Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Two More Things From This Weekend

These are two more things I picked up on my amazing silver Saturday this past weekend.

The first is a sterling candle holder. No maker's mark or the like, just sterling and weighted written on the bottom.  These pieces are all over the place. They contain very little silver, and the weight comes from resin or plaster in the bottom. This keeps the very thin shell from being crushed. They are not worth that much, but they do what they claim, which is to hold candles. This one is dented, tarnished (but that won't last long) and in rough condition. The good news is that it is still sterling and with enough of them I might be able to trade them in for replating something or just the silver itself. However, lots of later matched sets in different patterns had candlesticks like this that matched. So, some you have, may have greater value to a collector looking to round out their collection of a particular pattern than just the silver price. This added value makes them worth more than just the silver alone so don't just go out and tear them apart.I also feel the need to restate this, its not the value of the silver its what you like to do with it anyway.

The second is a sterling cup by Wallace. Specifically, Wallace & Sons Manufacturing Company. This company change its name to Wallace Silversmiths Inc. in 1956 and still operates.   This cup bears an older mark with a deers head. the number 3322 and the words Wallace and sterling.  The cup is once again heavily tarnished and I had a hard time making it out but on the side it is engraved. It reads "The Messenger Cup 1933" Pretty neat, although I have no idea what that means. I hope when I get it polished that when I drink out of it it will give me "secret powers". If it does I will let you know. 

The best part of all this? Well I found these by accident. I stopped off at the Episcopal Church rummage sale and found them sitting together at a table looking for a happy home. Being tarnished, and thus worth nothing I bought them for one dollar. That's right a candlestick and a sterling goblet for $1. Pretty good eh?


2 comments:

  1. do you know anything about the candle stick i have the same one

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