Antique First Prize Trophy (March 8th, 1898)

The trophy was made by the Meriden B. Company

The trophy inscription is a bit tough for my eyes to make out with a 100% certainty, but it does appear to say:

Annual Spring Games
12 REGT. ATHLETIC ASS'N.
N.G. N.Y.
March 8th, 1898
First Prize
880 Yards Run Novice
won by
A.E. DeCortin
Time 2m 13s


The trophy was made by the Meriden Britannia Company

The Meriden Britannia Company was formed in 1852 in Meriden, Connecticut as a manufacturing company focused on producing wares in Britannia metal.

Britannia metal (also called britannium or Britannia ware) is a specific type of pewter alloy, favored for its silvery appearance and smooth surface. The composition by weight is typically about 92% tin, 6% antimony, and 2% copper. Britannia metal is usually spun rather than cast, and melts at 255 degrees Celsius (491 degrees Fahrenheit).

Britannia metal was first produced approximately between 1769 and 1770. James Vickers created it after purchasing the formula from a dying friend. It was originally known as "Vickers White Metal" when made under contract by the Sheffield manufacturers Ebenezer Hancock and Richard Jessop. In 1776 James Vickers took over the manufacturing himself and remained as owner until his death in 1809, when the company passed to his son John and son-in-law Elijah West. In 1836, the company was sold to John Vickers's nephew Ebenezer Stacey (the son of Hannah Vickers and John Stacey).

After the development of electroplating with silver in 1846, Britannia metal was widely used as the base metal for silver-plated household goods and cutlery. The abbreviation EPBM on such items denotes "electroplated Britannia metal". Britannia metal was generally used as a cheaper alternative to electroplated nickel silver (EPNS) which is more durable.

Until 2016, britannium was used to make the solid core of the Oscar statuettes. The 8½ lb (4 kg) statuettes were Britannia metal plated with gold. The awards have since changed to a bronze core.

In his essay "A Nice Cup of Tea", writer George Orwell asserts that "britanniaware" teapots "produce inferior tea" when compared to chinaware.

By 1876, the Meriden Britannia Company had grown a great deal and the company made significant efforts at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia in that year. The company won the First Place medal for plated wares. According to Sotheby's in New York, "The publicity of the award and the impression the firm made on the fair's 8 million visitors was continued by the catalogues and other intensive marketing; by the end of the 1870s Meriden Britannia Company was considered the largest silverware company in the world."

By 1891, Meriden Britannia had warerooms in New York (46 East 14th Street, Union Square); Chicago (47 State Street); San Francisco (134 Sutter Street); London, England (7 Cripplegate Buildings, Wood Street, E.C.); and Paris, France (26 Avenue De' L'Opera). The main factories were in Meriden and a branch factory was in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

By 1893, the company had expanded production with its floor surface covering over eight acres of space in downtown Meriden.

In 1898, the Meriden Britannia Company became part of the larger International Silver Company (I.S.C.) corporation headquartered in Meriden. Afterwards, while part of I.S.C., many designs were produced under the Meriden Britannia brand with design trade catalogues specifying Meriden Britannia wares.

Meriden Britannia Company designs are included in many museum collections, including the Brooklyn Museum, New York; Dallas Museum of Art; Davis Museum at Wellesley College, MA; Jewish Museum, New York; Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford, CT; Mint Museum, Charlotte, NC; Victoria and Albert Museum, London, England; Wolfsonian FIU, Miami Beach, FL; Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven, CT.

Recent museum exhibitions featuring Meriden Britannia designs include Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness (2008–12) at the Yale University Art Gallery, and travelled to Louisville, KY; Seattle, WA; and Birmingham, AL. In 1994-95, Meriden Britannia was included in the Dallas Museum of Art's Silver in America, 1840-1940: A century of splendor exhibition, and in 1986-87 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's exhibition In pursuit of beauty: Americans and the Aesthetic Movement. In 1985, Meriden Britannia was included in a special exhibition at the Palácio Nacional da Ajudo, Lisbon, Portugal, which was organized on the occasion of U.S. President Ronald Reagan and the First Lady's visit to the city.



In general, all items may or may not have been damaged by water, smoke, mold, insects, mishandling, animal chewing, cracks, nicks, dings, dents, rips, marks, stains, divots, waviness, creases, scratches, etc.

***Please look at the attached photos for size and condition. Photos are part of the description representing the condition report and can be used for authentication prior to the sale date. We urge bidder's to view all attached photos in detail. All items are sold "AS IS". Thank you for your interest and good luck bidding.

Notes: Please inspect all photos carefully before bidding. Thank you for your interest and good luck bidding.

10.875"

18%

Mike Marsullo | (860) 997-3332 | fil14fy@gmail.com

Pickup Details

Private Residence

Torrington, CT 06790

When to Pickup

Saturday, 8/13, 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm

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