Trying to figure out the age of this old trunk

How old do you think this trunk may be? I found one similar online, they called it an English coffer from 1590, see the last pic for reference. Here is a link to the page: Antique Period Oak Elizabethan 16thc Planked Coffer. English C1570-90.

 

Very nice. This model is called a 'six plank chest' or 'six plank coffer', because the side planks extend to form the legs, so there are only six planks. I hope that helps as a search term.

The ones I find are indeed English but ca 1650-1700. I have no idea if they were made earlier or later as well, so let's wait for the others.

 

I'd be a bit concerned about the screws in the lock plate and the fact that it still has its key.

Debora

 

I was thinking that the lock was replaced at some point.

 

Yes, it would have been replaced, as often happened with utilitarian furniture. You rarely find chests of this age that are completely original. It does have wooden dowels, which is a good sign.

 

At the very least, mid-19th century. Style of those feet are unfamiliar to me. Any place you can clearly see saw marks?

 

I'd like to see clear close ups of where the hinges are attached. I'm pretty sure the lock was replaced and the hinges may have also been.

 

Bev ran a locksmithing business and the hubs was/is the Guy Who Knows old locks. I was thinking replacement too, even before seeing that she thinks it's a replacement. The screws holding it in are factory-made, and that alone would make me wonder. The single planks tell me the box itself has to be old, because trees just plain (planed or not) aren't found that size any more. The old growth fell to the woodsman's axe with a few exceptions.

 

I've looked at the pictures in the link. There were a couple of guys here in Orleans, MA who took annual trips over to England and Sweden and bought up old furniture even if it was in pieces. They brought back a container and then proceeded to make decor pieces out of it. If you know antiques, you knew right away what was married and what wasn't. It was all refinished within an inch of its life. Something about this piece just doesn't add up as totally original even if all the parts are truly old. I started helping in my parents antique shop when I was 8 so I've been around a lot of American furniture. Not so much European, but you still get a feeling for it. I could be wrong, but that hardware on that piece makes me question it.

 

Must say I like the side plank foot design. These simple trunks really benefit with this in terms of aesthetics, and elevating them off the ground by about 8 inches is nice for many reasons.