A small fob seal with two clasped hands, a handshake, and the sentiment SHAKE MY BOY.   The amethyst colored paste intaglio is encased in a decorated rolled gold metal mount.

From the mid 1800's - 1900's SHAKE MY BOY, similar to let's shake on it, refers to an agreement.  I found the sentiment used in a book published in 1908 - "Dave Porter in the Far North" or "The Pluck of an American Schoolboy" by Edward Stratemeyer.  It was in Chapter 9 in reference to some sort of shady deal.

Please look closely at the pictures for signs of wear - you'll see some wear to the gold where the base metal is exposed and also a tiny nibble in the purple intaglio above the E in SHAKE.  

- approximate height measurement - 1" 
- matrix measurement - 1/2" x just over 1/2" (11mm x 14mm)

A fob seal is a small wax seal matrix encased in a metal mount shank, or hard stone, designed for suspension from a short chain or ribbon which attaches to a pocket watch and is worn hanging in front of a vest or waist or chatelaine.

The fob shanks were made from a variety of metals - gold, silver, mixed, rolled gold and gilded which is a thin layer of gold over a base metal, similar to what we now call gold filled or plated but the gilding process was different - to give the illusion of gold but much less expensive.

An intaglio, in the case of wax seals, is created by engraving below the surface of a smooth stone, the design in reverse, so that when impressed into melted wax the design is a relief of that carved image.

The intaglio seals in the fobs were hard stone, like carnelian, quartz, amethyst, etc., metal or often glass or paste, a composite of materials tinted and made to look like gemstones but affordable to many with a much lesser price.

The fob seals date back to the Georgian era (1714 - 1830) or the Victorian era (1837 - 1901).

All sales final on antique wax seals - no returns
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