Here's the incredible story. In 1898, the Societa Veneziana Conterie Consortium was formed. It was a group of 16 bead makers who put their beads in one place so they could be sold by one sales force. Some of the stock was old when it came there in 1898 (these are those)! In recent times, the consortium was dissolved and the remaining 400,000 plus pounds of beads were sold to an American Indian Trading post. We were able to get ahold of a good quantity of the oldest types (the wrapping confirms the are pre WWI). All were made between the 1800s and 1920. They are an incredible bargain.