Keepsake plate carries top-shelf value

Dear Collector,

My mother’s aunt gave her this plate several years ago. The small print around the inside says: “Grant commemorative plate. Born April 27, 1822. Died July 1885.” Large print around the outside reads: “Let Us Have Peace, U.S. Grant.” We would love to know anything about it.

Dating from about 1888 and made by Gillinder & Sons, then located in Philadelphia, your keepsake is in their “maple leaf” pattern which was available in clear glass, along with amber, green and blue. In rank of collectibility, blue has the highest place among the these colors. Value is $30 to $45.

Dear Collector,

I found this “Famous First Edition Limited Collector’s Flash” comic book in my attic. Can you tell me how old it is?

I can understand why you’re confused about the age of this DC reprint. The cover is a reproduction of the first “Flash” comic published in 1940. However, even without my super-duper magnifying glass, I see the date of Aug-Sept 1975 listed on the copyright page. An original 1940 mint issue (in the top ten most valuable comics) is easily worth as much as a new Mercedes S-Class sedan: around $90,000.

Dear Collector,

Enclosed are pictures of a dish marked “Eclipse, Johnson Bros., England” which has been in the family for many years. I would like to know the value and age.

Your faience vegetable bowl with lid was manufactured after 1913 in the Hanley pottery of this Staffordshire earthenware producer. Value lies in its family connections, not in dollars.

Dear Collector,

I found this German coin some years back. Maybe you could tell me the value of it?

In question is an 1888 silver five mark piece bearing the likeness of German emperor Frederick III. The father of Wilhelm (he of WWI fame, or should I say infamy), Frederick ruled just three months before succumbing to a longtime illness. Your coin, not considered rare, is worth about $30.

Dear Collector,

Passed down in our family for four generations is a pewter cream and sugar set with “Meriden B. Company, 1845” stamped on the bottom. Where was it made and when?

This is another case of what appears to be a misleading date. The series of numbers you quoted designate a pattern, not the time of manufacture. This company (located in Meriden, Connecticut) was founded in the 1850s and it made Britannia ware, an alloy of various metals resembling pewter. Your family heirlooms were most likely made in the late 1800s or early 1900s.

Dear Collector,

I’m 75 and recall my Dad taking shots with this Kodak Number 2A camera. Have you any background information?

Manufactured from 1907 to 1924, this straightforward box camera came in more than your basic black. Today this relic is worth $5 (not much of an increase over its original selling price of $3), but the blue, red, burgundy or green models have values nearing $100.