Country Living 2019-11-01

FIELD GUIDE

HUNT

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ƀƃ COUNTRYLIVING.COM / NOVEMBER 2019

take note...

November 5, 2019, marks the 100th

anniversary of women’s right to vote in the

state of Maine—which happened nine

months prior to the ratifi cation of the U.S.

Constitution’s 19th amendment. See this

pennant and other artifacts on display in

the Maine State Museum’s current exhibit,

Women’s Long Road—100 Years to the Vote.

OBJECT:

Felt Pennant

SUBMITTED BY: S.G.T., Cumberland, ME

PROVENANCE: belonged to her suff rag-
ette great-grandmother, Isabel Whittier
Greenwood

WHAT IT IS: “Your great-grandmother
was a valiant supporter of women’s
right to vote in the state of Maine,” says
appraiser Helaine Fendelman. She’s
known to have worked with Susan B.
Anthony, who even personally thanked
her for her work in the suff ragette
movement. Violet and yellow are the
traditional colors of Women’s Right to

Vote Movement banners, such as this

one, but red, white, and blue examples

also exist. “Your great-grandmother’s

pennant is considered a large piece

of fabric memorabilia and is, therefore,

rare and eagerly collected,” says

Helaine. “Because you are able to trace

this piece back to a known suff ragette,

it also takes on added value due to its

history of ownership.” She notes that the

pennant’s pristine condition may make

some antiques collectors shy away

because so many fakes abound in

today’s marketplace.

WHAT IT’S WORTH:

$5,500

OBJECT:

Five Comic Books

SUBMITTED BY: R.K., Wymore, NE

PROVENANCE: were her husband’s

childhood favorites

WHAT IT IS: “Throughout the mid-20th

century, the Quaker Oats Company

published small 2 1 / 2 -by-7-inch promo-

tional giveaway comic books on a variety

of pop culture subjects from Bugs Bunny

to the Lone Ranger,” says appraiser Bene

Raia of Raia Auctioneers. “Gene Autry sets

like yours date from between 1947 to

1953 .” In the antiques and collectibles fi eld,

the value of ephemera (paper products or

anything not meant to last a long time) is

always tied to condition. Therefore, your

late husband’s complete and lovingly

cared-for collection brings a higher value.

WHAT IT’S WORTH:

$400

did you know...

As a promotion, kids sent

Quaker a cereal box

top and 10 cents to receive

a set of comics.

OBJECT:

Brooch

SUBMITTED BY:

D.R., Williamston, MI

PROVENANCE: belonged to his great-

great uncle

WHAT IT IS: “Your small brooch is what

collectors call a love token,” says appraiser

Marsha Dixey of Heritage Auctions. From

the late 1800 s through WWI, a young man

leaving for duty or heading out to sea

would give his girlfriend a coin as a token

to remember him by until he returned,

usually with one side of the coin’s surface

ground off so it could be engraved with an

initial or a sentiment. If he survived and the

relationship continued, she could have his

initial engraved or enameled onto the coin

in blue. If he never returned, she would have

the coin done in black. “This particularly

nice example appears to be of someone

who did not survive; perhaps it belonged

to the uncle’s mother or sister,” says

Marsha.

WHAT IT’S WORTH:

$175

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