Biplane sterling vesta match safe

[Lord Verdigris]

I was driving around for work and had some time to kill so i took a dirt side road where i was told a foundation was by a local fisherman. In no time i spotted where it had to be so parked and went in. It was a big area but i found the house foundation and later on a big barn foundation. After a hour i had to go but it produced some positive signs. I know there is way older finds and i feel i literally just scratched the surface there. Sucks its over 2 hour drive from home but i do work there twice a year for awhile . I found some buttons, pocket watch, 1919 large cent, a weird thing that says “O.D. Shank pat.1905” and the find of the hour which was a nice sterling silver match safe with a picture of a early biplane flying over a landscape scene. Maybe someone will id the exact model of the plane but there are a few that look very close. To bad the top is missing but i will for sure try to look for it next time. The only thing i could find on the “weird thing” is a online a picture of them with a type of key that says they are horse toe weights? Mine has a number 4 so maybe its a size? Thanks for looking! [emoji2][emoji106]

 

[trapperart]

Congrats on some nice finds

 

[pepperj]

Really liking the match safe. Great recovery

 

[Goldfinger450]

Love the Match safe, first I have seen with the wright flyer on it, My Ol Dad would have went nuts over it as we are a family of pilots.

 

[scruggs]

Nice finds!

 

[ironhorse]

Every time you pull silver from the ground it's awesome!
this find is no different

 

[Argentium]

Wow ! The match safe is a special find i think ,so evocative of the era - really nice find !

 

[Lord Verdigris]

Every time you pull silver from the ground it's awesome!
this find is no different

Wow ! The match safe is a special find i think ,so evocative of the era - really nice find !

Thanks guys. I really want to find the top. It looks like the pin for the hinge was made off copper so maybe that was why it had a weak spot!

 

[Rick (Nova Scotia)]

That's pretty cool. It looks like a one off to me.
2 hours from you, which county? Just curious.

 

[Argentium]

I think Rick (Nova Scotia ) is bang on about this being a "one off " The style of the graphic images has a real folk art / home crafted feel to it ! Charming !!

 

[Relicific]

Beautiful match safe.
Don’t see too many of those posted.
Congrats

 

[Lord Verdigris]

That's pretty cool. It looks like a one off to me.
2 hours from you, which county? Just curious.

If i had to guess id say 20 minute drive from your place or so!

 

[Blak bart]

Wow your on fire man !! Another nice silver piece. Congrats !! Looks like another spot to explore.

 

[Lord Verdigris]

That's pretty cool. It looks like a one off to me.
2 hours from you, which county? Just curious.

I think Rick (Nova Scotia ) is bang on about this being a "one off " The style of the graphic images has a real folk art / home crafted feel to it ! Charming !!

So would that make it a little better or a little worse if it was a “one off”! [emoji2][emoji106]

 

[IMAUDIGGER]

Great finds.
That match box was surely a treasured personal item carried by whomever lived at that homestead.
If the property is still in the same family, they would probably LOVE to have it.

Your lucky to have gotten permission to detect that old family homestead.

Maybe if you offer the match box to the owner, they will point out some other homesteads on their property.
Might lead to some gold coins, you never know.

 

[Argentium]

Generally speaking , I think it's preferable to have a piece that almost nobody else has ( "a one off") I know from seeing Antiques Road Show ,that a "unique" item is much harder to evaluate because there are no comparables that show up at auction to gauge values - this notwithstanding, I'll take the "one off " rather than the mass market piece .

 

[Lord Verdigris]

Generally speaking , I think it's preferable to have a piece that almost nobody else has ( "a one off") I know from seeing Antiques Road Show ,that a "unique" item is much harder to evaluate because there are no comparables that show up at auction to gauge values - this notwithstanding, I'll take the "one off " rather than the mass market piece .

Thanks for getting back. Since i keep everything and especially since it will go in with the “good stuff” section of my finds I’m glad it could be a “one off”! [emoji2]
So do you think maybe it was a plain case and then possibly hand carved like a coin love token would be? Or just completely made by a local silversmith back in day? I know we’ll probably never know for sure but i like the idea of hand carved! [emoji106]

 

[Argentium]

The sterling mark on the rim suggest that as you suggested ,it could have been a generic case , that was hand chased / engraved , as a custom piece . It should be noted here that a sterling stamp as such is obtainable these days at any local jewelers supply ( I have one myself ) but in 1903 or 1905 when this case was made , such a stamp was likely available to the jewelry manufacturing trade and much less so to the hobbyist / home crafter . Clearly this is just my opinion - I could be mistaken on all of this !

 

[Argentium]

Sorry to be such a blowhard on this post , but in looking at the "bi plane " it clearly is more in the style of the prototypes of the Wright Brothers , rather than the larger heavier versions we associate with WWI .

 

[Lord Verdigris]

Sorry to be such a blowhard on this post , but in looking at the "bi plane " it clearly is more in the style of the prototypes of the Wright Brothers , rather than the larger heavier versions we associate with WWI .

The only thing i read about wwi was the pilots first trained and learned to fly on planes possibly like this. Maybe not as crude as this one though. The actual fighting planes were far more advanced. Hope to here more opinions! [emoji2]