Mt. Washington Biscuit Jar, ca. 1890
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GUEST:
This was given to my great-grandmother by some young ladies that she taught Sunday School to. And it was either upon their graduation or her retirement. She referred to them as her nine obstacles to getting to Heaven. And they gave it to her, and it says, um, "From your nine obstacles."
APPRAISER:
(chuckles) It's a biscuit or cracker jar. It is signed here on the bottom with a crown and a C and an M. So that's for Crown Milano. It was made by the Mt. Washington Glass Company in Massachusetts in the 1890s, more than likely.
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
They started, the company started in Boston in the 1830s, moved to New Bedford in 1870, and then merged with Pairpoint in, I believe, 1894. But...
GUEST:
That's older than I would have thought, yeah.
APPRAISER:
It's a beautiful little jar. And this is silver-plated. Now, there are a couple of issues here. This would all have to be cleaned up, the silver plating. Here on the inside is what it would have looked like originally. And then there are some little blemishes, or it might be just sort of drops of paint or something like that. That would have to be cleaned up. In perfect condition, though, in a shop, retail, this would be about $4,500.
GUEST:
Wow!
APPRAISER:
So it's a beautiful little jar, and I'm, I'm glad you brought it in.
GUEST:
Gee, for something that's just been collecting dust, that's not bad. (both laugh)
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