✅ SOLVED Help with Handheld Mirror

[RiverRat3]

Found this deep at a one room school house in PA. Was pretty deep. It hit in the silver range very loud on the CTX. Was wondering how to test for silver and if anyone could determine age range. The school house has not been used since the 1920's.

 

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[Breezie]

Your mirror is from the Victorian period; more than likely 'late' Victorian. How many inches tall is it? During that era of time, ladies vanity sets were very popular. Generally in the set was a mirror, comb, and brush, all matching. The more expensive/larger sets had perfume bottles, 2 different sizes of mirrors as well as more combs, etc. If you GOOGLE Victorian vanity sets, you'll see lots of photos of this type of hand held mirror.

Some of the sets were sterling silver and others were plated. You can buy an inexpensive acid test kit online(ebay) or either take it to your local pawn shop for them to test it. They will test it free if they think you're interested in selling it for silver melt.

Neat find, Breezie

 

[RiverRat3]

Thanks for the info Breezie. It's probably time for me to invest in an acid test for gold and silver. Thanks again.

 

[Silver Searcher]

It's more likely a ladies Hair Brush The back looks Mother of Pearl.

SS

 

[Archeodeb]

I agree that it is more likely a brush than a mirror. Many of the expensive brushes in the Victorian (and the Edwardian period that followed) were intricately and thinly hammered-silver filled with a kind of glued sawdust -- much like particle board -- to keep the designs on the thin sheets from being crushed and damaged. The bristles were set into that sawdust base material through holes in the silver "plate" (or sometimes that portion was left as solid wood and the bristles were set into drilled holes). Your object appears to have some of that gooey sawdust mixture still around the edges, so that portion was probably where the bristles stood. It doesn't look like hammered silver though -- more like silver-plating. Is that wood underneath or does it appear to be metal? It's hard to tell from the photos, but it looks very solid. Also, is that shell as SS suggested or just smooth metal on the non-embossed areas?

 

[RiverRat3]

It is smooth metal on the inside. Probably is silver plating. There seemed to be some type of protective coating over the silver part at some time. Thanks for everyones help.

 

[Gunrunner61]

It's a beautiful find, wish I could help on the Id, My question is.....It looks like a name (or word )and a single letter down low on the handle, Or is it my imagination?....................HH