1800s Wooden Coffin with Antique Skeleton Specimen Start Price USD 2,200.00 Current Price USD 2,200.00 Time Left - Bid Count 0 Buy It Now Price USD 2,500.00 Reserve Price - Start Time Friday, June 27, 2008 End Time Monday, July 07, 2008 Location Nahant, MA See more about '1800s Wooden Coffin with Antique Skeleton Specimen' Description The present auction is for the most unusual antique my husband and I have come across in all of our antiquing travels. We have had this for a number of years for a Halloween display. It is pretty cool but we are ready to part with it and let it go to a new home. We found this in the barn behind an antique store in Ontario, Canada. The owner explained that he purchased the antique coffin and the antique human skeleton specimen separately. The coffin came from a burned down church in Montreal, and the skeleton came from the Ottawa Natural History Museum. Apparently this skeleton was on display and used for educational/scientific study for many, many years (it is over 100 years old), but two kids stole the left arm, so it was no longer appropriate for display. The owner thought it would be a good idea to attach the skeleton to the old coffin as a display for his shop. As you can see from the pictures, the skull is missing some teeth on the top row. There is also a small crack (not pictured) in the skull about 1 inch (located on the top portion of the skull that can be removed to reveal the inside of the brain cavity). This crack has smooth edges which suggests to me that either it was like that originally, or repaired a long time ago.There are metal bars/parts to support the skeleton that look original to the specimen. The skeleton is attached to the coffin with wire it looks like, in two places, behind the head and below the ribs (see picture). There is a small square on the back of the coffin (pictured) that shows the place were the skull/neck is attached to the coffin. The coffin itself is handmade and rough hewn, dating from the 1800's (earlier rather than later), painted black, with a crudely painted white cross on the lid (somewhat worn off as you can see from the photos). The coffin measures 6 ' 3'' long and 20 1/2 inches at its widest, 14 1/2 inches high. The cross measures 14 inches long and 11 inches across. There are numbers stamped into the lid (inside top left ) - "5" and "6", which I take to mean that it is for a person that is 5 ft, 6 inches. Oddly enough, that is the measurement of the skeleton inside. I attached a photo of these numbers but it looks like the "6" is the only number that came out somewhat clear. The black paint is "crackly" and textured, but not chipping off. There are some minor dings on the coffin as well. Due to the weight and size of this item, the buyer will have to arrange for pick up/freight. Any questions, please contact us directly via ebay. Thank you! PayPal payment or cash at the time of pick-up.  No personal checks or money orders for this item. Unless arranged otherwise with the seller, payment must be received within 10 days of the end of the auction or item will be relisted and buyer will get negative feedback.  Place a Bid!