✅ SOLVED Silver box info?

[robertk]

I found this silver box at a flea market. It's small (4.5" x 3.5" x 1" tall) but quite heavy (510g). I presume it's plated (especially from looking at the inside), but would love to find out it isn't. There's a hallmark on the back but no other writing or marks that I can see. There's also a sticker. So I presume this is both modern and plated. But it's really heavy for its size, very ornate, and polished like a mirror on the inside. Does anyone have any more info about it? Who made it, what's it for, etc? Is it worth anything? (I just thought it was a cool little box, so I'm not looking to sell it, just curious.)

 

[UnderMiner]

I have a similar box, I used it back in the day to store some of my trinkets. I'm pretty sure it's made of some sort of zinc alloy with a silver plating. It may be a Leonard product.

 

[pepperj]

I found this silver box at a flea market. It's small (4.5" x 3.5" x 1" tall) but quite heavy (510g). I presume it's plated (especially from looking at the inside), but would love to find out it isn't. There's a hallmark on the back but no other writing or marks that I can see. There's also a sticker. So I presume this is both modern and plated. But it's really heavy for its size, very ornate, and polished like a mirror on the inside. Does anyone have any more info about it? Who made it, what's it for, etc? Is it worth anything? (I just thought it was a cool little box, so I'm not looking to sell it, just curious.)

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Vintage silver-plated trinket or jewelry box crafted from a heavy antimonial lead alloy.(pot metal)
Most likely it's from the 1960s-1970s.
The boxes were probably produced by International Giftware

 

[Red-Coat]

Here’s a better view of the marks from a silver plate bowl:

I can’t provide an authoritative reference source to back this up, but my own database compiled from years of research says the ‘shield between two lion’s heads facing inwards’ mark was used by the International Silver Company of Meriden, Connecticut on largely Far-East imported plated hollowware between about 1970 and 1983. The hollowware division was actually sold to Oneida Silversmiths in 1981, but I’m not sure if they also acquired that trademark.


There was a query on one of the silver forums back in 2009 and, some four years later, the final responder also said the unknown mark was from International silver (but didn't provide a reference):

THE UNKNOWN MARK OF THE YEAR!!! LION HEAD/SHEILD/LION HEAD - www.925-1000.com

I would assume it to be a jewellery/trinket box. Very pretty.

 

[robertk]

Thanks for all the replies. I knew you guys would know. I’m not sure what I’ll put in there yet but it’s really nice so it will get used for something.

 

[Red-Coat]

With a bit of further searching in the USPTO database, here’s the proof:

The trademark application was filed 1971-04-05, registered 1972-04-11 and cancelled 1993-01-18 after failure to renew (so, cancelled before [correction: after] Oneida bought out their hollowware division).

Although International Silver’s operational headquarters remained in Meriden, Connecticut throughout their history, in 1955 they diversified and reorganized into a Delaware holding company called Insilco Corporation to take advantage of favourable business laws.

[PS: it occurred to me afterwards that 3.5 inches would accommodate 'King Size' cigarettes at 3.3 inches as well as the regular size, and the curved interior profile would potentially make it easier to retrieve them.]

 

[robertk]

[PS: it occurred to me afterwards that 3.5 inches would accommodate 'King Size' cigarettes at 3.3 inches as well as the regular size, and the curved interior profile would potentially make it easier to retrieve them.]

You nailed it. I used the info posted earlier to do some more looking and found one new in the box on eBay. It is indeed a vintage cigarette box, and you are 100% correct on vintage and maker. Heavy silver plate. The one on eBay is $70 new. Mine is used of course but I only gave $18 for it so I'm happy.

Photos from the eBay listing.

 

[Gare]

GREAT job folks RobertK I hope you got a good deal on it