any info and the value of a d-1738 santa maria mandalena bel

[blbcks]

I dug this item up about two months ago in utah where I live. I have visited many antique shops with no more than i knew. one antique shop said it is only worth maybe twenty dollars. She said if it came from the world fair it would be worth more. I found this to be hard to believe with it over two hundred years old. any help on this item would be greatly apprieciated.

[gmiddleton]

I may be missing something, but there are no photos or description attached to this posting other than what's in the subject line, that I can find.
We really need to have something more to work with please!
A photo of the profile, inside, and any specific markings would be very useful.
Some idea of the construction also helps. Does it hold a magnet? (iron) What sort of clapper does it have and how attached?
How big is it? (diameter and height) and so on.
What sort of condition is it in?

Thanks
Garry

[blbcks]

It is about 3 inches tall made of brass one side of the bell has a cathalic cross. On the other side it has San Diego 1769, and around the bottom rim it has D-1738 santa maria mandalena written. I will try to get a photo posted also. On worth.com they had the exact same one they want you to try a free trial to find out what it sold for on ebay in 2007 but you have to have a credit card which I dont have.

[gmiddleton]

Great!
We will await your posting!
Garry

[maxkurillo]

Hi blbcks, The bell you described may well indeed be The san Diego Mission bell made by Mrs. A.S.C. Forbes betweeen 1914 and 1940. You did not give a good visual description of what you saw on the bell, but enough to ID it 95%. Does it have a clapper, the price ranges from &20.00 to what ever you want to pay. San Diego is hard to find, if you do not know what it is part of (the california missions) then you just have a bell. All you bell collectors could us the neat reference book, A GUIDE TO THE HISTORIC BELLS OF MRS. A.S.C. FORBES. It has hundreds of Forbes bells, really a neat book. Max