Any Marble Aficionados Out There?

Stiffwrists

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Found this in the dirt of a 1901 house. Pretty awesome marble. I searched antique black marbles and saw some that looked like this. Says it has mica in it? Any information would be appreciated. I know some marbles can be quite collectible. This one is in great shape, just on small spot on it. I think it is from the manufacturing process. Educate me. Thanks for looking.
 

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Is it a worn Bennington glazed pottery marble? Or glass? Hard to tell. I have some old marbles, but I am certainly not an expert.
 
It looks like it could be a old german handmade 1880-1910. There should be a small pontil mark at each pole, unless it was a "end of cane marble". Put it on top of a small flashlight and see how much light comes through. The dark micas are not as common and can have some collector value. normally less than 20 bucks for the small ones.
 
It looks like it could be a old german handmade 1880-1910. There should be a small pontil mark at each pole, unless it was a "end of cane marble". Put it on top of a small flashlight and see how much light comes through. The dark micas are not as common and can have some collector value. normally less than 20 bucks for the small ones.

That is a nice old marble.
I have found a German (1870-1910) Bennington blue and white marble and they did make black ones.
I think I see the small 'eyes' where they were held during firing. I so then this is what your marble is.

Best web I have found about old marbles is:
http://www.marblecollecting.com/marble-reference/online-marble-id-guide/earthenware/

Thanks for the info! It just looked like something special to me. I'll put a flashlight up to it when I get off work.
 
Well, I put a flashlight up to it and no light comes through at all. Maybe it's not glass. Maybe it's not even a marble. Lol.
 
Well, I put a flashlight up to it and no light comes through at all. Maybe it's not glass. Maybe it's not even a marble. Lol.

I still think it is a Bennington Marble made in Germany.

These are Glazed Clay so not transparent.

Do you read the info in the link I posted?
Does it have the little 'eyes' described in that link?
If yes then it is a rarer 'black' German made marble from 1870-1910.

These German imports were very common in the US and available mail order and at many local stores.

If you read further you will find that Glass marbles were not made until the early 20th century. Earlier marbles were made from real stone or Clay.
 
I still think it is a Bennington Marble made in Germany.

These are Glazed Clay so not transparent.

Do you read the info in the link I posted?
Does it have the little 'eyes' described in that link?
If yes then it is a rarer 'black' German made marble from 1870-1910.

If you read further you will find that Glass marbles were not made until the early 20th century. Earlier marbles were made from real stone or Clay.

actually marbles have been hand made for quite a long time, the first machine made marbles were early 1900s......evidence of hand made glass marbles goes at least into the mid 1800s.
 
actually marbles have been hand made for quite a long time, the first machine made marbles were early 1900s......evidence of hand made glass marbles goes at least into the mid 1800s.

Yes, you are correct. It was the machine made glass marbles I was thinking of that started around 1920. Handmade Glass marbles start around 1850.

Clay marbles have been known for over 3000 years.
Marble made from stone, Marble, Agate and other stone were also made.

For more details see:
http://www.marblecollecting.com/marble-reference/marble-faq/

This web site also has a Marble ID'ing service. See the left side bar.
 
Yes, you are correct. It was the machine made glass marbles I was thinking of that started around 1920. Handmade Glass marbles start around 1850.

Clay marbles have been known for over 3000 years.
Marble made from stone, Marble, Agate and other stone were also made.

For more details see:
http://www.marblecollecting.com/marble-reference/marble-faq/

This web site also has a Marble ID'ing service. See the left side bar.

good stuff. Yeah clay marbles been around forever including overlapping the start of glass by quite a bit. The Glass marble machine was patented and built around 1902-1905 as far as I can find. and really made way around 1910-1920. In terms of hand made marbles I have always found that people say 1850s but I have always had a problem with that. From the vast range of glass that has been made from the romans and even back to egypt in limited cases, marbles had to have been made for one reason or another(think beads or other processes of small scale glass working). Maybe just not for the game called marbles is all. just like the 3000 year old clay marbles may not have been for that game.
 
No light would make me think clay or stone. Try a magnifying glass with light from the side. A stone should have a bunch of flat facets from being ground. Cool marble whatever it is.
 
Yes, you are correct. It was the machine made glass marbles I was thinking of that started around 1920. Handmade Glass marbles start around 1850.

Clay marbles have been known for over 3000 years.
Marble made from stone, Marble, Agate and other stone were also made.

For more details see:
http://www.marblecollecting.com/marble-reference/marble-faq/

This web site also has a Marble ID'ing service. See the left side bar.

I sent those pictures to that free IDing service. Heres the reply. Seems to think it's just a damaged Chinese checker. Lol. I'm just throwing it into the "fun finds" box.
 

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I sent those pictures to that free IDing service. Heres the reply. Seems to think it's just a damaged Chinese checker. Lol. I'm just throwing it into the "fun finds" box.

Ahh...Oh well, at least we now know.
Thanks for getting an ID and posting.

But...how old is that Chinese Checker?
 
Ahh...Oh well, at least we now know.
Thanks for getting an ID and posting.

But...how old is that Chinese Checker?

Who knows? It might he hard to positively identify it from a picture. PM me your address and I'll send it out to you. You're welcome to have it. You showed the most interest in it! (If it happens to be rare and worth hundreds of dollars, we'll split it!) If not, it's yours. :yes:
 
Who knows? It might he hard to positively identify it from a picture. PM me your address and I'll send it out to you. You're welcome to have it. You showed the most interest in it! (If it happens to be rare and worth hundreds of dollars, we'll split it!) If not, it's yours. :yes:

I would say that the ID is probably correct since it was done by someone that collect marbles and has studied them.

I can only go by what I read on the web.

It is a neat item you found so you should keep it with the other curios you have found.
 
I would say that the ID is probably correct since it was done by someone that collect marbles and has studied them.

I can only go by what I read on the web.

It is a neat item you found so you should keep it with the other curios you have found.

Sounds good. Ain't this a fun hobby?
 
I don't believe your free id. I think you would be able to tell hit marks from as made.Have you heard from jkbemdavis? I would try to find a local to look at it
 
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