How to Tell the Age of Your Coffee Table

Your old coffee table could be a well-worn, family treasure, valued more for memories than for age -- or it could be a valuable antique. Style, alone, cannot determine when your table was created since furniture makers continually replicate older designs. Nonetheless, there are ways of telling the approximate age of furniture. You don't have to be an expert appraiser to identify your table's date of origin. By studying workmanship, materials, hardware and markings, you can get a good idea of when it was made.

Instructions

1




Saw marks can indicate the age of woodwork.

Examine the shape and design of your coffee table. Look for irregularities and imperfections that indicate older woodworking methods. Wood that has been split -- instead of sawn -- along the grain dates from the 15th to the 17th century. Irregular saw tooth marks indicate that your piece was hand-sawn in the 16th or 17th century. If the wood was frame sawn -- evenly corse-cut at an angle to the grain -- your table was likely made some time in the 17th or 18th centuries. Circular cuts in the wood would mean that the table was cut with a circular saw in the 19th to 20th century.

2

Run your hand across the wood, feeling for unevenness and cracks that tend to occur on aged wood. Look closely at areas around hinges and hardware for discoloration -- truly old pieces will show a stark color variance. Compare table legs for symmetry; antique furniture often has irregularities and flaws.

3

Identify the type of wood used in making your table. Most furniture in the 17th century was made of oak. Mahogany and walnut were popular in the 18th century. Rosewood was not used until the 19th century. Wood finish is also a good indicator of age -- shellac was used prior to 1860. A cloth soaked in denatured alcohol will remove the finish if it is shellac.

4

Inspect the wooden pegs, nails or screws that hold your piece together -- a magnifying glass helps. Irregularly shaped pegs that stand out from the surface can date the piece from the 15th to 17th century. Your coffee table was made prior to 1790 if it has hand-forged, rose-head nails. If the nail heads are squared, the table dates from 1790 to 1830; headless nails would indicate dating from 1830 to 1890. Blacksmith-forged screws with thin, or off-centered heads denote a table made before 1830.

5

Remove the drawer, if your coffee table has one. Look at the joinery that fastens the front and back to the sides of the drawer. You should be able to tell if the dovetails were hand- or machine-cut. Your table was probably made before 1860 if it has handmade dovetails.