Sterling-silver-cased Double Ring

[MacDaddy]

Seems like we've had a string of interesting pieces going on eBay here lately. What do folks think of this set that just sold earlier today? It's a Double Ring with the serial number 221349 and it sold for $272.56 from a seller in Australia. I have some thoughts of my own, but I'd like to hear what you all think first...

 

[jbradley]

I was watching it, way out of my range, but just curious. I think it's a fine set. If it were in my price range I would have been bidding hard on it. There is another Sterling Silver DR on the bay now with a start price of $600. People have lost their minds haven't they?

 

[Manning]

Nice set for sure, but I would assume that it is a mismatch based on the script logo and metal blade boxes.

I would think that box would have originally come with a singe ring from 1906-1909ish timeframe. But I could be wrong, I guess it could be one of the end of the line double rings in a proper case, just havent seen that before.

 

[Ace McCool]

I think someone overpaid. They paid collector prices for something that is not in collectors condition. The inside of that box is in rough shape. I would also assume that this would have been a Single Ring case but I will wait for the official word from Porter to see what he thinks.

 

[jbradley]

That's true. I didn't check it out for authenticity, just drooled over the razor. The blade boxes are incorrect also. They should be cardboard, right?

 

[Mark1966]

The seller is a member here and may have some more info as well

 

[swamps]

Not sure if the case goes with the razor but looking at the hallmarks it dates to 1914 and birmingham so looks to be later than the razor did find out that the case was made by W.C.Griffiths he was registered at Powell Street, Summer Hill, Birmingham between 1908-1922

 

[MacDaddy]

Nice set for sure, but I would assume that it is a mismatch based on the script logo and metal blade boxes.

I would think that box would have originally come with a singe ring from 1906-1909ish timeframe. But I could be wrong, I guess it could be one of the end of the line double rings in a proper case, just havent seen that before.

Not sure if the case goes with the razor but looking at the hallmarks it dates to 1914 and birmingham so looks to be later than the razor did find out that the case was made by W.C.Griffiths he was registered at Powell Street, Summer Hill, Birmingham between 1908-1922

You guys have hit on most of the things I found odd here -- a 1905 numbered Double Ring in a case that appears to have been made in 1914 with the script logo that should have been completely out of use by then. There are also two different blade cases there: an earlier match-safe-style one and a later cigarette-pack-style one.

While it's certainly a beautiful set, and that engraving on the lid is outstanding, historically speaking it just seems like a very strange mixed bag. I could get past the razor possibly having been swapped into the case, but the script logo on a case that's pretty clearly stamped with a 1914 hallmark seems like rather an odd fish, even for a third-party maker.

The main reason it piqued my curiosity, though, is because of a sterling-cased Single Ring set that I bought a while back from Ed Schmiedler as he was clearing out his collection. I haven't been able to track down the case's maker yet from the mark, but it's got a Birmingham hallmark, too, and appears to have been made in 1910. As you can see below it's got the script logo engraved on its lid. The razor has the British patent date on the handle and is numbered E078912, which I'm betting is actually an early British series rather than being in line with the American numbers and would pretty well match the 1910 date on the case since the Leicester, England plant started its operations during 1909. Other than that, I don't really know what to make of it, and really just bought it more as a nice looking curiosity than anything.

 

[swamps]

I haven't been able to track down the case's maker yet from the mark, but it's got a Birmingham hallmark, too, and appears to have been made in 1910. As you can see below it's got the script logo engraved on its lid.

post a pic up of the makers mark if you can and i'll have a looksy...

 

[MacDaddy]

post a pic up of the makers mark if you can and i'll have a looksy...

Here's as clean a shot as I could get without hauling out my tripod. I really can't even make out whether that first mark is something like an "H" or an "R" or a joined pair like "I-L." And I have no idea whether that second mark is an incredibly fat "I" or (more likely) an icon like a tower or a lighthouse or something.

 

[Merkur25]

I actually was trying to win that auction, If the auction would have been in a different part of the month I would have went over $300 with my bid. I have yet to own a Double Ring and that case just seems awesome.

 

[ironfist]

Its a double ring nonetheless Would be nice to own one but i dont want to own it that much to justify the spending on some of them.

 

[thekinge]

I had this on my watch list and I also thought that the case was not original. Would have been happy to buy it had it closed within the 200$ range though!

 

[amishmotorboat]

The case that porter showed looks like sterling. The case in this auction does not.

 

[DutchmanRiver]

The case that porter showed looks like sterling. The case in this auction does not.

both are sterling cases but the case in the auction is a totally mismatch cause the case is from 1914 the double ring from 1905 and and script inlay is from 1907/08 ...

 

[Merkur25]

The case that porter showed looks like sterling. The case in this auction does not.

Taking a closer look at it I think you may be right.

Or is it due to the lighting that the picture was taken. Porter obviously has a lot better camera and his pictures are very clear where the listings are not.

 

[alex2363]

Porter, so you are curious about the hallmarks origins or the actual manufacturing date of the razor?

 

[alex2363]

I actually was trying to win that auction, If the auction would have been in a different part of the month I would have went over $300 with my bid. I have yet to own a Double Ring and that case just seems awesome.

good things come to those who wait

 

[alex2363]

both are sterling cases but the case in the auction is a totally mismatch cause the case is from 1914 the double ring from 1905 and and script inlay is from 1907/08 ...

Wow, what were they thinking? Their all over the place.......has Porter and us heads spinning

 

[MacDaddy]

The case that porter showed looks like sterling. The case in this auction does not.

I can definitely see what I think you're triggering off of there, AMB. That shot of the case lid, in particular, really looks more like nickel or chrome plate than silver. But I'd hesitate to base too much on what it looks like just in an auction photo. With the presence of otherwise reasonable looking hallmarks (date questions aside) it's probably more likely that the photos are misleading than someone at some point applying fake hallmarks to a razor case.

Porter, so you are curious about the hallmarks origins or the actual manufacturing date of the razor?

Well, I'd love it if someone had any guesses as to the maker of my own case, but I guess my main curiosity is whether anyone else has any other examples of third-party manufactured cases like these that make use of the script logo in some fashion. Setting aside the Double Ring in this latest one entirely, we're still left with a case that would appear to have been made in 1914 that seems to have used the script logo. Now, maybe someone stuck that lining in at a later date, but I don't see any real evidence from the photos that would make me think that aside from the dates. For that matter, I don't think I've ever seen the script logo printed onto velvet -- all the script-logo Single Ring cases I've seen, other than the all-leather one that Achim has (which was also a British model, interestingly enough), have had satin headliners.