Civil War badge?

[johnnyblaze]

Found at a colonial house.Very little patina.It has a redish color like nickle under what looks like enamel.
Anchor with hope is the Rhode Island flag..I found it in RI.
Has a man wearing a frock coat on the other side..
Looks Civil War era..Maybe a shoulder medal?
John

 

[Kenosha Kid]

It probably commentates the Battle of Lake Erie. (1813-1913)

No, Gorham did make a few types in 1913, none similar:

http://webcache.googleusercontent.c...+oliver+perry+medal?&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

http://www.hopeclub.com/

It might have had something to do with them. The below links tie in Gorham Co to the Hope Club, with both Edward Holbrook (started with Gorham in 1870, became their President in 1894) and John Lawton (started with Gorham in 1859, Director in 1895 until he died in 1919) being members of the Hope Club.

http://books.google.com/books?id=e8...#v=onepage&q=Hope Club charter medal?&f=false (page 31)

http://books.google.com/books?id=BR...#v=onepage&q=Hope Club charter medal?&f=false (page 89)

One thing the last article did mention was that Gorham Co. changed their name on Jan. 1, 1865 to Gorham Mfg. Co.; however, they continued to use the "Gorham Co." mark into the 1900s (as on the 1913 medal).

I guess the only one to know the answer(s) would be the Gorham Company...

 

[Iron Patch]

It probably commentates the Battle of Lake Erie. (1813-1913)

No, Gorham did make a few types in 1913, none similar:

http://webcache.googleusercontent.c...+oliver+perry+medal?&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

Not sure of your logic unless you've seen them all? And it's still not clear if it's a watch fob or medal of some sort. To me it looks like a watch fob.

 

[dg39]

Because of shape, size and attachment slot..I say watch fob. late 1800's to early 1900's.
Not civil war, I am sure.
DG

 

[johnnyblaze]

Because of shape, size and attachment slot..I say watch fob. late 1800's to early 1900's.
Not civil war, I am sure.
DG

We ruled out Civil War right from the start.
The shape must signify something.Definately Perry.
Just what was it made for


Blaze..

 

[Kenosha Kid]

Not sure of your logic unless you've seen them all? And it's still not clear if it's a watch fob or medal of some sort. To me it looks like a watch fob.

The logic being, the only Gorham Co. Battle of Lake Erie commemorative medals I know of, are the two listed in the link I posted above. One with, and one without, the yoke suspender.

One would think, that if any medal, etc. was a commemorative of any event, it would reflect so...as did the Gorham medals, the Kentucky, Pennsylvania, etc. medals and as will the U.S. Quarter in 2013.

Again, whether it's a watch fob or a small medal, Gorham Co. would be the one to give the answers at this point.

 

[diggummup]

Not sure of your logic unless you've seen them all? And it's still not clear if it's a watch fob or medal of some sort. To me it looks like a watch fob.

The logic being, the only Gorham Co. Battle of Lake Erie commemorative medals I know of, are the two listed in the link I posted above. One with, and one without, the yoke suspender.

One would think, that if any medal, etc. was a commemorative of any event, it would reflect so...as did the Gorham medals, the Kentucky, Pennsylvania, etc. medals and as will the U.S. Quarter in 2013.

Again, whether it's a watch fob or a small medal, Gorham Co. would be the one to give the answers at this point.

Response from an email I sent to "Gorham"-

Hello,

Thank you for your recent inquiry.

Gorham has been sold and reorganized several times prior to being
purchased by Lenox, Inc. in the late 1980's. When Gorham moved its
offices, headquarters and manufacturing facilities to new locations, the
Gorham Archives were donated by Textron, a former corporate owner, to
Brown University in Rhode Island.


Our attempts to research items or patterns are limited to the
information available in our possession and we are not able to provide
you with information.


Our research can only extend to the general dates and/or circumstances
under which an item was produced . We cannot provide appraisal costs. We
suggest that anyone searching for an appraisal of a specific item
contact a local expert on antiquities. In the meantime, should you like
to conduct some basic research on your own, we suggest that you consult
one of the following books, which should be available in your local
library or for purchase through any bookseller:


Charles H. Carpenter, Jr. Gorham Silver 1831-1981. New York: Dodd, Mead
& Company, 1982. Reprinted in 1997 by Alan Wofsy Fine Arts with some
updated information.


Dorothy T. Rainwater. Encyclopedia of American Silver Manufacturers. 4th
edition, revised. West Chester, PA: Schiffer Publishing Ltd., 1998.


The web site, "The Owl at the Bridge", is also very informative and
offers research for a fee. The web address is:
http://www.owlbridge.com/research_consulting.shtml.


We thank you for your interest in Gorham and hope that you enjoy your
Gorham 'treasures' for many years to come.


Best regards,
J. Schill

-----Original Message-----

The comment below has been sent from the Contact US section of
Gorham1831.com...

Comment:
I am trying to find out information on what I believe is a watch fob
that has a Gorham mwrk on it . The person depicted on it is Oliver Perry
but it is unlike the battle of Lake Erie medals that I have seen. This
was dug up from the grounds of a colonial homesite in Rhode Island. Any
information would be greatly appreciated. It can be viewed here-
http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,373411.0.html

Other Information...
Date: 30-Dec-10
Time: 08:13 AM
Web User First Name : robert

So at this point it looks like Brown University in Rhode Isalnd has the possesion of the archives for Gorham. Hope this helps, i'm going detecting, later!

 

[Iron Patch]

Not sure of your logic unless you've seen them all? And it's still not clear if it's a watch fob or medal of some sort. To me it looks like a watch fob.

The logic being, the only Gorham Co. Battle of Lake Erie commemorative medals I know of, are the two listed in the link I posted above. One with, and one without, the yoke suspender.

One would think, that if any medal, etc. was a commemorative of any event, it would reflect so...as did the Gorham medals, the Kentucky, Pennsylvania, etc. medals and as will the U.S. Quarter in 2013.

Again, whether it's a watch fob or a small medal, Gorham Co. would be the one to give the answers at this point.

I see, but I don't think it's a medal, and quite sure it's not early 19th century therefore if it's Perry it must be commemorative of some sort. My point is you can't exclude something just because you haven't been able to find it on online. It's the same principle as thinking you cleaned out a site because you can't find anymore... when in reality it's just you, and doesn't prove there's not more.