Steve/sewell
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The return visit to the United States by Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert Du Motier, Marquis De La Fayette (otherwise known as simply Lafayette ) was a grand event in the year 1824. President James Monroe invited Lafayette to the United States as the "nation's guest"; during this trip, he visited all twenty-four states. For his contributions to the American Revolution, many cities and monuments throughout the United States bear his name. One of the ways Americans were paying tribute to him was immortalizing him on collectable memorabilia. The early Glass Works were quick to seize this opportunity producing flasks with his name and a very simple bust of his likeness on them. Similar ones honoring other national events and persons were already appearing on these flasks a few years earlier .
This particular flask is very crude in make and slightly rarer then the identical GI-85 which used the same mold but is void of two very faint circular depressions in the glass on the Lafayette side of the flask. The first depression ring is located to the right of the top of the two letter Ts on the word Lafayette, which is embossed in an arch above the bust. The second very similar depression is located below the arched bottom embossing of the word COVETRY and just above the initials C--T . COVENTRY is misspelled without the letter N. Only the GI-85 flasks in the 10 or so Lafayette flasks produced at the Coventry glass works and charted by Mckearin have this misspelling of the name Coventry.
The other side of the flask is the Liberty Cap affixed to the top of a pole centered inside of an oval ring.The oval ring is surrounded to it's sides and top by 11 stars. Below the oval are the two letters S & S . These initials are believed to be Stebbins and Stebbins, for Thomas the owner of these glass works and his son. The color of this flask is light olive amber.The flask sits a little wobbly so I have clay like putty to balance the off sets. These flasks are about as crude as they come and although the craftsmanship of the mold maker of this and the other similar Lafayette flasks from Coventry was below average at best,the flask has eye appeal because of this simplicity.
I have a couple of theory's regarding the two circular marks which are about 3/8s of an inch in diameter.I know Jeff Noordsy, Mike George, Mike O'Malley and others who frequent this forum could chime in on this one as all of the above mentioned have seen or still have multiples of these in their collections. Maybe Red Matthews could offer some input into this also as it is mold related, and who better then he that could offer an opinion on a mold related subject. This is a great flask and now I am seeking the GI-85 as a companion because of these marks.
Is it possible that the mold became vapor locked after use one day and holes were drilled to allow the pressure inside to escape thus releasing the two halves of the mold ? A repair would then have been needed. They are perfectly round suggesting the possibility? Or, What if the mold developed cracks and the only way to repair it was to drill out the affected area and spot weld the holes. This could explain the marks also. They are definitely void on the GI-85 suggesting some sort of event took place which altered this mold. Thanks for looking and anyone's thoughts on the subject would be appreciated on this very historical flask.
This particular flask is very crude in make and slightly rarer then the identical GI-85 which used the same mold but is void of two very faint circular depressions in the glass on the Lafayette side of the flask. The first depression ring is located to the right of the top of the two letter Ts on the word Lafayette, which is embossed in an arch above the bust. The second very similar depression is located below the arched bottom embossing of the word COVETRY and just above the initials C--T . COVENTRY is misspelled without the letter N. Only the GI-85 flasks in the 10 or so Lafayette flasks produced at the Coventry glass works and charted by Mckearin have this misspelling of the name Coventry.
The other side of the flask is the Liberty Cap affixed to the top of a pole centered inside of an oval ring.The oval ring is surrounded to it's sides and top by 11 stars. Below the oval are the two letters S & S . These initials are believed to be Stebbins and Stebbins, for Thomas the owner of these glass works and his son. The color of this flask is light olive amber.The flask sits a little wobbly so I have clay like putty to balance the off sets. These flasks are about as crude as they come and although the craftsmanship of the mold maker of this and the other similar Lafayette flasks from Coventry was below average at best,the flask has eye appeal because of this simplicity.
I have a couple of theory's regarding the two circular marks which are about 3/8s of an inch in diameter.I know Jeff Noordsy, Mike George, Mike O'Malley and others who frequent this forum could chime in on this one as all of the above mentioned have seen or still have multiples of these in their collections. Maybe Red Matthews could offer some input into this also as it is mold related, and who better then he that could offer an opinion on a mold related subject. This is a great flask and now I am seeking the GI-85 as a companion because of these marks.
Is it possible that the mold became vapor locked after use one day and holes were drilled to allow the pressure inside to escape thus releasing the two halves of the mold ? A repair would then have been needed. They are perfectly round suggesting the possibility? Or, What if the mold developed cracks and the only way to repair it was to drill out the affected area and spot weld the holes. This could explain the marks also. They are definitely void on the GI-85 suggesting some sort of event took place which altered this mold. Thanks for looking and anyone's thoughts on the subject would be appreciated on this very historical flask.
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