JFK Coffee Cup Set

Hey all! I posted an introduction a while back and for some reason my mobile phone wasn't allowing me to access this website to post and my main computer died. Finally, I'm here to post something!

My great uncle was in the Navy when JFK was aboard the Kitty Hawk. My great Uncle was working the kitchen on the Kitty Hawk and after dinner he had managed to take JFK's coffee cup set! He never once washed it as well.

Was just wondering if anyone had any idea where I could get this appraised or if anyone had any knowledge of the set itself. Thanks!

The imgur link: https://imgur.com/gallery/zJZqu

 

Oh wow , that is so cool ! It certainly looks like the real thing , Im sure there must be a way to trace those numbers to ascertain when it was made .

 

if you can get JFK's DNA off it..you might have something.....otherwise...you just have a good story.

 

not sure which site imur is and am not a prude but you may want to just display your images on their own. The comments on the other images are quite crude..just sayin' not trying to be critical

 

Hi! We don't generally go to links so....
I was at the Kitty Hawk's decommissioning.

 

The spoon is standard type for Navy Officer's Mess of the time period,it could have been used by a great number of people over the years.

 

Ask White House public affairs office. I have many questions-if JFK were drinking coffee on the carrier, he would be drinking it from the normal China used in the officer's mess, or if doing so in pri fly or bridge, ship would likely serve it in a squadron or ship logo mug. I really doubt that the mess had any China like that. JFK's escorts wouldn't bring special China for him to use. The provenance you have needs validation by folks who have the answers.

 

Interesting story but without any documentation it is just a story. Lenox made a few different pieces with the exact presidential logo on it!!

 

This was aboard the Kitty Hawk. You can clearly see some very strong similarities to the cup he is drinking from. I know technically the proof is only from the story my great uncle left us, but I know he wouldn't have lied about this. The cup wasn't ever washed and I'm not sure the process in which DNA is scanned, but it'd be great to find out.

 

My guess is he probably would have been happier with one of those thick logo mugs. He was after all Navy, and a mug from a Navy mess probably holds a lot more.

 

Problem is that JFK's own DNA is unknown and there are no original tissue samples available to you for comparison even if you found DNA on the cup. I am sure no family members whose DNA might be close to JFK's would submit to testing to investigate your cup. Be happy with "might be" and dont waste time on the DNA angle. And yes I'm an amateur criminologist, qualified by having watched 136 episodes of "Forensic Files" on TV!

 

Can you link me any sources to those same style cups? Have been scouring the Internet for anything remotely the same and haven't come up with a dang thing! Thanks

 

Since he was Navy I doubt he wouldn't have used a special cup they would've made sure he had for his own use and for him to take with him. I'd be shocked he didn't take a USS Kitty Hawk one.
Navy ship mugs are something I watch for.

 

Exactly and I didn't see this before I commented Ev.

 

Did you look at the pictures in the link I posted?

 

No. I don't go to links.

 

My first thought on seeing the pattern of this cup & saucer was to check the Kennedy presidential white house china pattern. Lo and behold this was one of the few presidents that never had their own presidential china. It seemed Jackie wanted to order a new china set specifically for JFK's presidency, but a trip to Dallas came before the order was placed. For the 3 years of JFK's presidency,

"1961-1963: During the Kennedy administration the Truman china was used along with gold service plates that had been ordered by First Lady Mamie Eisenhower in 1955."

The Truman presidential china was a Lenox pattern with "a border of celadon green flanked by an etched gold band and a twenty-four karat gold rim on an ivory body. It included a raised gold presidential seal, surrounded by 48 gold stars. Following the end of World War II, Harry Truman had issued an executive order in 1945 to standardize the seal; he had the head of the eagle turned toward the olive branch, representing peace, instead of toward the arrows, representing war. The china adhered to Truman's order."
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_House_china#

I've looked at several presidential china sets by Lenox. I couldn't find this particular pattern. I believe the pattern number is T304 with "B" denoting the cup. If you look at the Lenox patterns on the replacements.com website, pattern T405 B is a presidential design china. It is probably a generic set as possibly the cup & saucer you have might be. The listing of Lenox patterns on replacements.com doesn't have T304. Here is T405B. Do note the eagle is facing the arrows rather than the olive leaves meaning it dates before the Truman presidency. Yours has the eagle facing the olive leaves symbolizing peace. This means your set was made during or after the Truman presidency.
http://www.replacements.com/webquote/l__t405b.htm

Other presidential china sets:
https://www.google.com/search?q=len...9u_NAhVBwWMKHWQ7ALgQ_AUICSgD&biw=1024&bih=649

BTW, the spoon is in the International Silver's silverplate "Kings" pattern. The following ebay page shows several pieces in this pattern:
http://www.ebay.com/bhp/usn-silver

--- Susan

 

Took the liberty of cropping a few of your pictures and inserting them into this message. As another has said, many people will not click links to view pictures.

--- Susan

 

A little late night posting there Lady..!!

Can you say Night Owl !!

 

Thank you! Very useful info

Edit: After looking at the saucer again, the eagle is facing the arrows on my cup. So, you're saying that mine was made before the Truman presidency?

Edit2: The cup had the eagle facing the arrows and the saucer has the eagle facing the olive branch! So strange.