Featured Finds Thread

What establishes it as Egyptian?

 

Motif can be a clue. But these are a common style: I've a few pieces with gold plaques of the pyramids and sphinx, for example.Filigree settings.

Mind you, there were Greek motif jewels with similar central plaques. I have earrings with the Acropolis on, but they're a cannetile edge.

 

Bronwen, Here’s better pics showing design and teeny mark.

 

Sphinx!

 

Is this a coin? Doesn’t look like one thought I’d ask bc it has letters - HM

does anyone have info on this?

 

Does anyone know about this tortoise shell box? It’s tiny - wondering if it’s Victorian or what, and what it may have been used for (I thought snuff box but has a lining…) what is the red material in the bottom, and the little white ball legs?…

 

Ah, so it is. The mark says 80, for 800 silver.

 

The letters above the horseman look like Greek language to me. And no it is not a coin. No monetization, Maybe @daveydempsey has seen this before. And the letters you mentioned look more like FM to me.

 

It's a medallion, not a coin, but the images may have been taken from a coin or coins. They are not necessarily the obverse & reverse of the same coin. I can't make out the Greek above the horseman well enough to get a handle on it, can't tell alphas from deltas. The other side is Athena, so may be from coinage of Athens.

There were several medallists from the 18th century that signed 'FM', but I don't think this relates to any of them.

 

How big is tiny? Looks to me like a wooden box that has been painted trompe l'oeil fashion to look like tortoiseshell. Would guess Italian. Looks like jewellery casket; if quite small, maybe for rings. The ball feet are ceramic? Seems like an older touch to me, but maybe not so old as Victorian.

 

Some time ago I had another Egyptian brooch where you were able to find the tiny marks I hadn’t seen so I remembered that I had to look really hard for them

 

Yes, unlike western practice, often on the front.

 

Here is a 50 pence coin for size comparison- now that I take a closer look at it- the red lining on the bottom seems to be on the inside as well- with the velvet painted over it. The tortoiseshell def. isn’t painted on…

 

Here’s one with similar red embossed base. Think yours has been relined with more modern fabric inside.

 

@Houseful Wow thank you! That’s awesome going to print out description and keep it with the box for my kids when they’re old enough to be interested.

 

Sorry for the typo it does say “FM”

 

Lovely little Georgian box which someone has relined with a knitted jersey type fabric. I'd probably pull it out and get something more appropriate.

 

wow amazing it could be that old.

What is the dark red material? It looks like laquer almost (not quite)