A Little Bit Of Gold Proved Meaningless

In the 1870s, the debate raged as to whether the United States should have a silver or gold monetary standard. One proposal was to make our coins of an alloy dubbed goloid. This alloy consisted of gold, silver and copper.

There was to be 16 parts of silver to one of gold, with a little copper thrown in for durability. This 16 to 1 ratio reflected the value of gold to silver at that time.

However, when it was tried, the coins were identical in appearance to those made of just silver. The plan was abandoned on the premise that if the public couldn’t see any gold color in the coins, they probably wouldn’t believe that there was any in them.

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Indian Pottery Requires Considerable Extra Care

The handling and care of Indian pottery, whether old or new, differs in several respects from the way in which other pottery may be handled. This is due to the fact that firing takes place at much lower temperatures.

This low firing temperature produces pots that are relatively soft. Furthermore, they usually have no protective hard outer glaze. This makes them more susceptible to scratches, scrapes and other marring. Small cuts can occur even from one’s jewelry if care is not taken.

The bottoms of pots can be scratched just from sliding across a rough surface. An artist’s signature can be made indecipherable in this way.

A label, price tag, or any other gummed item, when removed, may take part of the color slip with it. Or it may cause a discoloration underneath where it has been stuck. If you are selling Indian pottery, use a tag inside the pot or attach it with a string to a handle. If you're the buyer, be sure any labels gummed on are removed and leave no damage before deciding on the purchase.

Most Indian pottery is not designed to hold liquid. You may find the slip separating from the clay if a pot is used as a flower vase. Liquids may also cause discoloration. To be safe, if you feel the need to use your Indian pottery for flowers, stick with dried arrangements.

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Pictures Carried In Vest Pocket

Vest-pocket picture frames were popular in the first two decades of the 20th century. As the name indicates, they were small enough to fit in a vest pocket, although they were also sometimes attached by a chain.

Somewhat like a locket, they consisted of a hinged case of silver or gold, which was sometimes engraved with the owner’s name or initials. Inside, there was a place for two pictures, one on either side.

By the 1920s, they more or less disappeared, as vests themselves disappeared from men’s wardrobes.

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