What is the oldest object in your home?

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
41

I’m sure there’s some random stuff, coins that were minted in the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s etc, some clothes that I got in the 90’s that are pushed in the back of a closet, items that I had when I lived at home that followed me to college (an acoustic guitar I never really learned to play from around 1996ish) and random stuff like that but, realistically, probably my desktop computer.

I’d count that mainly because it’s the first thing I think of and I actually use it on a regular basis. My parents got it for me when I went to college in 1998, so, 16 years ago. Over the years it’s been upgraded numerous times. It’s up to 4 hard drives, I’ve added memory, replaced the motherboard, DVD-writer, upgraded the sound and video card, it’s on it’s third monitor and I don’t even know how many keyboards and mice it’s seen, the power supply has been replaced at least once, maybe twice (possibly three times), all the internal cables and fans have been upgraded, hell, it’s not even in the same case. But, it’s still the same computer, to me anyways. It does, however, have the original C:\ drive, CD ROM and 3.5 inch floppy drive.

Also, several years before I’d ever seen a see through case on shelf, I happened to see a kit for putting a window in the side of the case on ebay so I did that myself. Then, a few months later I bought some blue LED lights for another project that I abandoned and thought they’d look pretty cool mounted around the edge of the window (on the inside). Again, I’d never seen or heard of a computer with a window and lights in it. It was pretty neat looking (still would be I suppose if I plugged the lights in). I also had car cigarette lighter mounted in one of the front panels at one point as well.

Like I said, I’m sure I have older stuff around here, but that’s the thing I think of. The house was built in 1997, I moved in in 2005 and I’m not a hoarder.

42

Well, the house itself was built in 1800.

The only thing older inside it are the beams under the floors. They are foot wide tree trunks cut in half length-wise, with the bark still attached. I’m guessing those are from 1650-1700 maybe. Now I need to go and count some growth rings!

43

A 1799 silver dollar.
A 19th century Singer treadle sewing machine in working order.
A 19th century child’s school desk with wrought iron parts and ink well.
An 1890s wicker baby buggy with swan shapes on the sides.
An 1890s fern stand.

44

A shekel from about 100 AD or so.

45

I have a couple of fossils, though those aren’t man-made so may not count. My oldest man-made items are a mortar and a hammer-stone. The mortar is from the middle archaic era, so somewhere between six to eight thousand years old. The hammer-stone is from the lithic age, so probably about ten thousand years old. Of course, since the earth is really only 6,000 years old, they must have both been made about the same time my fossils were being formed. :stuck_out_tongue:

The oldest thing that I have that was made in historic times is probably my cast-iron skillets. They’ve been passed down through at least six generations now.

46

I have a trilobite fossil which is likely the oldest thing i could reasonably date. I also have a few geodes, which could be older. I have no idea what the age would be.

For man-made objects, I have a book, a science/math encyclopedia, from 1753. Oldest “technological” item is my grandfather’s clock which was purchased by my grandfather in 1911 and might be a bit older.

47

I have a medal my Grandfather won playing football (aussie rules) back in the 1920’s. I also have coins form the 19th century, not sure what the oldest would be I haven’t looked at them in years

48

I have my great-grandmother’s mid-to-late Victorian tall dresser and low dresser. I love them, but the decorative wood carving on the drawers are a PITA to dust.

Also have some Edwardian era items (dining room table, cedar chest, large plant stand/occasional table). And a set of wine glasses from the late 1800s. And some antique china as well.

49

My grandfather was a circuit preacher in Kentucky. I have several of his handwritten sermon outline books.

I also have several bedsheets that he used to illustrate his sermons. In the days before overhead projectors and chalkboards, apparently preachers (or at least my grandaddy) painted large bedsheets with their sermon outlines and scriptural references and pinned them on the wall of the church or tent where they were preaching. They are painted with several colors, and the print is a large, calligraphy style. Apparently he used them over and over, whenever he preached his standard sermons.

My father was born in 1918, and these sheets predate his birth.

50

That’s really cool and very clever.

51

I have a roman coin stashed somewhere.

I also have my great, great-grandmother’s 5th grade reading book from 1868. Autographed all the way down. I also have my great grandma’s butter churn.
Otherwise I have some random things from the 1930s-50s from my grandparents.

52

Timetrvlr, then me.

53

I have old hand-written receipts, deeds, and other papers pertaining to my home town dating back to the 1820s. The oldest thing that others find interesting is an 1876 bell commemorating the US centennial. Also have a bunch of baseball, boxing, and trade cards from the 1880-90s.

54

I have a broken piece of Roman era pottery - three inches by two - that I picked up off the ground whilst wandering around Palmyra, Syria, when I was working out there in the 80’s.

I took it along to an open day at the Museum of Scotland. The ‘expert’ thought it was probably 3rd century AD from the small elements of decoration still attached.

55

Until recently, I would have said it was an illuminated page from a medieval psalter. As of a couple of weeks ago, it would be a Roman coin, circa 130 AD.

56

My grandfather was born in 1895. His family was very poor, and he would make toys out of whatever he could find. I have a slingshot he carved when he was 8 years old; his initials are carved into it, and the rubber band on it is crumbling. My treasure!

57

I have several Widows Mites that get into like 70BC to 110 BC --------- do I win?

58

Possibly me, but probably it is a box of old photos from my wife’s that may well date from the early 20th or late 19th centuries. I still have and use a chest of drawers that I used as a child. I am five years older than my house.

59

Except for a few books, it would definitely be my bong. Got it way back when in college.

60

I think I have a couple of stamps celebrating the Columbian Exposition of 1893. I have a couple of 78 records from ca. 1904.

Not too much crazy old stuff, though.