Cool find! 1800s jewelers/clock-watch makers embosser?

[granthansen]

Cool find! 1800s jeweler's/clock-watch makers embosser?

NJLargeCent and I were at it again in the heat, back to Mount Holly, NJ for 7 hours in the heat and humidity. Not much other than junk, a wheatie, and NJ's TBD Indian, and some other oddities we still have to identify.

However, during the last-hour stretch, I dug deep and deep, and wouldn't let this signal go as it was ringing up $0.25/$0.10 on my Ace 350. Silver maybe?

About a foot down I pulled out this heavy piece of metal. Saw the flat side first and thought, damn. Then flipped it to see a design. After closer inspection it revealed writing, in reverse type! So it's a stamp or embosser of some time for a clock and watch maker named John Mecke. Last night's research found him in a Philadelphia directory from 1839 under silversmiths: Makers: 1839 Philadelphia Directory

See below pics. I reversed one for easier reading.

Anyone know for sure what this is? If not, I'll post on the What Is It forum. I may hit a jeweler later to ask someone there as well. Very nice design, in great shape too.

Full story and cleaned up pics of all our finds to come this week. I'm a tad tired from yesterday!

 

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[relicmeister]

Congrats on a noteworthy find. Have you wondered how it got so deep in the ground?

 

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[granthansen]

Awesome update from the Library Company of Philadelphia!!!

Dear Mr. Hansen:

Thank you for your query. I was able to find a bit of information about Mecke, but he is not someone for whom we had existing research.

I found a John Mecke in the 1840 census who lived in Northern Liberties, Ward 3 and who most likely is the Mecke who was chosen to represent the ward at an 1841 Whig City and County Convention according to a local newspaper report. John Mecke appeared in another article, which I have attached and which describes a robbery at his watchmaker shop in 1843.

I thought you may also be interested in the below, which links to an 1863 directory entry listing a John Mecke watchmaker, as well as other Meckes who I think are probably relatives based on the link which follows it. The second link provides access to a digital record for an advertisement we hold of George Mecke, cabinetmaker. His business was a few doors down from John Mecke's shop address and I cannot imagine that was a coincidence.

I am sorry I could not be of more help, but hopefully have given you a few leads.

Best,

Erika



Philadelphia City Directory 1863

Philadelphia Directory for ... containing the names of the inhabitants ... - MacElroy - Google Books

This is the advertisement for his relative, perhaps brother, George Mecke, and a description:



Advertisement showing the four-story storefront, with

decorative masonry, for "George Mecke's Northern

Cabinet Ware-Rooms and Furniture Ware Rooms" on Second

Street between Noble and Green streets (i.e., 500

block). At the ground floor, a couple enters one of the

two entranceways of the building. Furniture, including

a side table, chaise lounge, armoire, and rocker are

visible at the entrances, display window, and within

the store. A woman, in a shawl, and holding


a parasol approaches the chairs displayed at the second

entrance. She stands across from two clerks retrieving

a chair from the cellar to be loaded onto a "G. Mecke

No. 355" horse-drawn cart parked in the street. The

cart already contains a chest of drawers. Additional

cabinetry, including chairs and a bed frame, and a

worker are seen in the upper floor windows. Also shows

partial views of the adjacent businesses of "Dubois &

Son's Confectionary" (357) and P.

And here are more links about them:

http://lcpdams.librarycompany.org:1...iscovery&custom_att_2=simple_viewer&pid=65173

http://lcpdams.librarycompany.org:8881/R/-?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=65173&silo_library=GEN01

 

[granthansen]

And here's an article about his shop getting robbed... low quality, good luck reading!

 

[TommNJ]

Very cool find and a nice piece of history, congrats !

TommNJ

 

[granthansen]

Thanks Tomm. I hope to continue to learn more about John Mecke and this piece. Prior to pulling it out of the ground, I had no idea what a watch paper was, and how sought after they are.

 

[PikesPeakCharlie]

Congrats !!!!! Of course coins are always great to find,but I love stuff like this,tokens,etc.

 

[granthansen]

Agreed, and I'm glad it hit while in coins mode, else it would still be buried. It's cool to find something that you can actually trace back to the owner.

 

[BondJamesBond]

I, like a fair number of other people, have been following this thread. Your recovery is truly special. If you could put something to rest for myself and, a few other people that have indicated the same, try to find the newspaper or newpapers for Philadelphia, of that time period, that may have carried an advertisement for this watchmaker and see if the advertisment and the relic you recovered have enopugh similarites that you can call it a match. I have not seen in your posts where that particular approach has been tried and, it may turn out to be the answer. With the holes around the perimeter the only characteristic that may be against it being an advertisement plate is, how thick the the relic is. I hope I am wrong, as the relic would more than special if it is what you belive it is.

Bond

 

[granthansen]

Good idea Bond. I have reached out to the Library Company of PA and the articles supplied was all they had. They did in fact include and advert of a (what we think to be) relative who was a cabinet maker. I think the difficulty here is that all those old files are images, and you can't do a text search. The fact that she revealed a clipping of a story of how is store was robbed amazed me, considering the type is very hard to read.

However, these watch paper advertisements weren't used in newspapers. They were printed on paper or cloth and put inside pocket watches. As far as I know, they never made it to public print. But, again, worth looking into!

 

[granthansen]

Hey guys... here's updated photos I sent to the American Society of Antiquities for inclusion in their national research library. I cleaned up the plate a bit and took better photos. I also applied an "inverse" filter in Photoshop for one to bring out the details a bit:

 

[nsdq]

that is a kick butt find i like it,, happy huntinn