Featured Old? brass? flashlight - any thoughts on this one?

This was in a box of assorted military / jewelry items. I know it is most likely non-functional & not worth a lot, but I thought it interesting. There is no attraction to a magnet & it only weighs 1.3 ounces. My guess is that the ring on the hinge allowed it to be attached to a key chain possibly?

It is 2 3/4" by 1 3/8" across & is 3/8" thick. It has no markings that I could find anywhere & I believe that someone stripped out some of the innards.

Any guesses on age? How about material?



Thanks for any & all advice or opinions!!!

Peggy

 

The engraving suggests it may be rolled gold plate. The inner parts likely were badly corroded. Minimal value to collectors. Probably 1930s or so.

 

I think it's really neat and would have ...some....value to certain collectors..

 

I had occasion to research old flashlights within the last year. Didn't run across any as fancy as this but the basic form seems typical for German lights pre-WWII.

 

The following site has 147 (4 pages) of pocket flashlight displayed. It is the Flashlight Museum website. I haven't look through them to see if any is yours. I can't give you a direct link to the "Pocket" style. You have to select that from the page.

Scroll down through the "Browse by Styles" to "Pocket."
http://www.flashlightmuseum.com/flashlights.cfm

It seems most of these vest pocket flashlights date from the teens.

--- Susan

 

Thanks Brad & Susan!!

I will look at the site later today to see if I can find anything.
I did check into the rolled gold idea, but I have not found anything.
The pocket flashlight yielded a couple similar items, one was sterling silver, but I think the seller is just a tad optimistic.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rare-Antiqu...479150?hash=item1a0fdfdd6e:g:exUAAOSwPc9Wvmxa

Peggy

 

As far as I can tell on the site that Susan gave me this type of flashlight is referred to as a cigarette case / vest pocket flashlight. I wasn't able to find one exactly like this one, but many others were close with the hinge on one side. I also think her date of the teens is correct also.

I will list it with a low start bid & see what happens.

Thanks again to everyone!!!
Peggy

 

It's a lovely thing.

A flashlight or torch like this wouldn't date much past the 1920s. Vest-pocket stuff has been popular for ages. They were items meant to be clipped onto your pocket watch chain. Vesta-cases, propelling pencils, dip pens, keys, fountain pens, seals...I've never heard of a vest-pocket FLASHLIGHT before, but it doesn't surprise me that something like this would exist. Just keep in mind that by the end of the 20s, this stuff was going out of style really fast, as pocketwatches started giving way to wristwatches, for men. By the 1930s this market had almost entirely dried up.

 

Well I was quite pleased with the ending on this one. I have more than quadrupled my investment & I still have several more things to sell that will likely do well.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/381606049380?ssPageName=STRK:MESOX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1559.l2649

I turned down an offer for $50.00 from someone who messaged me soon after this was listed. I thanked him for his offer & told him I hoped he would bid on this piece. He ended up bidding $76.66.

Peggy

 

Great finish Peggy! I've never seen one of those before, very nice item

 

Way to go, Peggy!

 

Congrats! Love to hear it!

 

Ohhhh. I like it! I have never seen anything like that. Really neat find.

 

Super cute!!

 

Great finish -- congratulations!

 

WAAAAAY TO GOOOO!!!!

 

Thanks to everyone!!!

I had never seen one before either, but thought it was just too cute.

If you haven't checked out the website that Susan provided above, you may just want to take a minute to do so. I was astounded at the variety that have been made over the years. For those of you who think that a flashlight is just a chrome body by EverReady, prepare to be amazed.

Peggy