Gift’s value could have grown significantly
Dear Collector: I received this carving from a friend years ago. Any information as to its history and/or value will be appreciated.
There’s not much on the artist, A.A. Fatimah, except that he worked in Bali during the 1940s and used native woods such as ebony and sandalwood. The good news is that these carvings are now possibly worth several thousand dollars each. Find a reputable appraiser and then get this wonderful artwork insured.
Dear Collector: I have a plate marked “MZ, Altrohlau, Czechoslavakia.” I want to know the value and source of this plate.
Breaking down the backstamp, we find that the Altrohlauer Porzellen Fabriken (Porcelain Factory) was formerly run by Moritz Zdekauer. Since the country of origin is included, we know this piece was made after World War I, which was when Czechs joined Slovaks to establish that country. Manufactured between the wars, your plate, unless further marked as hand painted, is worth $30 to $45.
Dear Collector: Enclosed are photos of money that may have belonged to my great-grandmother who left Europe early in the 19th century. We cannot read the text, but it looks German. What is it?
The note in question is a 1900 issue of a 20 kronen bill from the Austro-Hungarian Empire. German on one side with Magyar (the majority lanquage of Hungary) on the other. When your note was new, this hyphenated empire was ruled by 70-year old Franz Joseph. Currently your keepsake is worth around $20 as a collectible.
Dear Collector: We found this bottle that once held Carpathian Herb Bitters. How old do you think it is, and what were these bitters?
This patent medicine, made by Hollander Drug Co. of Braddock, Pa., was a combination of herbs and alcohol. The apparent (or imagined) efficacy of old-time medicinal potions was often relative to the amount of alcohol or opium they contained. Your square bottle with rounded shoulders, while not rare, is in such good shape that it could be worth $25 to $40.
Dear Collector: I have a gravy boat set from my mother’s first set of dishes. It is marked “Semi Vitreous Porcelain, East Lverpool Co.” I would appreciate any information you can give.
Just at the turn of the century, and for only a few years after, six potteries in East Liverpool, Ohio, merged into one company. So that puts a solid date on your pieces. As to value, let’s call them family heirlooms.
Dear Collector: Any value to this “Hill’s Manual of Social and Business Forms” from the 1890s?
I tracked down your “exhaustive manual of Penmanship, Elocution, Commercial Law, Parliamentary Law, Incorporation Law, Bookkeeping, etc.” to my 1897 Sears, Roebuck catalog, where it was offered for $1.75. Value is now $25 to $35.
Dear Collector: What is the value of a 1963 half dollar in almost mint conditon?
The Franklin half-dollar, based on a design by John R. Sinnock, came into circulation in 1948. Your coin was minted in the last year of production. Since your coin has been in circulation, it’s assumed that it cannot be in an “almost mint condition.” Nonetheless, in an AU (Almost Uncirculated) state, your coin is worth about $4.