Antique Primitive Clay Tobacco Smoking Pipe 1750-1780 civil war war 1812 1776? these are all part of a vintage building we cleaned out in upstate ny that dated back pre civil war these were found behind a brick wall in small wooden crate labeled ships cargo with brass tag  this pipe has not been smoked out of its just dirt and discoloration of the bowl from sitting hundreds of years behind that wall all items sold as is as pictured check my e bay listings  for more great tobacco pipes most pipes this vintage are found in pieces wen historians dig up a site great item to add to any collection below is some information on some makers of marked pipes that were in same box i found on the web below e bay clay pipe inventory number #3                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Archaeologists working at colonial sites in the Mid-Atlantic frequently encounter white clay tobacco pipe fragments and learn a lot from them. Made of white ball clay, this particular pipe bowl carries a design with the letters “TD” imprinted on the side facing the smoker.

Pipes with this mark were manufactured in England and imported to North America. Scholars attribute the design as part of a makers mark, but do not always agree to whom the TD initials refer. Many make a case that the “TD” stands for Thomas Dormer, which would provide a narrow date of manufacture from the mid-1750s until about 1780. The Fairfax County site where this one was unearthed corresponds with those dates.

The bore of the tobacco pipe also can indicate when it was made, with larger bores found on older pipes. While most experts agree with the mid-1750s as the earliest date of manufacture