I obtained these two Meriden napkin holders at an estate sale well over a year ago. I've held on to them while trying to locate others online to gather info for a description and have finally ran across two others. One said it was from the 1850s, the other said it was from the 1890s, so I'm guessing they were made sometime between those two dates. The others also said they were silver plated. I did the magnet test with these two, and the magnet did not stick or have any pull, or I also believe them to be silver plated.
They have a floral design on the circular portion. Each end features an eagle that appears to be getting ready to take off in flight. The base, or the flat bottom area measures 1 by 2.25 inches. They stand 2 inches tall. They have age related patina which I will leave for the new owner.
At the top of each holder, there is an area where a name could be engraved. One of these was engraved and it says "Steve & Anna". I've been told that a jeweler can buff out engravings and if I were going to keep these, that's what I'd do with them.
The bottom of both of them is stamped "Meriden B. Company" and has the number 146.
One has a very slight flat area on the top by the edge.
Buyer to pay Insured USPS First Class Mail Parcel delivery charges of $8.95. The package will arrive with Signature Confirmation, meaning someone will have to sign for it when delivered. Since the insurance and signature confirmation is for the protection of us both, I split those costs with the buyer.
Remember, SIGNATURE REQUIRED at time of delivery.
SPECIAL NOTE ABOUT POSSIBLE PARTIAL REFUND OF SHIPPING CHARGES:
Every January the U.S. Postal Service increases the shipping prices. This year's increase is beyond any we've seen in previous years. Before the 2019 increase, shipping costs were based on weight. A package weighing less than one pound cost the same amount regardless if it was mailed 2 miles away, or from coast to coast. Packages weighing over 1 pound were priced by what the destination zipcode was.
Now, the postal service has divided the United States in to 8 zones and all packages are charged by weight, size, and destination zone. Now it is not possible to state a shipping cost and have it be valid regardless if the package is traveling 2 miles or all the way to the east coast. I am in Nevada and probably 90% of the packages I mail go eastward, and a majority of them go all the way to the east coast.
To complicate this even further, Google will not show items for sale unless they have a designated cost, or unless the seller uses calculated shipping. My web host is not equipped to figure calculated shipping, so I have to quote a shipping charge using the east coast as the final destination and then refund over payments. When I return the overage, I usually do so by including cash inside the package when it's shipped. My feedback page will show verification that I do return overpayments.
As a buyer, there are two choices. If you over pay on the shipping charges, I refund an appropriate amount to cover the over payment OR if you'd like to send me a message stating your zip code and the item you are interested in, I can quote you an exact shipping charge and send you a custom invoice with an accurate shipping charge.
About Combined Shipping:
I do combine shipping on multiple items purchased, but as stated above, my web host is not set up to calculate multiple item shipping costs. At checkout, you will be charged full shipping price on each item purchased and I will refund the appropriate amount of over payment. If you are uncomfortable with that, send me a message with your zip code and stating which items you'll be purchasing and I'll calculate the correct combined shipping charges and send you a custom invoice.
INTERNATIONAL PURCHASES
Due to claims that merchandise is not being received at various international countries (although Customs tracking verifies the delivery), I will no longer be able to process international orders unless payment is made with U.S. currency, including conversion fees. Orders will be processed after funds have cleared a U.S. bank. PAYPAL WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED FOR INTERNATIONAL PURCHASES. Seller reserves the right to void any international transactions where contact has not been made prior to purchasing.
All items in my listings come from either estate or garage sales. I do not know if they came from homes where smoking or pets were present. All items are sold in the same condition as when I received them.
