Pictures do no justice since the gold makes it difficult to show detail, but it is a beautifully illustrated marriage certificate with scenery and scripture. The blanks are hand-filled with calligraphy. Although the entire certificate is in German, it has a publisher of "Verlog von Ernst Kaufmann, 330 Pearl St New York" at the bottom. It is dated Aug 24, 1892 and appears to be from St. Micheals. There is some water damage to the bottom right. I have no idea whether or not this is an original certificate or just a copy of one for decorative purposes. It is in a wooden frame that I am afraid to dissasemble for a closer look. The paper backing has literally disintegrated, showing the wooden plank backing. The nails are rusted into the wood. The paper itself is in much better condition inside the frame.
I can see that the groom's name is Christian Pfleuger and the bride is Maria, (both from Wuttemburg) but the bride's last name is dificult to make out in calligraphy. My closest guess is Muhleisen.
I couldn't find anything about the publisher other than images of other certificates. I am just curious about this document, whether it is a copy or original, and value (if any).
