My brother Dennis (IHC member #1639) and I were recently talking about his beautiful Philadelphia Silverode case with a very highly detailed locomotive on the back lid -- won from Jon Hart's auction a few days ago -- and we got to wondering about how such finely detailed decoration would have been done. It seems that this type of case metal is much too hard to simply stamp a design into it, so it must have been engraved.

Would this have been done at the casemaker's factory as an optional upgrade? By an aftermarket engraving specialist supplying the retail jeweler trade? By the selling jewelers themselves?

Some designs I've seen are rather simple and unelaborated, but Dennis' new acquisition is rendered in very fine lines and expert/artistic perspective. Would the these likely have been done with templates? by machine tools (like damaskeening)? freehand?

If you ever get a chance to go to the museum in Penn. You can see the large templates about 1 foot in diameter they use with a one of those pantograph type machines to copy the engraving.

Damien that is a nice case. When that was done a master plate was made and much like an old fashioned signature duplicating machine multiple engravings would be made from the master plate. I cannot remember the proper name of the machine, pantograph? maybe. You would have an original to follow so many duplicates could be made. If you look around you will find a similar case. Sometimes, for additional cost, bits of hand engraving or personalization were added. The original plate or template would be done by a trained engraver but copies could be made by a person not trained as an engraver but rather having expertise with the automatic "engraver". Modern jewelers often have a machine that produces nice engravings from stock letters and designs.

It looks like Robert answered first. Many of these were factory done because of the pantographs cost but I recall seeing one that was used probably around 1900 to engraving in an old jewelry and stationery store in Omaha. It was a larger operation and they would engrave silver cups, serving pieces and such also.

Thanks for the info, Jones-gents.

Dennis -- looks like a road trip to eastern Pennsylvania is called for. You're a lot closer, so I await your full report

-Damien

For those that may be wondering what or how a Pantogram maching might work, take a look at this and it shows one that is working on a very basic pattern....

Pantograph Animation....

Now when looking at the animation, be aware that the red is the patern not the green....

Regards,

Jerry

Great question, and Great responces. I have always liked these and have had quite a few. I never knew how they made them. But I did notice that they are exactly the same from one case to another. I have others with different Locomotives, but I'm sure they were made the same way.

Damien, I was going thru some of my cases this morning and I came accross one that has the same ChooChoo on it as the one you started this string with and my case is a Silveroid case as yours is and probably made by the same company....

Regards,

Jerry

All this talk makes me want my case back...



Take my toys home and play in my own sandbox

Just joshing - glad it found a new home.

Jack --
I've developed a fondness for the 18s movements, and thus for the silveroid cases as well.

Jerry --
Dennis likes to think his is the only one in the world, and if he finds out about yours he's likely to get cranky...

Jon --
I can assure you that Dennis is quite happy to have found a wonderful home for his treasured Columbus RR movement.

- Damien