Poison rings not just a relic of the past

Poison rings play a part in a lot of murder mysteries. Adversaries were removed with a flick of a ring cover over a glass of wine.

The idea of a ring that held poison is thousands of years old, but it is the Victorian era that’s called “the era of the poison ring.” A ring was made to conceal a small compartment with a tight cover that could hold a poisonous powder. It was designed to be used to kill foes or to commit suicide if captured by enemies.

But historians now think the rings were not often used to hold poison. Instead, the small compartment held religious relics, locks of hair of lovers, notes or other tiny memorabilia of a romantic or religious nature. The poison ring is not out of fashion. Internet ads offer hundreds of modern versions today. Prices range from under $40 for pewter or plated metal rings to thousands of dollars for gold rings set with precious stones.

Q: We purchased a stool in the 1970s while we were living in England. It’s wood, 18 inches high, and has vertical fluted sections that join to make a circular outer case. When the top is raised, a hinged toilet seat appears. Under it is a compartment with a lidded ceramic potty jar. It also has a hinged slide-out footrest with a leather top. There are no marks on the wood frame. The lettering on the bottom of the jar reads, “Burleigh, Made in England.” We have no idea of its origin or history. Can you help?

A: You have a type of commode the English call a “close stool.” During the days before indoor plumbing, chamber pots with lids were usually kept under beds and used in the evenings when it was too dark or too difficult to go outside to an outhouse. The more well-to-do 18th-century family could afford a close stool, a small decorative cabinet that held a chamber pot inside. It was chair-seat height and had an opening on top so the user could sit somewhat comfortably. Later close stools were made with hinged outer lids that could be lifted to access the chamber pot. By the 1870s, many had a toilet seat and a lid. A pull-out footrest made it easier for a child to use. Fancy close stools were designed to look like elegant pieces of furniture with stained woodwork and upholstered tops. With the advent of indoor plumbing, they were used as parlor stools or stands. The mark on your chamber pot was used in the 1930s by Burgess &Leigh, a British pottery company founded in 1862 in Burslem, England. The pottery started using the name “Burleigh Ware” in the 1930s, and it uses the same name today. Your close stool is worth about $200 to $300.

Q: I have been collecting Space Race-related mechanical banks for a few years. They’re all pot metal, and some of them are labeled with the name of an American astronaut or a commercial bank. The shapes include a rocket, flying saucer, ray gun and spacecraft. What do you think they’re worth?

A: Banks like yours were made from the 1950s into the early ’70s by Dura Mold &Manufacturing Co. and Astro Manufacturing Co., both in East Detroit (not Eastpointe), Mich. Most were sold at wholesale prices to banks and insurance companies, which probably gave many of them away to new customers. While the banks are not very old, they appear to be relatively rare and are sought by an eager group of collectors. They sell online for $40 and up.

Q: We have a booklet called “Kellogg’s Funny Jungleland Moving Pictures.” The part of the cover with the title on it is orange and below that is a picture of an elephant and a giraffe dressed like people. The pages inside are illustrated with other animals dressed like people. They are cut into sections that can be moved to change the clothes the animals are wearing. It’s marked “Copyright 1909 by W.K. Kellogg” and “Patented Jan. 15, 1907.” The booklet is in pretty good shape other than a little hole in the fold of the book. What is it worth?

A: The booklet was a promotional item for Kellogg’s Corn Flakes. It sells for about $10 today, but the hole in yours decreases its value.

Q: I recently inherited volumes of brand-new collectible plates and plate sets and am researching venues to either bulk wholesale them or to offer them at below cost to a major retailer. Every plate I have looked at comes with a certificate of authenticity, a box, etc. All are new and in perfect condition. Do you know a retailer who might be interested in them?

A: Collector plates are hard to sell and almost all sell for less than their original value. Even the more expensive plates made by Danish manufacturers in the last 30 years have gone down in value. Most collector plates made by American makers sell for about $10 to $15 or less. If you want to sell the entire collection to a retailer, make a list of the plates you have and include the manufacturer’s name and the name of the plate. Be sure to indicate that you have the certificate of authenticity and the box for each. You can contact an online source like Replacements.com or try local antiques or consignment shops. Remember, the retailer has to make money on the deal and you will be lucky to get half the price the retailer sells them for.

Tip: When you move, remember that there is no insurance coverage for breakage if the items are not packed by the shipper.

Write to Terry Kovel and Kim Kovel at Kovels, The Herald, King Features Syndicate, 300 W. 57th St., New York, NY 10019.

Current prices

Current prices are recorded from antiques shows, flea markets, sales and auctions throughout the United States. Prices vary in different locations because of local economic conditions.

Political poster, Ronald Reagan, “Jelly Bean Kid,” caricature dressed as cowboy, big head, 1981, 33 x 21 inches, $45.

Franciscan teapot, Desert Rose pattern, lid, 4 cups, 9 inches, $125.

Kneeler, Gothic Revival, oak, carved, bible stand, pierced back nautical compass, open-form base, padded knee rest, 1890s, 36 x 18 ¼ inches, $280.

Louis Armstrong windup toy, tin lithograph, vinyl head, cloth clothing, trumpet, Japan, 1950s, 10 inches, $285.

Cigar lighter, countertop, pull-out torch wand, hole punch, Ideal, 4¾ x 6½ inches, $330.

Police truncheon, wood, red band, turned handle, painted, c. 1860, 15 inches, $350.

Bronze sculpture, Sphinx, plinth base, patina, England, c. 1900, 7½ x 2½ inches, $430.

Cane, horse head, jockey handle, silver-plated bronze, exotic wood, rubber ferrule, c. 1875, 37 inches, $485.

Stoneware jug, blue, gray, impressed “Burger, Rochester, N.Y.,” 1886, 13½ inches, 2 gallons, $740.

Scrimshawed whale’s tooth, flag, cannon, drum, shield, red, white, blue, A. White, 1959, 7½ inches, $3,305.