This was the glass that achieved the highest sales price during the past couple of weeks and it’s a rare old beauty:
It was listed for sale by miketaylor100 with a start price of $29.99. It was soon bid up to around $49, but then sat there for a week with no further bidding activity. The auction finally closed with a volley of sniper shots that drove it up to a final sale price of $259.55.
What made this a $260 glass? The Mette & Kanne Distilling Co. were based St. Louis, MO. They listed in city directories from around 1893, and I would guess that this glass dates back to somewhere around there given that it’s acid etched and the design was a creation of George Truog of the Maryland Glass Etching Works of Cumberland, MD. We know this because the glass is signed by the Master himself: see the tiny transparent “GT” signature to the right of the crown.
I’ve seen the glass once before – it was one of those that made up Ken Schwartz’ collection. There is a sister glass that advertises Carmen Kentucky Bourbon, which I first logged into the database as a part of Paul Van Vactor’s collection. It’s also signed by Truog and is almost as rare.
Congratulations to the collector that snagged the Crown Jewels!