Featured Old wood souvenir box?

Discussion in 'Antique Discussion' started by Potteryplease, May 22, 2021.

  1. Potteryplease

    Potteryplease Well-Known Member

    Found this today for super cheap. I have no idea what it is. Maybe a family history of some sort?

    The top is a carved floral design. The four sides read Mexico, California, Minnesota, and New Jersey ("Nem Jersey"?). The bottom says "from 1894."

    Inside, it's metal lined and has a collection of old metal pieces. The lid is similarly inscribed with "from the scaffolding of the old state house." ...Huh??

    Any leads on this bit of a mystery are appreciated!

    6C7B3A6D-DB53-4505-9EF2-73E68E6D9E0F.jpeg 4F088397-7C02-458B-8735-F2421F05AF94.jpeg BED65984-1AFD-4EF3-8041-9E253955047A.jpeg 37EC77FC-F73B-4B36-9F48-0FC01658546A.jpeg F5951186-1CEB-461B-97AF-FDBA79816FBD.jpeg 5C143E84-BE89-4376-9978-276D6DAE21C6.jpeg 3951FF0D-ACD8-46C2-A136-CF01B6DABEFB.jpeg 1FA20710-485D-4252-9FDF-A56E4C9FADC8.jpeg AFA82D1C-467D-4C60-9B33-87A8E740C5E1.jpeg
     
  2. daveydempsey

    daveydempsey Moderator Moderator

    The button translates.

    DEVS = God
    ES = Is
    SPES = Hope
    NOSTRA = Our

    God Is Our Hope

    These buttons were worn by Hessian (Prussian) soldiers used as mercenaries by the British during the Revolutionary War.

    Reproductions exist.

    From Wiki
    Hessians were German soldiers who served as auxiliaries to the British Army during the American Revolutionary War. The term is an American synecdoche for all Germans who fought on the British side, since 65% came from the German states of Hesse-Kassel and Hesse-Hanau.
     
  3. KikoBlueEyes

    KikoBlueEyes Well-Known Member

    Very cool.
     
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  4. Potteryplease

    Potteryplease Well-Known Member

    Very cool! Here's the back of that button, which I guess looks quite old to me, but whether that's 100 years or 250, not sure.

    D855B3EB-43FA-44E7-82B7-E2A460DE264E.jpeg
     
  5. KikoBlueEyes

    KikoBlueEyes Well-Known Member

    I stopped at the Archway in Kearney Nebraska once. It is a museum of cross country travel that straddles the freeway. My impression is that cross country travel in automobiles didn't start until the early 1900's.
     
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  6. Debora

    Debora Well-Known Member

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  7. Debora

    Debora Well-Known Member

    What state did you find it in?

    Debora
     
  8. Potteryplease

    Potteryplease Well-Known Member

  9. Debora

    Debora Well-Known Member

    So the first two Oregon State Houses were destroyed by fire in 1855 and 1935 and rebuilt from 1936-1938. That would confirm not local as dates aren't a fit.

    Debora
     
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  10. Lark

    Lark Well-Known Member

    The carved flower looks to be a forget-me-not which would make sense with the names on the side . A box for memories.
     
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  11. Potteryplease

    Potteryplease Well-Known Member

  12. Debora

    Debora Well-Known Member

    Mexico, California, Minnesota, and New Jersey -- an odd group of locations. Perhaps done by a railroad man.

    Debora
     
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  13. Potteryplease

    Potteryplease Well-Known Member

    That's a good idea! I was wondering if perhaps family members, like say grandparents, had come from those respective places, and this box was a way of commemorating them...??

    My hope was that there was some sort of tradition of boxes like this, with some common characteristics that I could use to better ID this one, but maybe this is just a unique item.

    Im guessing the metal balls are 19th century firearm ammo? Does that look right?
     
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  14. Debora

    Debora Well-Known Member

    Impossible, I'd think, to determine exactly why those four locations but... adds to the box's romance, no?

    Debora
     
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  15. Potteryplease

    Potteryplease Well-Known Member

    It certainly does! Thank you for the help!
     
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  16. Rabid Collector

    Rabid Collector Well-Known Member

    That would make a lot of sense as the carving has a distinctly Black Forest look to it.
     
    Potteryplease likes this.
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