Hi Mark,

Thank you for contacting Mearto with your appraisal inquiry.

I'm sorry to be the bearer of what may be disappointing news: this chair was not made in 1762 but is rather a Colonial Revival replica of one. I strongly suspect this chair was made for an organization with a long name and acronym IGSEW, with 1762 being the date the organization was founded.

This particular form of chair is often called a hall chair or back stool, the latter deriving from the fact that it is, simply, a stool with a back on it. These comparatively primitive chairs rarely have upholstery and were easy and inexpensive to make, with the back being the sole source of decoration or ornament.

It's unusual for there to be two different primary woods in chairs. I can tell the seat is oak; I am less certain about what wood the back might be, but it could be walnut as you suggest. Having two different woods sometimes means that the back and seat were not originally made together - this is sometimes called "married" in the antiques industry.

The carving is crisp enough to support a late 19th Century date.

Even when more information about when, where and for whom these chairs were made is known, similar chairs are not currently bringing much when offered at auction - nearly all have brought less than $500 and in most case, less than $300.

Based on the photos and information provided, and subject to examination, this is:

An antique Colonial Revival style carved hardwood backstool
American, English or European, late 19th Century
The shaped, pierced back with bold acanthus carving and stippled ground, centering a shell above a banner inscribed 17 / IGS-EW / 62, over a square molded edged seat with canter corners over four splayed turned legs. Pin construction.
Overall height: 38 inches; seat height: 19 inches
CONDITION: With wear commensurate to age and use.
PROVENANCE: Acquired in the Washington DC area
$ 150-250*
*represents a fair-market value for auction purposes; retail or asking price may vary.

Please let us know if you have additional items to appraise, or questions/concerns, and thank you again for using Mearto.
~ Delia