✅ SOLVED Old sterling pendant.......

[Mike from MI]

I need help dating this heavy sterling pendant. When I dug it I thought it was a silver half dollar (that's the size) I can't find it on the internet. There was only one pic of a different pin and they said circa 1910. The iron stain at the top was from a chain loop and the bar on the front is gold plate. Any info on the company would be great too. Any help is appreciated.

 

[Rmeav8r]

Vintage for sure. The commercial register for Chicago companies has them listed from 1909 through 1911. Several watch fobs are found on eBay and the calendar dates to 1911. Apparently the father of the founders was called Hawk-Eye.
"A calendar of 1911 with baby photos of the two founders decorate the front of this blotter. Quotes from both brothers are on either side with "Compliments of Hawk-Eye Compound Co. Chicago, ILL" in the center."

 

[Mike from MI]

Vintage for sure. The commercial register for Chicago companies has them listed from 1909 through 1911. Several watch fobs are found on eBay and the calendar dates to 1911. Apparently the father of the founders was called Hawk-Eye.
"A calendar of 1911 with baby photos of the two founders decorate the front of this blotter. Quotes from both brothers are on either side with "Compliments of Hawk-Eye Compound Co. Chicago, ILL" in the center."

That narrows it down pretty good. Thank you. Notice the top of mine appears to be like a pendant not a fob. I could not find other examples like mine.

 

[Red-Coat]

Cool find.

First mention I could find for the Hawk-Eye Compound Company was in the 1906 Lakeside Directory for the city of Chicago. The address is given as 303, 304 & 305 Merrick blk [block?] at the corner of W 63rd and Stewart avenue. The proprietor’s name is given as “C.E. Tibbles”.

Hendrick’s Commercial Register has the company listed in 1909 at the same address but not listed in in the 1918-1919 edition (I don’t have directories for the intervening years). The last reliably dated advertisement I could find was May 1912. There’s no record of “Hawk-Eye” being registered as a trademark, either as plain text or in that stylised block format.

 

[Bramblefind]

Very nice!

There are trade journal publications from about 1909-1911 noting that the Hawk-Eye watch fobs and other company souvenirs were distributed at various engineer conventions "to delegates and visitors." The silver ones may have been reserved for delegates or Hawk-Eye employees --? This might explain why it looks to be much rarer than the others.

If you found this at a residence you may be able to trace it back to a prior owner.

 

[invent4hir]

Great artifact and research!