Calling all History Buffs, Silver plate ice bucket

Ok, I will try to make this short. I picked this up at a giant estate sale before "pre auction". So, this sale was a pickers dream come true, but at the time I was not a "Picker". I just stumbled across this giant estate sale in warehouse. A very wealthy family liquidating everything. The previous owner had his pilots license and was a world traveler. I mean a "World" traveler. Anything you touched had a history or story to it and had value. Anyway, here is my question. I do know that this is a Wallace Silver plate ice bucket with no cover. It is marked on bottom Wallace 2441 and still has original label on it. My question is, how much additional value does being a piece from the Moscow Summit 1972 ? I have very little doubt that this is an authentic piece judging from the other items that I purchased from this estate sale. Any info you have would be greatly appreciated. Thanks everyone!! Please note, I am a rookie at this stuff, so thanks again.

 

I've got to assume that this might have been given as a sort of thank you gift to some member of the staff that accompanied Nixon and Kissinger on the trip. So the question becomes - what kind of provenance do you have? Do you know for certain that this "world traveler" whose estate was being liquidated was a member of the entourage? And if so how important was he? Without that kind of information and documentation I doubt this is worth a whole lot more than another silverplated ice bucket (missing it's lid) of similar age and quality. I suppose some Cold War period history buff might want it, but it's awfully hard to say how much they would want it without knowing whose it was. Just my 2 cents.

 

So the US brought their own ice buckets?

 

Bakersgma, i just did a little research on previous owners. Apparently, he was a pilot and she was a flight attendant for Pan Am in the 70,s. She accompanied President Nixon's press plane to his historic diplomatic trips to Russia and China. I have had this piece for 5 years and never had time to do any research. I just recently joined this forum and all you people are fantastic. Thank you for pushing me into research. I have previous owners name and just never looked into it. Sadly, this woman has passed,thus the info I obtained was in the obituary. Thanks again.

 

So after a little research, it appears Bakersgma may be right. It looks like this was a gift to flight attendant on board his press plane.

 

Well, I guess that could be how she got it. So I think we're mow into the realm of "curiosity" item rather than a relic of some important member of the diplomatic staff. Still, there is always the possibility that some history buff would love to have it.

 

Thank you so much!! I'm not a history buff but I think I will keep it. Pretty cool conversation piece to have!! thanks

 

And that's how a "picker" becomes a "collector"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Keeping it is a good idea......as I doubt any thing relating to Russia ...other than Faberge gold ..... is hot in the USA right now !!

 

Misinformation is. And not just in the US...