Thread: Old Herring Safe Plate?
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13-04-10 03:36 PM #1
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Old Herring Safe Plate?
Hello everybody. I recently came across an old Herring Fireproof Safe plate at a yard sale and have not been able to find any information about it online. It weighs about three pounds. I've attached a picture (sorry about the dark quality!). Just in case you can't read it, it says: (On top) Herring's Patent, (On right) Fireproof Safe, (On bottom) Depot 135 Water St NY, (On left) May 18th 1852.
As I said I haven't been able to find much information and/or a solid value on it. I've emailed two separate antique safe collectors online. Both of them told me that they really had no idea, but one of them gave me a ballpark figure of between $100 - $150, while the other told me he would value it between $650 - $1000.
I'm very curious to know if anybody has any new information for me.
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13-04-10 09:22 PM #2
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It would be a good idea to post a photo of the back of the plate too. Also are the fixing lugs missing or just cropped from the picture ?
It's worth noting that there are lots of fakes / copies of these !
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13-04-10 09:54 PM #3
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Thanks for the advice. Yes, the fixing lugs are missing. I guess this plate was pried off somehow? Here are some more pictures of both the back and the sides to this plate. I don't know what that green stuff on the back of this plate is. It doesn't look like paint to me -- could it be lime or something?
Last edited by twd27; 13-04-10 at 09:56 PM.
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13-04-10 11:18 PM #4
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I would say that although it is genuine it is also common and damaged so of very little value -sorry
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10-12-11 01:39 AM #5
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mounting tabs or manufacturing process tabs???
i just got a Herring grasshopper safe...it has a very simular plate on i...i wonder if the "missing mounting tabs" are not missing at all. My plate has a steele frame around it that holds the plate on...i wonder if these "mounting tabs" were just from the manufacturing process and were to be removed once the plate was taken from the mold. ??? I will try and post picts of mine soon. Note the address on the bottom of the plate is different than the address at the bottom of the fire pit opening....also the centers of the "r"'s in "HERRING" are circular...as if made with a drill bit...hmmmmm.
---------- Post added at 08:37 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:34 PM ----------
note also the "HERR..." at the top right of plate...as to be a sign on the building at the Herring factory...just above the hat on the man on the right...
---------- Post added at 08:39 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:37 PM ----------
it is evident after closer examinationto my original that there were indeed manufacturing tabs that were removed....again...i will post picts in a few days.We would not long for Heaven if earth held only joy.
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10-12-11 01:49 AM #6
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Where the plates were put inside cast iron frames the tabs were filed off. These frames are much more common on German plates. His tabs have been ripped off. The only exception to this that I know of, is the pressed brass Roff & Stearns plates where the tabs were originally soldered on. I think that his plate would be unlikely to reach $50 on ebay.
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