Featured Ice Bucket - Cranberry Glass and Silver

Hello everyone -

Admins - if this more properly belongs in the Metals category please feel free to move it.

I have this large ice bucket that I'm trying to find out more about. I'd like to sell it but hit a bit of a wrinkle. The only comp I could find was through Google Image Search and a duplicate was currently for sale by a company in England for 3300 pounds. They say that it's solid sterling silver but I can't find any kind of a mark anywhere. It's heavy (just over 6 pounds). I have no idea where I got it but I suspect it was at an auction in Indianapolis. What I can tell you is I paid nowhere near $4,000 for it. I wasn't sure if it was permissible for me to post a link to the retailer but it's a silvermith in Sheffield, England.

I'd appreciate any opinions. Thank you all so much!
Don

 

just random thoughts on a weekend.....

maybe the company made some in silver and others in base metal......

get it tested for metal content.....

what period is it from....

that glass must be thick...to be an ice bucket....!

Ahhhh, taking pics of a reflective surface....! Hi there Don !

You've been here long enuf not to worry about where you've placed your thread !!!
or, a link to a similar item !!!

What size is yours?

 

https://www.jamesbiggins.co.uk/products/silver-and-cranberry-wine-cooler

 

What's.......As seen at Burghley Horse Trails,....mean?
I can see the marks on his base.....but for 3300....u'd think he could at least show the marks up close and give the size !!!!!!

 

-Yep.

 

Sorry to leave out the size. I'm at a ball game now so can only give a guesstimate at present but it's about 12" tall. I need to get the metal tested but how can I tell if it's just plated? I had assumed it was a base metal with a nice added patina until I saw the Biggins listing. I really thought the Biggins listing was bunk but thought I best check here.

 

Looking at the James Biggins silversmith site, it appears the silversmith made everything on there (which all appears to be sterling) which would seem to include this piece, as it looks like an exact version.

Searching "James Biggins" on Ebay there are few small pieces that sold. All are fully marked though.

I suppose you could write them on their contact page if you could think of good wording.

 

Thank you, Lucille.b, I may try that. The lack of a mark really bothers me. I will need to go over the piece yet one time before I message.

I appreciate everyone's efforts. Thank you.

And good news. My team.is ahead 9-1 in the 6th inning.

 

Congrats DG-Yr team's up & you might be too (2 or 3K worth that is !).

 

Thank you, bosko69. We won! It was Indiana State University vs. Bradley University. Indiana State won 11-1.

I have measurements now. The bucket measures 10" tall and 4 1/8" across the base. The glass measures 10" across the opening and about 6 3/4" at its deepest.

I turned the flashlight on my phone flashlight and upped the magnification and look what I found! The hallmark is really blurry but the .925 is clear as a bell.

 

Ka-Chinggg ! That's what you call a good day.

 

Indeed! And I guess I also owe an apology to Biggins Silversmith. Their Race Track mention threw me too. I kept thinking of the Keeping Up Appearances where Hyacinth bought a three piece living room suite that was an exact replica of one at Sandringham House.

 

Oh how gorgeous! Congratulations!

 

What a piece!!! Well bought!!! Biggins listing looks to be for a pair? Just the silver should be worth a pretty penny I’d think.

 

That is absolutely GORGEOUS!!!!!!!!

 

click on pair......they want 6500....for both..

 

Good Lord friends,will you look at the treasures still floating around out there-absolutely stunning !
Might I ask when this Auction was ? I mean fairly recent or are we talking ancient history.

 

Oh that is indeed Gorgeous!! I wonder how the heck that piece landed in Indianapolis. Maybe connected with the auto race and celebrating a win with champagne? Hope nobody scraps the silver. If you sell it, charge a lot for it!

Should it be polished? I would want it to be polished with a little patina to highlight the pattern.

 

It has been sitting in my dining room for years. I collected ruby and cranberry glass so I'm sure I just picked it up for that reason. I'm slowly downsizing so am looking through the house for things to consider selling. I thought the value for this piece was in the glass. My guess is both myself and the auctioneer just missed the sterling symbol. To be honest, I don't live in an area where these types of treasures turn up very often. The little city I live in is one of the poorest in Indiana. To find better items I would go to Indy, but not often as it was about an hour and a half drive with city traffic and I'd usually be outbid anyway. It never occurred to me that this piece might be sterling until I did a google image search. It's quite possible the auctioneer made the same mistake. I doubt I paid more than $100 - $200 - that's my usual limit. I'd estimate I bought it somewhere between 10 and 20 years ago. I have no idea of its history.

I probably will not try to polish it. I really think it has a nice patina now and wouldn't want to do anything cleaning it that would hurt the value. I know just enough about polishing silver to be dangerous. I weighed it again and the silver alone weighs 4 lbs. 10.5 ounces so the melt value today would be around $1800. But, it's a beautiful piece and I would be heartbroken if it sold only to be melted down. It deserves better than that. And, of course, I can't prevent that if I sell it at auction. I think for now I'll just hold onto it. When I do part with it I'll probably sell it as buy it now and set a price somewhere between the melt value and what Biggins is asking. There's plenty of room between those two numbers.

I'm glad you all appreciate it as much as I do. There's value just in that. Thanks so much everyone!
Don

 

not polishing it has kept you from understanding it's real cash value......

lke Ola..... I'd think at least a half polish is in order....

at least rub the makers mark so we might figure out who made it !!