Going on the theory of "what's his is mine", the oldest thing "I" own is a 1748 Spanish Real that was dug up (while metal-detecting) near where we live in Virginia. Oh, and also an 18th century shoe buckle and breeches buckle... just not sure which is oldest. All of our oldest possessions are the result of his relic hunting hobby and our interest in local history. They also include a great quantity of civil war bullets, uniform buttons, and sundry accoutrements too tedious to mention. The coolest old thing we have, IMO, is a broken silver spoon engraved with a Confederate soldier's name. It was found in an area where the 4th Alabama infantry was known to have camped and, sure enough, we found his name on the 4th Ala. roster. My personal favorite "old thing" is a uniform button with the thread still running through the shank. Someone hand-sewed that button on a sleeve once upon a time... so special! I love old things because they represent REAL lives of REAL people. ;-)
QotD: The oldest thing I own
What's the oldest thing you own?
