Early Spanish Colonial Cob Coins

The English called them "pieces of eight" and gold "doubloons" and to this day these coins remain the archetype for treasure.

Vast discoveries of gold and silver by Spanish conquistadors lead to the creation of convoys of galleons to transport the treasure from the New World to Spain. Many of these overloaded ships sank in storms and it is estimated at 20% of all gold mined was lost to shipwrecks. Since the late 1960’s a number of these have been located and salvaged. Sunken treasure coins are collected by numismatists and historians and many are made into fashionable jewelry.

New World Mints

There were a number of New World mints.

• Mexico City: (OM) 1536-1821.
• Potosi: (P) 1574-1773.
• Lima: (L) 1568-89; 1684-1822.
• Cartagena: (NR) 1625-27; (C) 1627-55.
• Nuevo Reino / Santa Fe de Bogota: (NR) 1622-27: (RN) 1627-1756.
• Santo Domingo: (SP) 1542-64; 1573-78.
• Guatemala: (G)(GN) 1733-1821.
• Santiago: (Sº) 1750-1817.
• Popayan: (P) 1758-1822.
• Cuzco: (C) 1698; (C) 1824.

Maravedis, Reales, and Escudos

Whether envisioned as pirate gold or sunken treasure, these coins were the basis for a world monetary system

19th Century Mass-Produced American Furniture

Detroit Chair Factory and its successor Murphy Chair Company were major players in the transition from hand-made to factory-made furniture in America.

During the early 1830s, American manufacturers first began to use steam-powered machinery in the production of furniture. One of the first companies to experiment with this new technology was Joseph Meeks.

Joseph Meeks & Sons of New York City Pioneered Mass-Produced Furniture

The well-established firm of Joseph Meeks & Sons of New York City was one of the first to advertise mass-produced or ready-made furniture. A broadside of 1833 illustrates large and imposing furniture cut by steam powered saws in a Pillar-and-Scroll style. Veneered with mahogany and destined for the parlors of nouveau riche capitalists, this furniture was often of an inferior quality. The mechanization of factories led to decline in quality by obscuring inferior wood with beautiful veneers, elegant paint and ornate decoration.
Detroit Chair Factory Established in 1864
J. M. Wright, a furniture manufacturer from Oswego New York, visited fast-growing but infant cities such as Chicago, Toledo and Detroit during the early 1860s. He saw potential in such markets and in 1864 purchased land on the corner of 4th and Porter Streets in downtown Detroit, Michigan. He built a four-story showroom with a three-story workshop attached and a two-story engine and dry house. All three buildings were made of brick and furnished with the latest chair-making equipment and machinery.
The machinery was driven by a 75-horsepower steam engine and the factory was heated by steam, requiring more than 11,000 square feet of steam pipe. More than eighty workers were hired for the opening of the factory, not counting the women who wove the cane seats. These ladies were trained on-site and then allowed to take the chairs home to be finished if the supervisors deemed them to be expert enough.

Collecting Antique Chinese Children's Shoes

Chinese children's clothing and accessories in the Qing dynasty and the early twentieth century were decorated with auspicious symbols to protect the child from harm.

Fierce animals like the tiger or the dog were featured on the shoes to frighten away evil spirits which mothers believed were hovering in the air all around, ready to whisk their precious child away. Most of the shoes were made to be worn by boys however, since girls were seldom valued in the family except to produce more boys.

Shoes for young children

Very young children wore silk bootees which sometimes had ties attached to fasten round the ankle to hold them in place. When the child was transported in a baby carrier worn on the bearer's back, these bootees looked most colourful viewed from the front as they approached.
They were made of red, purple or orange satin, embroidered with a design of the four-clawed dragon, a protector from evil. Other designs were of the phoenix, fish or the deer. Often padded animals and birds were suspended above the toe on wires. Long coloured tassels hung from the front, together with multi-coloured pom-poms.

Animal Shoes, the Tiger, Dog and Pig

Like the other accessories like hats and collars, children's footwear was also made in the form of a dog, cat, tiger, or pig for the purpose of frightening away bad spirits. Large eyes to see evil lurking, large furry ears to hear it, and whiskers all helped to suggest the creature being represented.
They were usually made of red cotton or satin, with a brightly embroidered vamp and padded cotton sole, often with a design of the lotus flowers, bats and the shou or long life character on the toes. Some shoes even had bells on the toes to produce an audible warning for the spirits.

Shoes for Older Girls

What makes an ancient sword famous and expensive?

An antique sword is without doubt, very expensive. Due to its high value, most sword collectors prefer collecting replicas of these rare swords. These swords are quite inexpensive as compared to an antique sword. Despite the availability of sword replica, nothing beats the value and authenticity of real swords. Just what makes antique swords so expensive? Read on for more information.

Perfection

A rare antique sword becomes famous for its perfect forging and condition. An excellent example of this is the Sword of Goujian, a 500 BC Chinese bronze sword belonging to King Goujian who once ruled the ancient kingdom of Shanghai, China. Archeologists found it buried for more than 2,000 years in an underground water system together with the tomb of the King. Despite the condition of the sword, it stood as an embodiment of perfection. Its bronze blade remains unblemished and sparkling along with its sharp cutting edge. It can still easily cut paper, wood, or flesh in one swoop.

The Sword of Goujian is now considered a priceless antique sword and a national treasure of China.

Mythical Status

A rare antique sword often mesmerizes collectors for its being legendary as famously depicted in movies, stories, and tales. The expensive swords of Muramasa, a 16th century Japanese sword-maker, have spooky stories to tell. Their blades were believed to be made from iron, carbon, and human blood. Neighbors and passersby remarked that dead bodies were found sprawling on the street across Muramasa’s forge from time to time. These stories could sound doubtful in their truthfulness yet they helped establish the priceless value of Muramasa swords.

Reputation

The reputation of rare antique swords becomes famous because of its well known owner. An example of this element of reputation is the sword of Ali ibn Abi Talib, the son-in-law of Prophet