sight, touchhole with rear sights; but the cascabel also contains the original wooden tiller, a sort of extension handle and aiming mechanism whose use over the years has turned the wood a dark color to match the bronze. Perfectly intact except for casting flaw on spike part of yoke. | $3,000 - $4,500 |
| 496 |
 |
Decorative brass tip from a British naval officer's "swagger stick," late 1700s to early 1800s. 5.2 grams, almost 2" long and 3/8" at its widest diameter. This conical tube, decorated with an ornate design with a crown in the center, was affixed to the point end of a wooden wand, known as a "swagger stick," typically about 18" long, used by officers to point to a sailor's bad dress habits during parade or at maps to show battle orders, etc. The metal is thin, and a little wrinkled here and there, but the design is intact and there is no significant corrosion or encrustation. Found outside a row of cottages near Plymouth, England, that were occupied by Naval personnel up till about 1820. | $30 - $50 |
| 497 |
 |
Glass "case gin" bottle, English, early 1800s. 514 grams, about 9¼" tall and 3" on a side at its widest. These square-sided bottles are not overly rare or valuable but make wonderful displays (double as vases). The lip is completely intact and the sides are all shiny and unscathed, with just the usual bubble-seeding inside the green glass to add character. | $80 - $120 |
| 498 |
 |
Glass "case gin" bottle, English, early 1800s. 482 grams, same as above. As above but with slightly lower lip and somewhat sunken sides (also a little more translucent and without the seeding). | $80 - $120 |
| 499 |
 |
Large set of European brass nested weights, early 1800s. Total weight about 1.95 kilograms, about 3½" in diameter and 2½" tall. A massive set of cup-weights with six cups inside a big one weighing about ½ oz., 1 oz., 2 oz. (marked "2"), 4 oz. (marked "4"), 9 oz. (marked "9"), and 500 grams (marked "500 g"), the outer cup weighing about 1000 grams, all very well preserved and intact, with the latching bar also intact (but the lateral fastener is missing), probably missing the little ½-oz. plug that fits into the smallest cup and also all the cups a little bit light (hence the whole set is 50 grams under the stated "2 kg" marked on the lid), a very nice and sturdy display. | $250 - $375 |
| 500 |
 |
Small set of European brass nested weights, early 1800s. 432.2 grams total, overall about 1¾" tall and 2" in diameter. A beautifully preserved 1-lb. set of cup-weights that nest inside one another (like Russian "matrioshki" dolls), consisting of a ½-oz. plug marked "1/2" inside cups of about ½, 1, 2, 4 and 8 oz. (but each a little bit off in exact weight), the outside cup marked "16" (for 16 oz. total) and with a bar across that latches onto the side. Sets like this abound, but rarely in this condition—perfectly functional, no parts missing or replaced, and especially with the fastening bar intact. Found in Central America. |
$350 - $475 |
| 501 |
 |
Official 19th-century reproduction of a large, bronze cannon made by Burger in 1676. Approx. 800 lb., total length 8' 10", bore 3". This huge and very ornate bronze cannon was cast in the 1800s and is marked with "IOHANES BVRGER HUYS ME FECIT 1676," as the original was made by John Burger in 1676. The original would sell in today's market in excess of $100,000, so even the value of its still-antique replica is significant, especially since the material cost of 800 lb. of bronze alone is quite high! The artistry is incredible, with ornate grapevine-like decoration around the cascabel, between that and the "dolphin" lifting handles, even all the way to the muzzle, with trunnions and touchhole intact (presumably capable of firing), deeply patinated all over and without any porosity or damage. Note: shipping not available. Winning bidder must arrange to have this lot picked up in person at its current location in south Georgia. | $12,500 - $15,000 |
| 502 |
 |
Artillery saber, European (German?), 1850s?. A little over 2 lb., about 18" from tip to hilt and 1½" at its widest, the handle about 5¼" long and 3½" at its widest. This is really just an antique, and not a colonial artifact, but I couldn't resist taking it on consignment, for the look of it just said "arrr, run ya through!" The brass handle is perfectly intact, and the steel blade is all there too but shows a series of old nicks that one can just picture being made in combat with another sword-wielding opponent ("clashing swords"). | $100 - $150 |
| 503 |
 |
Gold wire-chain coin purse, probably Portuguese, ca. 1840-1870. 22.4 grams, approx. 19K+, about 3" x 2". While this antique artifact from Brazil may not have come from a shipwreck, it certainly evokes a grand period of South American history! The container of the purse consists of chain-links with 4 small balls below, with a heavy, 2"-wide clasp at the top with small ring attached for fastening to a chain or belt. One can just imagine a small handful of Brazilian "Joes" clanking around inside! | $1,200 - $1,500 |
| 504 |
 |
Lot of three black-glass "cylinder" bottles, probably English, ca. 1850-1870. About 700-800 grams each, and each about 11½" tall and 3¼" in diameter. The shape of these is like modern wine bottles, but that is where the comparison ends, for the glass itself is thick, dark and very opaque (looks black but is actually a dark greenish brown) and the lip at top is deep, and also each bottle is lightly speckled with white or tan encrustation. Not very pricey pieces, and not colonial period, but definitely antique and a good display. Sold as a lot of three only. | $45 - $75 |
| 505 |
 |
Parker 75 fountain pen made in 1965 from 1715-Fleet
silver, in a presentation box. As mentioned in
his book Pieces of Eight, Kip Wagner's Real Eight Co. was
badly in need of money when investor Ken Parker came forward with
the idea to melt down 4,000 oz. of silver cobs from the 1715 Fleet
and turn them into popular fountain pens (limited to 4,821 units) to
sell at $75 each (triple the normal retail price for their pens), a
small fortune in 1965 for anyone but wealthy executives.
(Interestingly, if you note that the amount of silver was probably
around 3,600 8R cobs, which in today's market would be worth about
$360,000, and if you divide that by the number of pens made, you get
about $75 each!) But it is not just the pen that makes these
collectibles valuable: You have to have the whole package, with the
box and certificates and booklets, and this offering has it all*! The
pen itself shows the normal Parker 75 crosshatch pattern on the
outside but with the all-important "SPANISH TREASURE FLEET - 1715"
embossed on it and also with the oM mintmark for Mexico and the
Mexican eagle in the gold accents at either end. I cannot attest to
the condition or working order of the pen, as I am not a pen expert,
but it looks completely functional (just needs some ink) and
flaw-free. For more information, go to the website
http://www.parker75.com.
With hinged box, 6-5/8" x 3¾" x 1-3/8", that shows a
map on top, a diagram of a galleon inside, inspection
certificate/guarantee #158569, small booklet, and (best of all) a
notarized certificate signed by Kip Wagner.
* The owner of www.parker75.com wanted me to let everyone know that technically this set is not complete, as it contains only some of the green-felt pouch that originally housed the pen and accessories. |
$700 - $1,000 |
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