Neat antique store find: 1964 “mint set” engraved glass plate

airplanenut

I had a long work trip in Fort Myers, FL, which ended on Thursday. With a few free hours to kill, I found a pair of antique stores on the way to the airport. Normally when I go to antique stores I find some combination of neat things that are overpriced or way too big for my house, stuff I don’t know why anyone would buy, random things of little interest, and maybe a few overpriced coins. I don’t know the last time I bought something, but it’s fun to go look around. Well, I finally found something! I saw this glass plate featuring a set of 1964 coins. It’s 9” in diameter, wasn’t expensive, and was small enough to fit in my bursting at the seams baggage. I’m sure some day it will be serving dessert.

airplanenut

And if ever there is a reference book for coin-related kitchen/serving items, this can be the plate coin.

ifthevamzarockin

Did you check for errors?

airplanenut

@ifthevamzarockin said:
Did you check for errors?

Well the coins are very frosty so I considered asking if anyone thinks they’re SMS

Oldhoopster

Coin glass was a big thing in the 1890s. I had a chance to view a number of pieces at the Corning Museum of Glass. If I recall correctly, the govt stepped in and stopped production of coin glass under the guise of "antcounterfeiting". This included pieces that looked similar, but were not an exact match to circulating coinage.

I was under the impression that items like yours were illegal to manufacture?

Do you know the company that made it?

MarkKelley

Pretty good likenesses although Monticello looks to be a little too tall.

JBK

@Oldhoopster said:
Coin glass was a big thing in the 1890s. I had a chance to view a number of pieces at the Corning Museum of Glass. If I recall correctly, the govt stepped in and stopped production of coin glass under the guise of "antcounterfeiting". This included pieces that looked similar, but were not an exact match to circulating coinage.

I was under the impression that items like yours were illegal to manufacture?

Do you know the company that made it?

That historical reference was my understanding as well.

But, such items are so obscure and limited that I can't imagine anyone knew or cared about the earlier situation when this plate was designed and produced in the mid-60s.

skier07

Cool looking plate.

If I came home with that I think my wife would throw me in the garbage can along with the plate.

291fifth

It is the first of those I have ever seen. Unusual and interesting example of late coin glass.

airplanenut

@MarkKelley said:
Pretty good likenesses although Monticello looks to be a little too tall.

Someone spilled some milk on it in the past and Monticello drank it up and grew to be tall.

@Oldhoopster said:
Coin glass was a big thing in the 1890s. I had a chance to view a number of pieces at the Corning Museum of Glass. If I recall correctly, the govt stepped in and stopped production of coin glass under the guise of "antcounterfeiting". This included pieces that looked similar, but were not an exact match to circulating coinage.

I was under the impression that items like yours were illegal to manufacture?

Do you know the company that made it?

There's no indication of any sort--the back side doesn't have anything stamped on it. A quick search online (looking at the first few results only) shows eBay sellers attributing identical ones to both Fosteria and Imperial Glass.

Lew

I obtained two small glass saucers years ago, a cent and a dime.
I assumed I would be able to find a nickel, quarter, half, and maybe a dollar.
I didn't find the others, if they were even produced.
It is interesting that the cent is dated 1884.
Both have a mark in the underside center -- a V in a small circle.

tokenpro

Similar to much of the more popular late 19th Century & turn-of-the-last century glassware, much of the classic coin glass has been imitated and outright copied during the late 20th Century. The quality of the work is inferior in most cases with the weight of the glass, the sharpness of the mold & the treatment of the seams being some of the main giveaways of the later work. I believe it was Coin World that did a short series on coin glass quite a few years back & several of the coin glossies have also run featured articles on the subject.

dcarr

@airplanenut said:
I had a long work trip in Fort Myers, FL, which ended on Thursday. With a few free hours to kill, I found a pair of antique stores on the way to the airport. Normally when I go to antique stores I find some combination of neat things that are overpriced or way too big for my house, stuff I don’t know why anyone would buy, random things of little interest, and maybe a few overpriced coins. I don’t know the last time I bought something, but it’s fun to go look around. Well, I finally found something! I saw this glass plate featuring a set of 1964 coins. It’s 9” in diameter, wasn’t expensive, and was small enough to fit in my bursting at the seams baggage. I’m sure some day it will be serving dessert.

At a small local show today a dealer had one of those, brand new in the original box. I had not seen one of this type before, but now two in the same week. So it may be a recent manufacture.

BJandTundra

Made by Imperial Glass of Bellaire, Ohio. Apparently originally came in a presentation case. Company no longer in business. However, a museum exists in Bellaire.

tommy44

The Kennedy half looks like the accented hair variety.

Allentram

I have one too, picked it up about 13 years ago at an estate sale.

ricko

I have never seen 'coin glass' before.... And I used to go to a lot of coin shows. Might have picked one up if I had seen it. Cheers, RickO

airplanenut

@ricko said:
I have never seen 'coin glass' before.... And I used to go to a lot of coin shows. Might have picked one up if I had seen it. Cheers, RickO

Just for you, I won't ever serve rainbow sherbet on it

ricko

@airplanenut... You are a gentleman, scholar and a man of good taste. Cheers, RickO

savoyspecial

Central Glass Company and Imperial Glass Company made quite a few of those. Here are a couple:

airplanenut

@savoyspecial said:
Central Glass Company and Imperial Glass Company made quite a few of those. Here are a couple:

Very cool! Good thing I didn't see those since I'd have had nowhere to pack them

DNADave

Just found two at an antique mall near wheeling. They also had a 1976

moursund

Those are spiffy! I think my wife would not have them in the house. Maybe I could hide one in my desk drawer...

joeykoins

@airplanenut said:

@ifthevamzarockin said:
Did you check for errors?

Well the coins are very frosty so I considered asking if anyone thinks they’re SMS

SMS, coins are difficult to determine.
One coin in general. the 1966 Kennedy. If the profile is doubled, mainly his chin. Then more likely, that one would be a SMS. The others, too difficult to set apart.
Very cool item, dude.
Nice find!

Aspie_Rocco

I found this in a thrift shop a few years back, it is almost like a coin design.

leothelyon

Oh ......nevermind!

Leo