Featured What a ding-a-ling, I am! Silver Bells

Ahhh...the battle of santa cruz. I love the history lessons here! I should have devoted more time to the liberal arts and less to mathematics!

 

Both can be useful when it comes to antiques. Or anything else for that matter.

 

My ding-a-ling...
My ding-a-ling...
I like to play,
With my ding-a-ling...

 

Errrrrr....that song was so overplayed when I was a kid. I STILL hate it.

 

I've never watched the Simpletons.

 

Ok, nothing to exciting here but I owe you close ups.

 

Well, I'M excited even if you're not! Solid silver items from South American countries are not terribly common here!

I am kind of wondering what that last one is, though.

 

I had no luck with that one either. Here are some more. I thought the group was more internationally diverse. Alot from Chile.

 

Last one, i think...

 

So the one we thought was Winston Churchill (or at least I did) is from the same maker as the little "Dutch girl?"

DyS?

 

Yes, And I expected a british hallmark on that one, for sure and Lord Nelson just a 900 mark. DYS is also a chilean mark

 

They may all be Chilean, but if you're under melt weight, who cares! That's a serious deal.

 

Good point, evelb30! Some of the older silver bells sell for quite a premium though.

 

Chilean is a selling point imo. There are people (like myself) who love Latin American silver.
The floral ones are reminiscent of South American colonial silver.
'Napoleon/Lord Nelson' and 'Churchill' are probably Latin American heroes like Simon Bolívar, whose statues can be seen all along those gorgeous avenues many Latin American cities have.
The figure with the children is saint Anthony.
The ones with pre-Columbian motifs may be of interest to collectors of pre-Columbian art, many also buy pre-Columbian themed knick-knacks of some value.
A Chilean Volendam (Dutch) girl is even more quirky than a US one.

 

You are an amazing source of insight and knowledge, any! Do you know what the DYS mark is?

Thank you!

 

Sorry, can't find it in my books, no internet information, not even in Spanish. But in a silver producing country like Chile, there are bound to be countless small workshops with their own mark.

 

I have a bell to match my silver pattern, but nobody EVER came a runnin' when I rang it..............sighhhhh.....

 

I'll see if the wife knows anything about silver bells from Chile....
maybe...maybe not..?