Antique Catholic Statues Sacred Heart of Jesus Ex Voto

We have been very fortunate to have acquired a very few, thick solid coin-silver Ex Votos/Milagros, from a convent we work with in a remote part of South America; each one is unique and different.

Please note, the reason why they have been consigned to us for auction, and not sold as scrap- silver, is because the nun’s who sent them are praying for your generosity when bidding on them. For this reason we have a reserve on each, based on the weight of the silver.

These rare pieces are believed to date from before 1810 (the end of Spanish Colonial rule in South America), and they were each crafted of thick silver, one stroke at a time; this is called “Repoussé”, a metal working technique in which silver is shaped by hammering from the reverse side.

Please note that each ex voto was tested by our jeweler, and we guarantee each one to be made of solid silver, not platted. They will polish beautifully, if you desire that look, and we can recommend the cleaner to use.

They were made to order by a master silversmith, for a Catholic believer, who wanted to show their appreciation for a prayer that was answered, or in anticipation of a prayer being answered. Most were left anonymously at the Altar of his or her favorite Saint. The auction title is our best guess as to what the donor’s intentions may have been.

The nuns at the convents would (for a time), leave these pieces at the Altar, or even pin them on the Saint; but eventually they were sold for scrap-silver or gold (some were made of gold), and a few were stored away for a rainy day and forgotten. That is why these survived.

We have posted several pictures above, of how they are displayed at the Altars in South America, even today!

The Ex Voto you are bidding on is approximately ½ the thickness of USA dime coin, and will not easily bend. It is 3.5 inches long, by 2.5 inches wide, and weighs 26 grams

Good luck bidding!

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