Abalone marble
People ask what my best or favorite find is. I really don’t know, but here are a few I think are really neat, and if I had to choose a current favorite, it would be that abalone marble in the middle. I found it with a wheat penny under a tree, so it likely dropped from the same pocket.
It’s not made of abalone, but marble collectors refer to them that way, because the irridescent weathering of the glass resembles abalone shell. You may have seen something similar on old bottles that have been dug. It’s the same thing. Mildly acidic water in the soil leeches alkalis from the glass to form the thin irridescent layers. This was originally an amber clearie.
Navy ring
This small handcrafted silver ring with a golden anchor rode may have been a WW2 sweetheart ring.
Girl Scout’s top honor pin
The highest honor for the Girl Scouts has changed several time over the years. From 1940 – 1963 it was the Curved Bar.
Intaglio brooch
This is an enameled glass intaglio brooch with a mother of pearl backing, sealed in brass. The intaglio process gives the violet a 3-dimensional look. These are often referred to online as goofus brooches and Essex crystal, but each is a misnomer. It isn’t goofus glass, and Essex crystal would likely be set in a more precious metal. Late 1800s to early 1900s.
Ex-voto
These votive offerings are left at shrines to give thanks to a saint for an answered prayer. A milagro ex-voto with eyes may be an offering for Santa Lucia. St. Lucy is the patron saint of Syracuse, Sicily, virgins, and eye ailments.
Pilot wings
Army Air Corps pilot wings made in the 1930s -1940s. The United States Army Air Corps was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941 when it became the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF). In 1947, the Department of the Air Force was created.
Junior Sheriff’s badge
Vintage Junior Sheriff’s toy badge – 1950s.
Postal Telegraph Co. button
The Postal Telegraph Company was founded in 1886 by John Mackay. It became Western Union’s only competitor in the 1890s until the companies consolidated after the Communications Act of 1934. The backmark, Browning King & Co. New York, was used on various buttons from 1860 – 1934.
Portrait
From a distance, this looks like a woman’s framed portrait in a gilt frame. Up close we see deteriorated pot metal and a splotch of color that was once someone’s face. These are usually in worse shape when I find them, and I’m unsure when they were made.
Eagle Scout award
This is the top honor for a Boy Scout. While this is just the scroll portion (with rope) of the medal, the back reads, B.S. of A. Pat. 1911, which was the first one made, the T.H. Foley Eagle Medal (1912 – 1915).
Novelty ring
This adjustable child’s ring bearing the theatrical mask of tragedy would have come from a vending machine or as a prize in a Cracker Jack box.
Shooter
This a nice swirly brown shooter marble made by the Alley Agate Company, 1930s-1940s.
Mystery piece – fob?
Unsure what this is. If you know, shoot me a note. It could be an old watch fob, zipper pull, or a piece of a larger object. Resembles a mask – but is tribal, theatrical? If you recognize it, send me a note.
Strange bead
When I first found this, I thought this might be a piece from a pirate game, but I realized it had a hole from one corner to the other, so it’s more like a 6-sided bead. Except it seems too heavy to be a bead. The raised images are metal pins on rods pushed into the cube and soldered into place. Each side has a scene related to the ocean: dolphins, a sailing ship, a cruiseliner, a pirate looking through a spylass, palm trees, and a parrot. It could be part of a Caribbean souvenir. If you recognize it, send me note. š
