Mayell Gold Plated Shell Butter/Caviar Dish

Hello! Hoping someone can help me. My great grandmother had this Mayell gold plated shell butter dish that I received after she passed away about 15 years ago. I recently came across it again when I was cleaning out the house and out of curiosity decided to look it up to see what it was worth. Thing is, I can't find a gold plated Mayell shell butter dish anywhere! I see lots of information about the silver plated ones, but I can't even find mention of the gold plated. It looks like there were very few made (there's a sticker on the box that says 78/141 so I'm not sure if 141 is all that were made?). It says 24 karat on the box as well. I've attached a few pictures if that helps. Anyone have any idea what this is worth?

 

Since it was your great grandmothers , I'd say priceless !
Since you tucked it away in it's box for the last 15 years, I'd say whatever you can get for it !

It's a nice thing but this site is not really about putting values on items, although someone may come along and venture an opinion.

 

Welcome to Antiquers, Andela.

The packaging looks relatively recent, so I think the butter dish was probably made in the last 20-50 or so years. Is there a date anywhere on the box?

 

It says catalogue 74/141
So that does not mean there were only 141 made. It means it is the company style number for that particular line.
Whether 74 or 141 is the line number and the other the style number I don't know, as I am not familiar with this company.

 

Thanks for the responses everyone Guess I was just curious to see if I had something valuable tucked away all this time!

Pat P: I don't see a date on the box. I had asked for some information a few days ago because I didn't have the box at that time and someone mentioned they thought it was early 1900s.

 

I don't know if it will help, but here's a Mayell gold-plated set of items....
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-MAY...806?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item3f4fbb5d36

I don't have expertise here, but would be surprised to find out the butter dish is from the early 1900s.

 

The box screams 1970's to me.

 

Me too.

 

I found another Mayell shell butter or cavier dish in silverplate online. It came in a more modern box. The box has additional wording of "Queen Anne" and is silver plated. I also found other Mayell products that have "Queen Anne" on the boxes that sellers date to the 1960s. If the sellers are correct, which is questionable, your's is probably an earlier product that may date from the 1950s or early 60s???

Mayell Queen Anne shell dish:
http://www.aprettypenny.co.uk/index.php?productID=1716

Mayell Queen Anne other silverplate dating to 1960s:
http://www.tradingpost.com.au/House...rier-Coquille/Coolangatta/QLD/AdNumber=S6YH3F

Now.... there is a chance the red glass liner in yours is Bagley glass? I found a silver shell dish with a blue glass liner on a glass website that is calling the glass Bagley. They say the blue glass pattern is "Shell Ice 3244." Please note I am not a "gassie" - a glass person. Hopefully informed glass folks will chime in.
http://www.inchicore-pressedglass-museum.org/0174.htm

 

Queen Anne is a long established maker of inexpensive silver plate items over here. And I've just realised that the catalogue number is an oldish - 1970s - catalogue number from Argos. That typeface is also a dead giveaway: Dartington used an almost identical one. I doubt this is Bagley, I don't think they did much in the way of ruby glass. In fact, I don't think they did it at all. Might possibly be Nazeing, they did a lot of "industrial" glass - components for other things. Includin, as I recall, a ruby glass dish for Boots the Chemist.

 

It appears I need to correct my previous reply. It seems the silverplate giftware company Queen Anne of Wednesbury, England purchased the giftware company, Mayell & Co. of New York in 1998 according to the following:

http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Revived+Queen+Anne+swoops+for+Mayell.-a060778558

Yours doesn't have Queen Anne on the box like the others I linked to, but yours does say "Made in England." Now I'm not sure at all on dating yours other than the 1950s to the 1990s.

By the way, believe you have your dish upside down. The beaded edge is probably the base.

 

I suspect it's 1974. Again from memory, Argos used stock numbers that included a year.

 

It's been fascinating to read these responses! Thank you everyone for chiming in with your knowledge It's been very interesting just trying to pinpoint the date and some more information about this item. Appreciate all the responses!

 

Any more fun stuff kicking around ????

 

Well now that you mention it....

I found these wine decanters too. Don't see a name and haven't been able to find anything that matches them online. I'd love to learn more about them if anyone knows anything Also from my great grandmother so they should have a few years on them at least Maybe another product of the 70s?