I have my grandfather’s commission from the Second World War, dated September 3, 1943.
Our house itself is 63 years old (built in 1950). I can’t think of anything older than that off the top of my head; I’m probably forgetting something…
I have my father’s old trumpet that he played in junior high and high school in the late '50’s and early '60’s, but I don’t know when it was manufactured. It might be older than the house.
A small piece of pretty blue and white china, washed up on a south sea island. Picked it up, as unremarkable, while beach combing for shells. Was showing my treasure off to some one who’s mate honed in on it over some rather lovely seashells. He told me how the people’s of this part of SE Asia were trading in Chinaware centuries before it ever reached Europe, but that they weren’t always the best seamen and lots of ships went down with such cargo, and that pieces of quite ancient china routinely wash up on the beaches. He seemed quite pleased with it and when he handed it back he told me, it will probably be the oldest thing I ever own.
He also told me to check out the Ancient Civilizations Exhibition when in Singapore to compare. And he was exactly right too. The pieces I saw in the museum matched mine pretty closely, though I cannot now remember what the time period actually was.
I’d have probably left it behind if this fellow hadn’t shared his knowledge with me, it’s just a little shard of rough pottery, no bigger than a quarter! And I keep it with my seashell collection, of course!
Maybe, but I doubt it. I haven’t studied the book in detail, but all laws are formulated verbally, without going into mathematical details, and there is not a single specification of a physical constant.
My house is the oldest thing in my house. It was originally built over 100 years ago.
Mentioned else where in another thread: my many times great grandmother’s rocking chair, which came west via covered wagon.
I have a plate with a fancy lace-looking border that is apparently made of “milk china”. It was a wedding gift to my great, great, great grandparents on my father’s side, when they married in 1835 in Scotland.
My 95 year old mother’s father (my grandfather) was a carpenter that used to do quite a bit of renovations on houses owned by fairly well off people. He was often allowed to keep old lumber and some of it was quite nice so he would make furniture from it. Mom started school in September, 1925 and she remembers her dad making this particular desk before she started school. I have it in a spare bedroom and it’s in terrific condition.
I also have a Waltham pocket watch that I believe would be very early 20th century. It was owned by my great uncle and was given to me by my great aunt when I was a teen ager (probably around 1968 or '69). It wasn’t working at the time, but I was able to get it fixed and it works to this day.
My fiance and I have tons of weird stuff from the 1960s and 1970s, furniture and plates etc. Some 100 year old books, that sort of thing. But my mother was the only child of my grandmother who was a big time collector, so she has inherited all sorts of ancient things. Even after the collection was pared down during an estate sale to just favorites, the house is covered in antiques. It’s funny because my mom just integrated it all into the household so much of it gets daily use- so when you go to my mom’s house you could be eating something with 200 year old heirloom silver, off a paper plate.
My favorite things are a diary written by my great great grandfather in the 1820s, a stocking that belonged to a multiple-greats aunt from around 1796 (and the letter that came with it- the handwriting is just so different and cool), and a paper that was given to my however-many-greats grandfather Dr. Willis, for “service to his majesty” George III.
Her oldest things are a Roman awl, and a shallow chinese bowl thingy, very elaborate, painted with a boy and girl playing- these are both unused of course, and both over 1,000 years old.
The oldest is the William Blake original proof from the Book of Job that my father-in-law bought from a New York dealer as a young man around WWII. The second oldest would probably be the American Civil War cavalry sword inherited by my husband. Since his family fought on both sides we aren’t sure which side it comes from.
We have a few other presumably 19th century small heirlooms from his family – pewter etc.
I have a paleolithic flint, prob a couple thou, and a slate celt (purpose unknown; age unknown)
I have a rifle from the Civil War.
I gave my wife a fish fossil that is 55,000,012 years old.
We’re renovating our 1840s log home and I just found a large silver spoon in the wall yesterday. When we rebuild that part of the house I’m putting it back in the wall, with a note explaining when it was found and replaced.
I got my kid a dinosaur tooth at the old NY store Maxilla and Mandible - I miss that store - for maybe $30. It’s from a late-Cretaceous Spinosaurus, IIRC - so, what, 65,000,000 years or so? Maybe 3/4" long.
I have some cabinet cards and other photos of relatives from the late 19th c. There’s also a snuff jar that belonged to my great-great-grandfather I don’t know when it was made, but he died in 1925.
This is a fascinating question!
Bits of jewelry from my grandmother, which she wore when she was young.
A Tiffany brass inkwell.
An art deco walnut dining room suite from late 20’s, early 30’s.
Those are the three I can think of off the top of my head, there may be some bits and pieces in a box in the basement, memorabilia from Mr. Sali’s deceased mother.
(whispering so it doesn’t overhear me: the refrigerator, well past its prime but still running 10 years after it should have quit. It was the first thing we brought into the house, even before furniture.)
The oldest thing in my house? Me.
Hope the manufacturer’s warrantee is still good.
I have a stone hand axe the dealer told my spouse was 30,000 years old, from the year I wanted the oldest antique she could find for Christmas.
Also a Roman coin, a Colonial putty knife, and a Revolutionary War bullet or ball.
I have a bed and a marble-top dresser that may date to the late 1800’s. Not so old, but just as cool, is my grandfather’s silk shirt from the 1920s.
The oldest thing that I can verify at the moment is my Family Bible, which is dated 1885.
I do have my dad’s coin and stamp collections, and it’s quite possible there are older items in one or both of those, but I haven’t checked.
Forgot to mention this: our kitchen countertops are of Brazilian pink granite, from a deposit of 300 million years ago.
Top that!