Lot # 

Picture (click to enlarge)

 Lot title and description

Estimate (low-high)

1047. Glass apothecary mortar and pestle. Mortar about 2¼” in diameter and 1½” tall, pestle about 2½” x 3/4", 241.8 grams total. This is a very cute artifact, a small but nearly intact (big chip in rim is all) mortar-and-pestle set used by an apothecary, the glass very thick and solid but lightly sea-worn, with small pouring-spout in rim. With Arqueonautas certificate #VAL-002/00/16108+16148. Estimate: $300-$475

1048. Glass bottle stopper. About 2¼” long and 3/4" in diameter, 48.2 grams. A thick, bulbous plug for the top of a small bottle (probably medicinal), typically sea-worn but intact. With Arqueonautas certificate #VAL-002/99/20890. Estimate: $60-$90

1049. Glass bottle stopper. About 2¼” long and 3/4" in diameter, 47.9 grams. Identical to the above, just a little more opaque. With Arqueonautas certificate #VAL-002/99/20879.02. Estimate: $60-$90

1050. Group of two silver spoons. Length 8"-9", bowls 1½” to 1-3/4" wide, 96 grams total. An interesting contrast in metals, the one spoon very corroded (lots of holes) but the other one (probably just silver plate instead of solid silver) perfectly intact and with five or more clear hallmarks (K, RC, bust of George III [known as a “duty mark”], etc.) on the handle, its bowl a bit flattened but all there. With Arqueonautas certificate #VAL-002/00/16271+16407. Estimate: $200-$300

1051. Brass rifle backplate. Roughly 5" x 3" x 2", 158.9 grams. Fitted to the butt-end of a flintlock musket, this thick, solid piece of brass bears two large fastener holes and one holed insertion piece on the return, a little chipped and worn but mostly intact. With Arqueonautas certificate #VAL-002/00/15465.05. Estimate: $100-$150

1052. Brass trigger guard. Roughly 3½” x 1" x 5/8", 33.3 grams. Like several other lots from different wrecks in this same sale, this is a C-shaped cover over the trigger of a flintlock pistol or rifle, simple and unadorned, with hole through front part, very dark brass color. With Arqueonautas certificate #VAL-002/00/16476. Estimate: $75-$100

1053. Brass trigger guard. Roughly 3¼” x 1½” x 5/8", 42.8 grams. As above, a bit more patinated and slightly deeper in shape. With Arqueonautas certificate #VAL-002/99/20877.03. Estimate: $75-$100

1054. Brass ramrod pipe. Length 3", about ½” in diameter, 18.4 grams. Used to secure the ramrod on a flintlock pistol or musket, a cylinder (a curled-over piece of thick, flat brass) with one end about three-quarters open, intact and recognizable, just a little sea-worn. With Arqueonautas certificate #VAL-002/00/16096. Estimate: $75-$100

1055. Tall, black-glass “cylinder” bottle. About 11½” tall and 3½” in diameter, 656 grams. A typical bottle for the period, tall and cylindrical and dark brown in color, flat base with a few letters, totally intact with a very light film of encrustation. Estimate: $40-$60

1056. Tall, black-glass “cylinder” bottle. About 12" tall and 3¼” in diameter, 730 grams. As above but slightly taller, with deep pontil in bottom, darker in color (more black than brown), and a whole lot more encrusted (nearly half the surface is white), also totally intact. Estimate: $40-$60

1057. Tall, black-glass “cylinder” bottle. About 11" tall and 3" in diameter, 728 grams. Like last lot but darker still, the pontil not as deep and with a big letter A, intact but not as encrusted yet with one full barnacle on shoulder. Estimate: $40-$60

1058. Iron padlock. Roughly 2½” in diameter and 1" thick, 194 grams. A thick and heavy piece (very recognizable as a padlock), shaped like Mickey Mouse’s head (the bolt part eroded away) with a keyhole for the mouth, very encrusted and sandy and patinated, possibly of a later vintage and lost in the same vicinity. Estimate: $25-$40

1059. Wood block (sheave). Roughly 7" x 3-3/4" x 3", 1½ lb. Wooden objects rarely survive shipwrecks (due to the voracious teredo worm) unless they are deeply buried, which must have been the case here, as it is almost fully intact and almost functional (being a round pulley with wheel inside an oval housing), the wood very dark and shiny from a protective coating, split in a few places but all there. With Fisher certificate #17563B. Estimate: $80-$120

1060. Copper sheeting. Roughly 18" x 5" x 3", 2¼ lb. This is a mangled, crumpled section of the actual copper sheeting that protected the hull of the ship, with square holes from tacks and lots of shelly encrustation and patina, an interesting display. With Fisher certificate #17334. Estimate: $60-$90

1061. Copper spike with washer. About 9" long and 1" in diameter, 1½ lb. A very attractive complete spike with curved point and full washer (oddly missing in photo on certificate) at blunt head, nice copper color with some toning. With Fisher photo-certificate #17324B. Estimate: $40-$60

1062. Small cuprous spike. About 1-3/4" long and up to 3/4" in diameter, 44.6 grams. A short, fat, stubby head end of a square-shank spike (says “broken” on certificate), brassy in color and well preserved (albeit crude). With Fisher certificate #17351A. Estimate: $25-$40

1063. Lot of 8 small cuprous nails. About 3/4" to 2" long, 23 grams total. Cute little sampling of small nails, mostly dark brass in color, a couple broken but most with heads intact. With Fisher photo-certificate #17354E. Estimate: $40-$60

1064. Lot of 8 small copper nails. About 3/4" to 2" long, 28 grams total. As above. With Fisher photo-certificate #17356D. Estimate: $40-$60

1065. Lot of 8 small copper nails. About 3/4" to 2" long, 25 grams total. As above. With Fisher photo-certificate #17357B. Estimate: $40-$60

1066. Encrusted iron bar. About 23" long and up to 2" in diameter, 6½ lb. This big, heavy, encrusted iron bar, slightly bent and with some big pieces of appended debris, was believed by the consignor to be a bar-shot (a bar with balls or half-balls at each end for shooting out of a cannon, per lot 1036 in this sale), but I see no evidence of that, as neither end bears a ball and the bar itself is way too long. In my opinion is it a hull-pin, a large iron fastener for holding together the hull of the ship, which itself is unidentified both in nationality and exact time period. What is definite, however, is that this is a great example of what stabilized, encrusted iron objects from wrecks look like: white and orange, with cracks, perfect for putting small items on it (like mounted coins) in a retail display. Estimate: $40-$60

1067. Glass wine bottle with original cork and wine still inside. About 11" tall and 3½” in diameter, 2 lb. A tall, dark green glass bottle that is still about one-third full of its original wine contents, the shriveled cork at top still (mostly) doing its job, but the bottom of the bottle warped and lopsided and opalescent probably due to the acid in the wine leeching out, the bottle otherwise in great condition with just a thin film of encrustation all over, a fascinating artifact for wine collectors! With South African certificate from 1998. Estimate: $150-$250

1068. Glass bottle full of olives (original contents). About 7½” tall and 2½” in diameter, 597 grams. A short, cylindrical, dark green glass bottle with hundreds of moldy olives in liquid inside, the original stopper in top reinforced with airtight wax, completely intact (surfaces crudely molded, as made) and quite fascinating (and rare) to contain original, early-1800s foodstuffs! With South African certificate from 1998. Estimate: $125-$225

1069. Glass snuff bottle, with original contents and stopper. About 5½” tall and 2½” x 2" sides, about 1 lb. Identical in all respects to lot #1033, which is stated to be from an earlier wreck (Colebrooke, 1778) in the same area, so I suspect the origins may have gotten confused (most likely this current lot came from the Colebrooke as well, despite the consignor’s attribution). To reiterate from the previous lot, this is a plain, dark, antique medicine bottle, rectangular in cross-section with flutes in corners, with original tobacco inside, its glass cap still screwed on tight. Estimate: $80-$120

1070. Group of six slave bracelets (manillas), one broken. Each about 3" in diameter and approx. 100 grams. Contrary to popular belief, these were not used as shackles for slaves (as the “bracelet” moniker might suggest), rather they were a form of money that tribal leaders in Africa accepted in trade for their prisoners from rival clans, who then became slaves for plantations in the West Indies and Americas. The conversion rate was variable and probably depended upon negotiation skill, but in any case it is sad to think that human lives were ever bartered for these cuprous C-shaped torques with flared, round ends. Shipwreck specimens like these are typically dark but patinated, and often come broken, a sign of early 19th-century corner-cutting, as the specified brass or bronze composition was often adulterated with too much tin and zinc, making them brittle. Estimate: $100-$150

1071. Group of three broken manillas (slave bracelets) along with three small brass buckles from an unspecified wreck. Total weight about 7½ oz. This lot contains three broken manillas like the one in the lot above (from the same wreck) as well as three small and very ornate buckles that would be great artifacts if the information about their provenance had not been lost. Estimate: $50-$75

1072. Large brass spatula with fish motif. About 12" long, 2-3/4" wide, 112 grams. A large serving spatula with plain handle (with four hallmarks on bottom) but elegantly engraved main part with open stars and rectangles outlining the shape of a fish, so I surmise this was used to serve fish. A few splits and other minor damage, otherwise intact. With Arqueonautas certificate #BRV-006/01/16540. Estimate: $200-$300

1073. Brass tongs. Roughly 5½” x 1" x ½”, 31 grams. Very recognizable item (looks like two small teaspoons joined at the handle ends), probably used for serving ice cubes, with five hallmarks on handle, a little bent but perfectly intact, nice brassy color. With Arqueonautas certificate #BRV-006/01/16538.14. Estimate: $175-$250

1074. Group of three large pewter spoons. Each about 8" long and 2" wide, 195 grams total. Matched set of three spoons, all intact but bent or cracked or flattened, each with a large hallmark on the handle that shows W(?)-crown-R above the word PATENT (should be able to match that with a known maker), all very silvery in color (minor corrosion only). With Arqueonautas certificate #BRV-006/01/16731.26. Estimate: $175-$250

1075. Pewter spoon. About 8" long, estimated width of bowl 1½”, 38 grams. Same as above (same hallmark, and bolder and fuller than any of the above) but with about one-third of bowl eaten away. With Arqueonautas certificate #BRV-006/01/16731.27. Estimate: $100-$150

1076. Brass spoon. About 6" long and 1¼”-wide bowl, 17 grams. A cute little spoon, fully intact except for a notch or two here and there (nice clean brass color), with four small hallmarks on handle. With Arqueonautas certificate #BRV-006/01/16621.07. Estimate: $75-$100

1077. Brass spoon. About 6" long and 1¼”-wide bowl, 17 grams. Same as above (and same hallmarks) but with larger split in bowl and a bit bent. With Arqueonautas certificate #BRV-006/01/166621.13. Estimate: $75-$100

1078. Group of three brass spoons. About 7" long and 1½”-wide bowl (each), 82 grams total. Very much like the above but a little longer and with slightly different hallmarks, better bowls (no splits), some dents. With Arqueonautas certificate #BRV-006/01/16566.02. Estimate: $150-$225

1079. Group of three cuprous forks. About 5½”-7" long, up to 1" wide, 76 grams total. Each fork in this lot is slightly different, the biggest one with all but one tine broken off and five hallmarks on handle, the middle one also with five hallmarks and about half of each tine present, and the smallest one with more decorative handle with no hallmarks and most of all four tines present, that one also silvery in color and more corroded, the others coppery or brassy. With Arqueonautas certificate #BRV-006/01/16508+16565.21+16565.24. Estimate: $75-$100

1080. Group of four musket flints. Each about 1¼” x 1" x ½”, 42 grams total. True to its name, the “flintlock” pistol or musket operated by striking a stone flint to make a spark and light the powder, hence the inexpensive flint was nevertheless a critical part of the operation! Whether these four perfectly intact stones, cut to a wedge shape that worked best, were backup supplies or from actual guns, we will never know; but they should still be quite functional for anyone with an original flintlock gun. With Arqueonautas certificate #AGO-039/00/16507.01. Estimate: $100-$150

1081. Group of seven cuprous forks. Each about 5½” long and 3/4" wide, 111 grams. This is a dainty set, with condition ranging from corroded with all tines broken off to almost perfectly intact, each one with five tiny hallmarks on handle, all dark or silvery in color but cuprous in composition. With Arqueonautas certificate #BOA-006/98/40950. Estimate: $150-$225

1082. Two sides of a wooden knife handle. Each about 3-3/4" long, 1" wide and ¼” thick, 30.8 grams total. Two rectangular slabs of hemispherical cross-section, each with two tiny fastener holes, perfectly preserved (amazing to have escaped the teredo worms) and solid, dark brown color. With Arqueonautas certificate #BOA-006/96/192. Estimate: $150-$225

1083. Glass spirits bottle. About 10" tall and 2-3/4" to a side, 1½ lb (just the bottle). This promotional package features a simple, unassuming (yet attractive and perfectly intact except for small bubbles and cracks as made) light-green glass bottle (like a “case gin” bottle but with no taper, tall and square-sided, with slight shoulder and short neck) housed in a custom-fit foam-filled cardboard box with wooden stand (with brass plaque that says “SS REPUBLIC / 1853-1865”), certificate, DVD, two autographed books (Bottles of the Deep, by Ellen C. Gerth [2006] and Lost Gold of the Republic, by Priit J. Vesilind [2005]) and a National Geographic magazine (September, 2004), all related to the wreck and salvage of this ship. The salvagers (Odyssey) offer these sets publicly for $1,250 retail. Estimate: $500-$700

1084. Copper-alloy tajadera (“hoe money”), Oaxaca (Zapotec), Southern Mexico, 1200s-1300s until Spanish conquest (ca. 1520). 56.2 grams, roughly 5½” x 3". When the Spanish conquistadors came to Mexico, they found that trade there was being conducted using long, thin, flat, axe-shaped scrapers in a copper-arsenic alloy that they came to call “tajaderas,” which also acquired the 20th-century nickname “hoe money”. Different regions had their own style, and this particular example (sturdy, heavy, and short-handled) is attributed to the Zapotec people of Oaxaca. When the Spaniards took over, starting in the 1520s, these tajaderas were discontinued. As more becomes known about them through the study of the silver “tumbaga” bars of the 1520s, surely these primitive monetary instruments will also become more desirable and valuable. This specimen is sandy from burial but is not bent or broken or terribly corroded. Estimate: $150-$200

1085. Copper-alloy tajadera (“hoe money”), Guerrero-Michoacan (Tarascan), Western Mexico, 1200s-1300s until Spanish conquest (ca. 1520). 16.7 grams, roughly 7½” x 2½”. Same basic concept as last lot but longer, thinner (wavy) and with less flare to the “axe” end, and also a more common type attributed to the Tarascan culture in the area of Guerrero-Michoacan. Also perfectly intact and just lightly patinated from burial. It should be noted that the arsenic in the alloy is what preserved these fascinating artifacts, as otherwise the copper would corrode and decompose. Estimate: $75-$100

1086. Large iron “armada” chest. 29" x 16" x 15", at least 100 lb. In my first auction last year I featured an “armada chest” like this one (but larger and in far nicer condition) and explained that these really had no connection with the Spanish Armada of 1588 but were connected with them in Victorian times due to the fact that they were made in the 1500s and held treasure. A more proper name is “Nuremburg chest,” for they were generally made in Germany, and the notion of filling them with gold coins and hefting them onto ships must be summarily dispelled. I like to think of them as the Diebold safe of their time, as they were designed to stay in one place, full of treasure, in guarded rooms in castles and manors. This specimen has its original key and is fully operational, despite the fact that the interior cover panel over the lock mechanism is missing, and it also has two padlocks (faithful reproductions) with keys for the loops on the exterior straps. A C-shaped handle graces each end. The inside of the chest is a rusty red (with the usual inner box for the most valuable treasures, its key unfortunately missing) and the outside is all black, which is typical for most of these scarce relics of the Age of Exploration. Estimate: $3,500-$4,750

1087. Ornate silver spoon, Inca or early Spanish, ca. 1600. About 7" long, bowl 1½” wide, 42 grams. Probably made from the same silver that the coins were, this native-design spoon has a straight, cylindrical handle with some design and a shallow, pear-shaped bowl with small round “wings” that cover part of the handle, no markings, some silvery but mostly darkly toned. Found in Peru. Estimate: $600-$800

1088. Silver cloak pin (“topo”) with chain, Inca or early Spanish, ca. 1600. About 14½” long in total, 31 grams. This is a long (about 5½”) fastening pin of a native type known as a “topo,” with one end finial-tipped and somewhat engraved, to which is attached a wire-link chain, the point end still sharp, all silvery in color with light toning. Found in Peru. Estimate: $600-$800

1089. Bronze dagger quillon, probably English, 1400s-1600s. About 3" long, 25.6 grams. This is the “crossbar” of a small edged-weapon, basically the part between the blade itself and the grip, to keep the hand from slipping onto the blade and to guide the user as to the blade’s orientation. Typically blades were steel (which rusts away), and the handles were something perishable like wood or bone or something valuable like silver or ivory, so it is not unusual to see just the quillon remaining. For what it is, the condition of this item is perfect, in a very slight S-shape with flat, tapered ends and rectangular hole in center for the blade, dark but uncorroded. Found near London. Estimate: $50-$75

1090. Bronze dagger quillon, probably English, 1400s-1600s. About 2½” long, 14.0 grams. Same item as above but smaller and of a cylindrical straight-arm design, also a bit lighter in color but still patinated. Found near London. Estimate: $50-$75

1091. Spanish steel breastplate (armor), ca. 1650. About 15" x 12" x 8". We already know from rings and other wearables that 17th-century Spaniards were much smaller people than we are used to now, and this small piece of armor seals it, as it would not fit an adult today! The exterior is a nicely polished steel but the inside is rusty, with detail around the edge, the underarm sections separate pieces riveted into place, overall in fine condition and quite scarce. Estimate: $2,000-$3,500

1092. Spanish steel cuphilt rapier, colonial, ca. 1650. Approx. 45" long, 8" across cross-guard and cup. This is the real deal—a Spanish cuphilt rapier that every self-respecting hidalgo wore at his belt and used to defend his honor, although this perfectly intact specimen seems hardly used, with sharp point and intact wire-wrapped grip, just a bit rusty all over, with simply decorated cup and matching pommel and cross-guard ends. Estimate: $1,500-$3,000

1093. Spanish steel cuphilt rapier, colonial, ca. 1650. Approx. 42" long, 8½” across cross-guard and cup. Same as last lot but with much cleaner steel and sharper blade (just a few spots of rust), simpler handle and cup, and (most importantly) the cup actually a period replacement, distinguishable from a modern repair in that the alterations (plugged holes, etc.) are obvious, basically a field technique to make the weapon usable again. Estimate: $1,000-$2,000

1094. Spanish steel cabasset (helmet), ca. 1650. About 11" x 7½” x 7½”. Completing the ensemble with the last three lots is this Spanish helmet (known as a cabasset), hand-forged (lots of hammer marks inside) and of classic form with ridged medial and “pear stalk” terminal, missing the internal liner band and rivets but otherwise intact, attractive gray color (no rust), a very fine example of a scarce item. Estimate: $800-$1,200

1095. Dutch East India Company (VOC) apothecary bottle (Arita/Ko-Imari/Gallipot), 17th century. 7" tall and 4" in diameter at its widest, about 1½ lb. This is basically a bulbous vase with narrow neck, elegantly decorated with a wreath around the VOC monogram for the Dutch East India Company, otherwise solid gray in color, very heavy and sturdy, completely intact and beautiful, also rare. Estimate: $600-$900

1096. Silver cloak pin with socket for stone, Spanish, ca. 1600-1650. About 6" long, 9 grams. A long, straight fastener with sharp point and empty socket at other end, twisted near the socket end, toned silver in color and intact except for whatever was originally in the socket. Found in Peru. Estimate: $350-$500

1097. Silver fork, Spanish, 1600s. About 6" long and 3/4" wide across the tines, 38 grams. A very thick and solid fork but with one of its three tines broken, the handle ending in a flat, pear-shaped terminal, silver color with toning here and there (probably made from the same silver as the cobs!). Found in Peru. Estimate: $250-$400

1098. Small bronze signal cannon, Spanish, 1600s. About 3" tall and 2¼” in diameter, 2 lb. Small, upright mortars with flat bottoms like this one were used for several different purposes, including powder-testing and signaling, but what is clear is that they could not have been used as weapons. This specimen could not have held more than a musket-ball (if that), as the bore is only 1", but the walls are quite thick and sturdy, typically dented and patinated, with well-used touch-hole in the side. Found in Bolivia. Estimate: $200-$250

1099. Small bronze signal cannon, Spanish, 1600s. About 3" tall and 2¼” in diameter, 2 lb. As above but a bit cruder in execution, less patinated, and with touch-hole clogged with debris. Found in Bolivia. Estimate: $200-$250

1100. Pair of iron stirrups, Spanish, 1600s. Each about 7½” x 7" x 5", a little over 3 lb total. Each piece a flat plate connected to a loop at top for fastening onto horse-riding tackle, a simple open design for everyday use (not ornamental), with eleven holes for ventilation in bottom, perfectly intact but rusty and sandy as found. From the Camino Real trail in Panama. Estimate: $175-$250

1101. Large, oval, cuprous religious medallion, 1600s. Approx. 2" x 1-3/8", 24.4 grams. A large and very worn medal that shows a saint looking upward on one side and a standing figure on the other side, very brassy in color, with intact loop at top (still wearable). Found in Peru. Estimate: $125-$200

1102. Large, oval, cuprous religious medallion, 1600s. About 2¼” x 1½”, 24.9 grams. Another large and worn medal, this with a crown above two hearts (just like the coins) on one side and three figures kneeling before a standing figure on the other side, brass color with verdigris, intact loop at top. Found in Peru. Estimate: $125-$200

1103. Three silver pins, Spanish, 1600s. Each about 2" long and 1.5 grams. Just like modern sewing pins with spherical heads and sharp points, only much larger and obviously old silver (so probably decorative). Found in Peru. Estimate: $125-$200

1104. Three small cuprous Christ figures (from crucifixes), 1600s. Each about 2" x 1½” and 5 grams. All three a bit worn but very recognizable, brass color with verdigris, intact. Found in Peru. Estimate: $100-$150

1105. Small, round, cuprous religious medallion, 1600s. About 1-5/16" in diameter with ¼” loop at top, 16.1 grams. Worn but readable, with PASSIO CHRISTI CONFORTA ME around a crucifixion scene on one side and S BARBE RA around several figures on the other side, brassy in color and intact (wearable) Found in Peru. Estimate: $75-$125

1106. Small, oval, cuprous religious medallion, 1600s. About 1½” x 1", 6.8 grams. Worn but mostly readable, with LOS EP•OR•P•N around two figures on one side and a kneeling figure on the other side, brassy with verdigris, intact and wearable (loop at top). Found in Peru. Estimate: $75-$125

1107. Two small bronze rings, Spanish, 1600s. Each about 3/4" in diameter on inside (less than 1" outside), 6.1 and 1.5 grams. One with flat crest on top that shows a six-pointed star pattern, the other a thin band with clasped hands pattern, both dark and somewhat encrusted. Found in Spain. Estimate: $75-$150

1108. Brass stirrup, Spanish, late 1600s. Roughly 10" x 6" x 4", 2½ lb. Basically a big, brass shoe with open back and small bar at top for fastening onto the horse-riding tackle, with narrow, flat toe and engraved ornamentation at top (probably for ceremonial and not everyday use), nice brass color (no patina) perfect condition but missing its twin for the other foot. Estimate: $60-$90

1109. Sixteen-piece lot of small artifacts from Port Royal (1694). About 1 lb total. This lot consists of the following: one set of navigational dividers, encrusted bronze(?), typical design with one arm inside the other under a round joint; one brass thimble, quite large and intact; six cuprous and pewter buckles of different sizes and designs; most of an iron fork; two cuprous nails, one with two heads; one bronze spike with no head, encrusted with tiny shell bits and green stuff; two lead split-shot (half-musketballs), one significantly encrusted with shells; and two whole musketballs. Frankly, several of these are artifacts would stand alone very well with their popular provenance (salvaged by Robert Marx from the famous pirate city in Jamaica that sank into the sea in 1694), but Sir Robert only provided one (blank) certificate for the lot! With hand-signed Robert Marx certificate. Estimate: $350-$500

1110. Gold-plated buckle, English, ca. 1720. 1.9 grams, roughly 7/8" x 5/8". Very intricate and elegant rectangular buckle, possibly from a shoe or for some other decorative purpose (because it is too small and fancy to have been useful), the front all gold but the back is black (oxidized silver), perfectly intact. Found near London. Estimate: $100-$150

1111. Silver cufflink, English, ca. 1740. 2.5 grams, about 1" long overall, each link about ½” in diameter. Cute little pair of thin, round buttons linked with an oval wire, all in high-grade silver, with rose design and scalloped edge on tops, perfectly intact and uncorroded but with slight patination. Found near London. Estimate: $50-$75

1112. Original teak combing (curved lintel for doorway or passageway) from an 18th-century Dutch East Indiaman. Roughly 45" x 14" x 6", about 18½ lb. What a wonderful artifact this is! Picture this: Over every doorway and passageway on a ship there was a lintel, sometimes a simple wooden plank but other times a decorative arch, as is the case here. It appears to be carved all from one piece of wood, with at least 3" of relief in the front, which is coated with several layers of stain and paint from its many years of service on a huge East Indiaman that was eventually stranded and later found and stripped of its recoverable parts. While it is doubtful anyone would need this for their own modern-day galleon, it certainly would make an interesting mantel for a fireplace! (Also see lot #1135.) Estimate: $2,500-$3,000

1113. Octant, probably English, early to mid-1700s. Roughly 15" x 13" x 4½”, 2½ lb. Much like the earlier astrolabe (see lot #937), the octant was a navigational device used to measure astronomical angles and was, therefore, most useful to sailors who needed to know latitudes. After the astrolabe came the quadrant, which by definition measured a quarter circle, but that device was cumbersome and came to be replaced with the octant (or reflecting quadrant), which utilized mirrors to get quarter-circle measurement from a device that was, in effect, only one-eighth of a circle. Technical specifications aside, this piece consists of an ebony frame with ivory inlay for gradations and with brass index arm and pinhole sight and mounts for the three mirrors (one of which is missing, as is also the sighting telescope that was used in conjunction with the octant but was typically a separate item). On the backside are three legs, as this octant was designed to be used horizontally, not vertically as in later years. Everything seems to be intact (except for some empty holes for bolts that may have been stabilizers) and in working order, but our interest of course is in its value and historical importance as a navigational antique. Estimate: $1,500-$2,500

1114. Silver crucifix, Spanish, ca. 1750. About 4" x 2½”, 44.8 grams. A large, flat cross, elegantly engraved, with separately cast Christ figure fastened onto the cross with three brass pins, darkly toned (low grade?) silver, probably the property of clergy as too big and intricate to be plebian. Found in Peru. Estimate: $500-$700

1115. Silver filigree crucifix and onyx beads from a rosary, Spanish, ca. 1750s-1770s. Roughly 7½” x 2½” x 3/8", 13.9 grams. A highly intricate piece made of cagework silver from filigree spun thin as a spider’s silk, the actual crucifix (with small, solid Christ figure) suspended from a roundish fob above four onyx polyhedrons (17 sides), stunning detail all over. From Cochabamba, Bolivia. Estimate: $300-$500

1116. Long copper hull-pin (keel bolt) with washer, mid-1700s?. About 25½” long and 1" in diameter, 5 lb. Long bars like this one were used to hold together wooden sailing ships, and the divers tell me this specific one was a bolt for the keel of an unspecified shipwreck, but in any case it has to be no later than 1700s (for after that, iron was used instead of copper). It is complete, intact, and a lovely bronze color with lots of patina. Estimate: $50-$75

1117. Gold-plated silver personal seal (stagecoach), English, late 1700s. 15.8 grams, roughly 1½” x 1 x 3/4". Very cute piece consisting of a two-sided semi-circular grip topped with a loop (for wearing on a necklace) atop a ruby-red glass(?) rectangle that shows the incuse engraved design of a stagecoach and horses (basically an 18th-century logo), as undoubtedly this was used to show that something had been shipped or sent that way. Perfectly intact and intricately designed. Estimate: $800-$1,200

1118. Large silver fork, Spanish colonial, ca. 1770s-1780s. About 8" long and 1" across the tines, 72 grams. A large and heavy fork, plain in design but with two hallmarks on the handle (a crown, and a caballero over volcanoes), also hand-engraved there with large, open letters JN (know anyone with those initials?), basically an old, Spanish-era antique in perfect condition that was probably made from the same silver as the coins. From Old Guatemala City. Estimate: $275-$375

1119. Green glass “case gin” bottle, 1700s-1837. About 8½” tall and 2-3/4" to a side, a little over 1 lb. A tall, square light-green bottle with rounded shoulders and small, short neck (a common design, mostly used for gin), with J.W.PETERS in large letters on one side, perfectly intact but with a very light film of encrustation as probably from the wreck of an 18th-century ship plying the slave trade in Nigeria. Found near the mouth of the Escravos River, Nigeria. Estimate: $80-$120

1120. Green glass “case gin” bottle, 1700s-1837. About 8½” tall and 2-3/4" to a side, a little over 1 lb. Same as last but with a little bit more encrustation (inside and out) and a slight opalescence from being in the water. Found near the mouth of the Escravos River, Nigeria. Estimate: $80-$120

1121. Green glass “case gin” bottle, 1700s-1837. About 8½” tall and 2-3/4" to a side, a little over 1 lb. Like the last two lots but without any lettering on the side (just a pattern of vertical lines instead), very little encrustation, some small bubbles in the glass, more vivid green color. Found near the mouth of the Escravos River, Nigeria. Estimate: $80-$120

1122. Green glass “case gin” bottle, 1700s-1837. About 8½” tall and 2-3/4" to a side, a little over 1 lb. Same design as last lot but a bit more encrustation and some opalescence. Found near the mouth of the Escravos River, Nigeria. Estimate: $80-$120

1123. Leather “sailor’s palm,” circa 1800. Roughly 5" x 2", 49 grams. An important duty on board any sailing vessel was repairing the sails, which required huge needles that would make mincemeat out of an unprotected hand, so devices like this artifact were employed to protect the palm with a hard iron “stone” (with honeycomb pattern to “catch” the end of the needle) inside a leather grip that fit around the thumb. This example is well used but completely intact and recognizable. Estimate: $50-$80

1124. Small pewter plate, European, with hallmarks and 1804 date. About 9" in diameter and 1" tall, 1 lb. Typical plate for its period with raised 1" rim in which are stamped three very clear hallmarks (one with a coat-of-arms and the other two with H.L. above 1793), also hand-engraved in the bottom with “No. 2” and “1804” (probably made in 1793 but marked by its owner in 1804), fully intact, just with a few minor flaws as made. Estimate: $350-$475

1125. Early-1800s bronze bell made to commemorate the Mexican Revolution of 1810. About 12" in diameter and 11" tall, 23 lb. Marked with “MEJICO” and “1810” and with ornate design (including a portrait of the saintly Virgen de Guadalupe in relief), this bell is of the traditional colonial design, same as was used on the galleons, with distinctive x-shaped hanger at top and widely flared shape. This specimen is well patinated and splashed with white paint here and there but is perfectly intact and rings as stridently as the day it was cast. The hemispherical clapper, attached with iron links, looks original too, but the exact age of the whole piece is unknown. With Sinclair photo-certificate. Estimate: $800-$1,000

1126. Small (8") pewter plate, probably English, ca. 1820. About 8½” in diameter and 1" tall, about 1 lb. A beautiful antique, perfectly intact and unblemished, with two “FB” hallmarks flanking another, unidentified mark in the center of the bottom, 1" raised rim. Estimate: $100-$200

1127. Lignum vitae deadeye, early 1800s. About 5½” in diameter and 2½” thick, 2 lb. One of the more recognizable parts of a sailing ship’s rigging is the deadeye, the wooden disk that held ropes in a pulley system, with wide grooved perimeter and three holes in the center (like the mouth and eyes of a deadman), this specimen clean and perfectly intact so probably from a never-sunk vessel. Estimate: $125-$200

1128. Lignum vitae deadeye, early 1800s. About 5½” in diameter and 3" thick, 2½ lb. As above but a little more rounded and with white and black residue from paint or stain, also probably not salvaged. Estimate: $125-$200

1129. Leather shot bag, English, 1800s. About 10" x 3½” x 1", 151 grams. This curious item consists of a flat, pear-shaped black-leather sack with an iron spout with lever mechanism, used to dispense small lead shot into a rifle. The spout is a bit rusty and there is a surface tear in the leather, but otherwise this piece appears to be in good condition and functional. Estimate: $80-$120

1130. Lot of two short bottles, Dutch, 1800s. Each about 8¼”-8-3/4" tall and 3"-3½” in diameter, 2½ lb total. These two “black glass” (actually a very dark green) beer bottles are obviously salvaged (with varying degrees of tan encrustation on their surfaces), but from an unspecified locale, the shorter bottle in better condition and of a typical “porter” shape, and the taller one with less-pronounced shoulder and a little more sea-worn, both perfectly intact and a nice display. Estimate: $60-$90

1131. Brass spigot, Dutch East India Co., late 1800s. Roughly 6½” x 3½” x 3/4", 333 grams. A large tap for a keg, with 3" long tapered end opposite a curved spout topped with a T-shaped handle on which is stamped the partial name FIDDL[?] in a box, in excellent condition, lovely muted-brass color with attractive patina. Found in South Africa. Estimate: $60-$90

1132. Gimbaled ship’s compass in wooden box, early 1900s. Approx. 4-3/4" x 4-3/4" x 3½”, 2 lb. Every skipper in the early 1900s had one of these mass-produced compasses on board his sailboat: A water-filled compass inside a heavy, cast iron gimbal mounted inside a sturdy wooden cube with removable lid. The maker’s sticker (“WILCOX, CRITTENDEN & CO., Inc., Middletown, Conn., U.S.A.”) on the inside of the lid is still fully intact, as is the whole compass and box with the exception of a crack across the top of the lid caused by one of the original tacks, the wood a beautiful reddish color with dovetailed corners, two small latches. Estimate: $75-$110

1133. Gimbaled brass kerosene lamp from the Queen Mary (1936). Roughly 12" x 8" x 5" (without glass) and 6½ lb. Anyone who has been to Long Beach, California (where a major coin show takes places three times per year) is familiar with the Queen Mary, built in 1936 and once the pride of the Cunard/White Star Line but later pressed into service during World War II, after which she cruised the seas again and then was purchased in 1967 and brought to Long Beach, where she became a hotel in 1972. During her wartime service the Queen Mary was stripped of her metal furnishings to make ammunition, which makes this rescued brass item quite rare. It consists of three parts: The lamp itself with copper tank for the kerosene and slit for the wick and four grips for the glass; ornate gimbaled mounting arm, which was attached to the ship; and the tall glass cover, which may or may not be original (correct design and vintage anyway), all in perfect condition save for some very minor patination around the top of the lamp section. A wonderful piece of history that at one time was of interest to the hotel in Long Beach (who asked that it be donated). Estimate: $550-$750

1134. Replica brass cannon with wooden carriage (2005). Roughly 32" x 13" x 11", over 100 lb. This shiny brass cannon, a fully operational (2" bore), faithful reproduction in shining brass, was cast in England in 2005 to commemorate the centennial of the Battle of Trafalgar. It comes with a solid wooden, four-wheeled carriage (also a faithful reproduction), so you can easily wheel it to a prominent spot in your study for impressive display. A brass latch on either side of the cannon on the carriage opens to allow the cannon to be removed, and there is also a loose, small wooden scoop in addition to the usual trappings of a shipboard cannon. The touchhole looks unused, and I am not about to test it, but in theory you should be able to fire off a ball or two with this piece on July 4! (U.S. citizens only, which is appropriate since shipping anywhere else would be prohibitive.) Estimate: $2,000-$3,000