There are wager tickets that collectors purchase because they have an important autograph or are associated with a historic event. The Massachusetts Government Lottery was the first established lottery, in 1744. The tickets for this lottery were signed by Samuel Watts and other lottery directors.

If you were there in 1744 and wanted to purchase a ticket, it would have cost you thirty shillings, but you would have had a 22% chance of being a winner. You would have gone to Faneuil Hall for the first drawing. This lottery was such a huge success that it inspired the other colonies to host their own lotteries.

Another historical lottery ticket that is avidly sought by collectors is a ticket to one of Benjamin Franklin’s lotteries held to raise money to build the young country’s military arsenal. Franklin is one of the founding fathers, and these tickets associated with him are quite prized.

There was even a lottery to finance the Revolutionary War. In November of 1776, the Continental Congress authorized the United States Lottery for this purpose. Many collectors of early American historical artifacts prize these lottery tickets.

Another famous historic lottery is the Mountain Road Lottery of 1768. This lottery was managed by George Washington Đ and the tickets from this lottery bear his autograph. For this reason, collectors also seek out these tickets.

In a recent auction, lottery tickets with Washington’s signature sold for more than $15,000 each. If you want a piece of history to display, you can get an authentic reprint for a fraction of this price, and they are still quite striking on display.

For collectors, the thrill of finding historic lottery tickets is significant. Maybe not as much of a thrill as winning millions, but it’s still quite a joy to find that ticket you’ve been searching for.

See more of this writer’s articles regarding products such as kittens for adoption and caring for kittens.

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Old Lottery Tickets That Are Worth A Lot Of Money

Collectable mantle clocks have always been the center of attraction for many art lovers. Fine examples of craftsmanship, these elegant time pieces are very much functional and add a grace, beauty and charm to the home decor.

History

The mantle clocks are more than four hundred years old. The first mantle clock was made in France in second half of 17th Century. Crafted from boxy iron chamber clocks, the time piece had a handle on the top, which made it easier to carry. However, the vintage clocks were stationary and were kept on an end table or top of a shelf.

In 18th Century, these time clocks became the symbol of status for most of the wealthy families across Europe. Even till date, many rich families use mantle clocks in their home decor as a sign of their position in the society.

Designs

The collectable mantle clocks are available in many elite and contemporary designs. You can go for a stylish contemporary clock designed by best artists like Janna Ugone or Jon Sutter. On the other hand, you can also buy some of the finest handmade clocks carved from porcelain, marble, and wood.

Mantle Clocks of 21st Century

The contemporary mantle clocks are designed to replicate the mantle clocks of old time. Designed by some of the famous designers, these are available in the finest of designs. The most common of them are:

* Tambour mantel clock design

* Arched mantle clock design

* Carriage mantle clock design

Some of the renowned manufacturers for contemporary mantle clocks are:

* Stemreiter

* K. Mozer

* Comitti of London

* Hermle

* Howard Miller

* Kieninger

Where to find these?

With the advances of the Internet, you can reach your favorite mantle clocks with utmost ease. There are hundreds of websites available, which sell finest of mantle clocks as per your budget and taste. Apart from these, you can also make a visit to your nearest antique store to buy your mantle clock.

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Collectable Clocks: A Fine Example Of Rich Heritage

As with every piece of antique furniture, silver or pottery, the people who were the makers of Cowboy Spurs also had their own set of markings they applied to their work. Spurs were made from various materials including silver, iron, bronze and later aluminum and the mark was stamped into the metal with a hammer.

There are several reasons why the spur makers used to do this. One was to identify their own products as the items were rarely stamped or marked with a serial number. Also, it was common for custom cowboy spurs to be made at the request and design of the wearer and therefore some of the spurs made would not be the same each time.

The sets of custom spurs were made to order and the wearer measured and the spur made to fit their requirements. Ensuring that the spur was stamped with the company brand or name would perhaps have been the only way that the maker may have known who they were made by. It also helps collectors and historians know who made the spurs and gives an indication to their value.

Marking the spurs with the makers name or initials was the most common way for them to be branded. The name of the maker, such as CROCKETT, CR or RENALDE would be stamped into the metal by hand, often along the inside of the heel band.

Other companies opted for images as their brand mark. One such company is the North and Judd spur making company who use the sign of an anchor as their brand mark. Unlike the initials or name of the maker, this is displayed prominently on the outside of the spur and has now become a popular mark for collectors of such items.

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What the marks on Cowboy Spurs mean The Markings Of Cowboy Spurs Makers The Marks Of Cowboy Spurs Makers The Logos Of Cowboy Spurs Makers Logos Of The Cowboy Spurs Makers

Most carriage clocks are designed in modestly proportioned sizes. They are rectangular in shape and are basically designed to withstand demanding endeavors such as long trips either by land or sea. They were built as such so as not to fail and resist the rigors of various weather hazards. It was most frequently used during the 19th century era wherein people usually traveled by carriage. Thus, this is the reason why carriage clocks are named as such.

Highly fashionable around the end of the 1860s, they became common as presents during special occasions like birthdays, weddings, and also political and royal celebrations.

While they were generally seen as being useful for travel, the truth is that they are a little bit larger than conventional timekeeping devices. They are specifically designed with the protection of interior workings in mind.

To know if travel clocks are actually real carriage clocks, you have to know the basics first. The first thing you should notice is that the case is usually made of metals bright enough like silver or polished brass. Basically covered in clear glass to make it easy to read, the hands are sometimes colored pitch black while the background could be painted with scenes on clear porcelain. Theyre sometimes ornately decorated with detailed and crafted figures that complement the overall design. Most antique clocks are designed this way though. Also, they can be identified easily because of their carrying handles so as to make it convenient to hold.

A lot of these clocks are made with some tunes or full songs (inside the clockworks) that mark the hours. With a wide array of notes and chords, some of them are even designed to play classical melodies (but theyre mostly just chimes). There are also large bells on top of these carriage clocks that sound every hour.

Lined with clean markings that trace through the elaborate features, the designs are traced with beautiful figures such as inlaid enamel, porcelain, gemstones, stamped scrolls, or other such patterns. Mostly, theyre designed with leaves or branches or some other such foliage.

Theyre so fashionably regal that when you look at them, youd know how distinctive they are. With such attributes, they can be used for decorative reasons like using them as mantel clocks or just simply shelf clocks. Theyre best used in antique-themed homes so as to complement the whole ambience.

Sometimes these clocks dont just have the conventional innards of spring driven workings. Rather, they have quartz movements. Nowadays, most of these are housed in clear glass so that you could easily see the internal workings. Some designs casings are also partly stripped for better viewing.

There are plenty of places that you can choose to get these clocks from, both online and off. Look for a company that has spent a lot of time making these clocks and that has a history with them You’ll find that whether you go for a real antique or a brand new clock that hearkens back to an older time, you’ll find that there are lots of choices out there for you!

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What Are Carriage Clocks?

Mantel clocks are ornately decorated works which are made of natural materials such as porcelain, wood and ormolu. Their construction may consist of any combination of these materials. Mantel clocks are tiny and are considered conventional house clocks which are usually placed on shelves. Mostly placed on the mantel above the fireplace. This was the reason for their name “mantel clocks.”

Its first form was developed in France during the 1750s. Though they have almost similar size compared to the other chamber clocks, they can easily be distinguished from them simply because they don’t have carrying handles.

An early and notable design of these small mantel clocks was presented by Simon Willard, a well know clock maker of Boston Massachusetts. During the early years of the 19th century, he developed the designs further and patented them. He called his designs The Simon Willard Shelf Clock. In the years that followed he altered his designs, making improvements in them. He worked to maintained the overall concept of the original clock designs.

The specifications of mantle clocks are highly contrasted to wall clocks. Wall clocks’ movements are basically attached to the clock’s backboard, whereas these shelf clocks’ movements were basically supported by its seat board.

Before Simon Willard patented his own designs, he was selling, during the 1790s, other standard shelf clocks. These were similar to other ordinary tall clocks with their base and hood conjoined directly. This minimized the body look to be cut in between. Early models included a calendar dial built into them and also contained a second hand which was almost an uncommon thing during those times.

Simon Willard’s designs were basically weight driven. Some models even had extended bases for weight balance, making it so that they’d achieve a running period of one week. They also had pinwheel escapements and the strike mechanisms were the rack and snail. The pendulum length of the mantle clocks was easily adjustable by way of a hole in the clock face at the 12th hour position which made it unnecessary to open the case.

During those times, the clocks weren’t really considered trendy because Eli Terry was considered to be the best mainstream hit. These days however, Simon Willard’s clocks are considered as masterpieces of American innovation. They’re eagerly sought after by museums and antique collectors and dealers. Ranging as high as $250,000 and as low as $50,000, these clocks can be bought anywhere at that price as long as they’re in perfect condition.

The producers of the modern designs of this type of clocks are companies such as Seiko and Rhythm Small World Clocks. A combination of metal, wood and products produced by modern technology are used in their production. These modern clocks are powered by the standard battery. They can also play around fifteen different tunes each hour. Although some designs vary. Features include light sensors to automatically turn off music during sleep or night and volume control. The, that is most, Seiko mantel clocks play either Westminster tunes or Whittington melodies.

A symbol of American ingenuity is the mantel clock and is the masterwork of the master craftsmen which touches on a timeless and historical beauty.

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Mantle Clocks What Are They?