Fore Father Silver

[Btoots]

Hello all. Thought I’d share this one...Not a usual find for me and after the research I’ve done, I cannot find a silver version of this fob, just brass. It looked pretty good out of the hole, but my preference is to try to bring it back to full glory. Not going to sell it or otherwise, just my preference. This permission hasn’t yielded anything post 1930 and we’ve dug the S&%T out of this place. I’m pretty sure it dates to the early 1900’s but any info would be great. These people had money for sure, as you’d see in a few of my previous posts from this site, and it’s still giving it up. Over 30 silver items, coins from the 1860’s and a slew of brass and copper goodies. If it wasn’t located in true Florida jungle, we’d probably have even more to show. Thanks for looking...

 

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[jewelerguy]

that's really cool

 

[Hogtown Hunter]

Awesome! It's in great shape.

 

[Coinstar magnet]

Those finds are "glorious "!

 

[PetesPockets55]

Nice find.
"Ask the Revenue Officer", above the rose, seems to be a saying he was known for. It pops up on all of his advertising premiums.

 

[oldmxrat]

Beauty!

 

[Squirrel322]

Wow, that thing is COOL! Congrats on that beauty!!!

 

[Red-Coat]

That's an impressive item. A little history would seem to confirm your belief for an early 1900s dating.

In 1901 the Internal Revenue in Atlanta, Georgia (who verified the alcoholic proof of liquors and maintained the bonded warehouses in which it was stored) embarked on a program to stamp out fraudulent under-proof and adulterated whiskies. Ultimately, the distiller Rufus M. Rose was the only producer or dealer in Atlanta to receive a letter of recognition from Mr. Wim Strauss, the head of the Revenue Officers, attesting to the standard and quality of his whiskey. He proudly boasted this fact and adopted the slogan "Ask The Revenue Officer" in his advertising shortly afterwards. It seems to first appear in press advertisements around 1904.

In advance of national prohibition, in 1907, Georgia became the first state in the South to approve a statewide ban on the production, transportation, and sale of alcohol. They subsequently ratified the Eighteenth Amendement for national prohibition in 1918 and didn’t lift their own ban until 1935, two years after national prohibition ended.

That probable date of ~1904-1907 ties in nicely with the Florida agent’s details on the fob. Bartolo T Genovar was a prominent businessman, listed as being in the Groceries & Liquor business in St Augustine, Florida from 1889 onwards and by 1904 he was listed in partnership with Benjamin Baya as Genovar & Baya.

 

[Btoots]

You are the man! Red, thanks for all the great info on this. Had no clue why you'd "ask the revenue agent" One of my top 20 finds for certain. Thanks for sharing..

 

[dts52]

Is that a metal tag from a rose plant?
dts

 

[Red-Coat]

Is that a metal tag from a rose plant?
dts

No, it's a fob. 'ForeFather' was a brand of corn whiskey made by Rufus M. Rose and that rose was one of his trademarks.

 

[Digger RJ]

Very Nice!!! Congrats!!!