Sentimental Value

From the January/February 2009 issue of Reminisce Extra

Cigarette Coupon

I have this 1913 photograph of the Boston Americans baseball team on a Fatima CIGARETTE COUPON. What can you tell me about it? —Olivia Bade
Black River Falls, Wisconsin

Early cigarette makers competed hotly to sell their brands, offering premiums and other incentives. For the first 40 years, all brands were heavily blended with Turkish leaf tobacco that made them highly aromatic, tasting and smelling like foreign tobacco.

The most popular brand was Fatima, by Liggett & Myers Tobacco Company in North Carolina. The firm advertised that the finest leaves were skillfully blended, and with every pack, there was a picture coupon offering a premium.

When the company received 40 Fatima coupons, it would send you an unframed 13- by 21-inch photograph of your favorite baseball team or of some other subject.

By 1940, more money was spent on advertising for cigarettes than ads for any other product in the U.S.

Value: The sports photo obtained with the coupons would be close to $200, depending on the team’s accomplishments and popularity and the condition of the photo. Individual coupons are worth under $5.

 

Bridal bowl

This bridal bowl or basket was handed down from my father’s side of the family, which came here from the Alsace-Lorraine region of France, probably in the middle to late 1800s. My father was born in 1891, and we believe he was part of the second generation born in the United States.

On the base are two marks, one a crucible overlaying a hammer and the word “special.” The other mark is not as distinct but appears to be an anchor and rope with an elaborate border and some lettering. Between the hallmarks is the number 2136. The basket is in absolutely mint condition. —Paul Arent
Van Nuys, California

From 1880 to 1918, these exquisite bowls with silver-plated frames were used to hold berries. They were extremely popular as wedding gifts. Sizes ranged from 4 to 13 inches in diameter, with some having a bracket attached to the frame for the berry spoon to rest on.

Silver-plate manufacturers purchased bowls, usually unmarked, and placed them in their own embellished frames. Yours has pierced open work with embossed berries, vines and leaves on the handle. The feet-supported base is decorated with three rows of beading.

The quadruple plate markings are from the Homan Manufacturing Company of Cincinnati, Ohio. The bowl’s crimped, fluted edge has a beautiful variation of colors, and the white interior is painted with stylized, enameled flowers in the art nouveau style.

Value: Because of their intricate construction, these bowls were almost impossible to wash, so without special care, many didn’t survive. Yours, in excellent condition, is worth $425.