 |
 |
| Figure 14 |
Unfortunately most aluminum thimblefuls do tarnish over time and survive with
an unappealing patina of oxidation and grime that's difficult to remove even
with vigorous scrubbing. But a few were made of a more resilient alloy and
they're not only stronger but more pleasing to the eye. The Alex Young Co. Ltd.’s “Old
Y.P.M.” thimble is a
prime example and, coincidentally, is a rare relic of one of Philadelphia’s
finest distilling operations (see the sidebar for more information on this company)
[Figure 14].
|
|
| Figure 14 |
| Finally, it would be remiss of me not to mention the metal shot cups produced by the M Wollstein Merchantile Company of Kansas City, MO. Their shape and form is identical to that of the thimblefuls but they make no pretense about their function as an advertising giveaway. I have two examples in my collection and both provide the name of the company in three simple stamped lines with the minimum of embellishment [Figure 15]. |
|
Metal shots are generally held in great disdain by glass collectors. I collect them largely for their historical value but, while I enjoy having them displayed alongside my finer glasses, it’s difficult to get as emotional about them as I do about my gold-rimmed, etched treasures. The lack of competition means that they can usually be purchased at modest cost, but they’re sufficiently scarce that putting together a significant collection requires diligence and patience (shot glasses outnumber metal shots by around 100:1) .
One notable exception to the
“modest cost” rule is a thimble advertising the The Casper Co., of Roanoke,
VA. John Casper was a large mail-order wholesaler who established his
business in Winston-Salem but was chased out of the State into Virginia by the
rising tide of Prohibition in 1906. Casper thimbles are rare but,
coincidentally, one appeared at auction while I was writing this
article. It
sold for $196.49, a princely sum that matches some of the rare etched
shots. "All that glisters is not glass" indeed, but some of these poor
relations are certainly worth their weight in
gold.
Many thanks to
Howard Currier for divining the historical origins of the Silver Dollar and
Lucky Mystic shots. For more information on anything appearing in
this article, please contact Robin Preston at 245 N 15th St., MS #488,
Philadelphia, PA 19102. E-mail: robin.preston@drexel.edu. Robin is an
enthusiastic collector of pre-prohibition shot glasses in all their various
forms and maintains the collector’s website, www.pre-pro.com.
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