Featured Antique vanity mirror - silver? Age?

Discussion in 'Antique Discussion' started by journeymagazine, Feb 4, 2025.

  1. journeymagazine

    journeymagazine Well-Known Member

    Hi,
    I found this while at a thrift store today. I did an image search & found the exact one on Etsy, but going there it said 'this item is no longer available ' (not sold, just not available)
    I've found other similar ones & their asking prices are in the $900 range (I paid $29 for mine), so I'm very interested in learning more about it!
    The others were silver, but I can't tell what mine is?
    There is a small ribbon like piece on the bottom right of the mirror that says
    1874 J. & M.S. 1899
    Is that the artist?
    is this It's age/time period it's was made?
    Any help & any thoughts in it would be greatly(!) appreciated!
    Thanks


    20250204_172209.jpg 20250204_172228.jpg 20250204_172247.jpg 20250204_172359.jpg 20250204_172310.jpg 20250204_172340.jpg 20250204_172450.jpg 20250204_172510.jpg 20250204_172525.jpg 20250204_172636.jpg
     
  2. Marote

    Marote Well-Known Member

    25th wedding anniversary (of John/James & Mary Sue?)
     
  3. Marote

    Marote Well-Known Member

    Google also shows this pic that seems to be from the same mirror
    upload_2025-2-5_0-13-10.png
    Henry Matthews, Birmingham 1898?
    upload_2025-2-5_0-16-12.png
    upload_2025-2-5_0-22-56.png
     
    Last edited: Feb 4, 2025
  4. johnnycb09

    johnnycb09 Well-Known Member

    Sigh. I remember when you could pick those up for pennies . Its lovely,but those things are a bear to polish .
     
  5. journeymagazine

    journeymagazine Well-Known Member

    Maybe!
     
  6. journeymagazine

    journeymagazine Well-Known Member

  7. Marote

    Marote Well-Known Member

    Magnifying the pics makes them blurry so I can't see where it is, but it's near a screw, so for you it should be easy to find.
     
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  8. journeymagazine

    journeymagazine Well-Known Member

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  9. journeymagazine

    journeymagazine Well-Known Member

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  10. journeymagazine

    journeymagazine Well-Known Member

    I'll look, thank you
     
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  11. Marote

    Marote Well-Known Member

  12. Marote

    Marote Well-Known Member

    I think it could be in this bit
    upload_2025-2-5_2-19-46.png
     
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  13. Aquitaine

    Aquitaine Is What It IS! But NEVER BORED!

    @journeymagazine, From what I think I found on your mirror, I've circled (#1 in RED) where I think the
    ribbon you're looking for is BELOW. Please IGNORE #2 circle....I thought I saw another date......sorry!!

    20250204_1722092X2YY.jpg
     
  14. journeymagazine

    journeymagazine Well-Known Member

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  15. journeymagazine

    journeymagazine Well-Known Member

    Thank you!
     
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  16. journeymagazine

    journeymagazine Well-Known Member

    I think I found it!!
    If you look under my fingertip you will see a boat anchor.
    To the left of it I can see a letter M and then a H.
    To the right of the anchor (but more covered with dirt?) there is a W (that looks like a upside down M?) and maybe a H again?
    So is this silver (sterling?)? And more importantly, is this by Henry Mathews?!
    Thank you for all the help - I greatly appreciate it!
    PS - forgive my dirty fingers; I was emptying out my car to make room to take a Trek Madone 6.5 to be boxed up & shipped to a eBay buyer (and I still have a Trek Y-foil carbon fiber bike found with the Madone in a storage unit my friend won at auction!)

    20250205_050813.jpg 20250205_050826.jpg 20250205_050854.jpg 20250205_050935.jpg
     
  17. Any Jewelry

    Any Jewelry Well-Known Member

    Yay! And yes, it looks like Birmingham, Henry Matthews and the 1898 year letter. And of course it is silver.:)
     
  18. journeymagazine

    journeymagazine Well-Known Member

    Thank you Any Jewelry!
    When listing do U say silver, or can I say sterling (did they have sterling name back then) ?
    Also (sorry) - do I call it a vanity mirror - which sounds like a larger one to me for some reason - or can I say table top mirror, maybe?
     
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  19. Any Jewelry

    Any Jewelry Well-Known Member

    Yes, you can say sterling, and they had sterling back then.:)

    The term sterling comes from the Dutch word 'oosterling', easterner. 'Pond oosterling' (pound easterner) referred to silver coins from the German lands, which always had a reliable fineness and were used by many Dutch traders in the Middle Ages.
    Germany is to the east of the Netherlands, hence oosterling - easterner.

    When the 'pond oosterling' was introduced in England by Dutch traders, the English thought it said '00sterling', and decided to ditch what they thought were two zeros.:playful:
    And thus Pound Sterling was born, as well as sterling fineness for silver items, which were often made from reliable silver coins.
     
    Last edited: Feb 5, 2025
  20. journeymagazine

    journeymagazine Well-Known Member

    Great info!!
     
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