27. $800
Early gilt-front banjo, ca. 1830. A 33-inch mahogany case with the almost certainly original rope-twist gilt front, two period glasses, and possibly the original dial glass. The gilding has not been cleaned in decades, and I note a slight mismatch between the two brass side-arms; there is a period/original gilded acorn on top. The throat and box paintings are clearly period and have not been touched, but I think the box glass is a replacement, based on the wood mounts. The door is imprinted ‘622’ and so is the backboard behind the weight shield. The dial was probably repainted, with some further touch-up; it is held in place with two L-turns. The grommet in the winding port seems original, but not something I’ve seen before; it may have been added when the dial was repainted. The hands are period. The brass 8-day movement is period Boston issue; it is running strongly, driven by a large cast iron weight and regulated by a period pendulum. There is an old tin weight shield but no tie-down, and of course no label. This clock is largely original, as best I can tell, and everything is period. An uncommon example. $800–$1500.
Reinspection of this clock suggested that I had underestimated its value significantly (now adjusted). I do not believe the box glass is a replacement as it matches the throat glass. I think more likely is that the wood strips holding it in place are replacements.
Antique American Clocks january 2025