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Here's one of the largest of this type I've ever had the good fortune to own. Any of these English Style marbles over an inch in diameter are exceptionally rare, and this one is approaching 1-1/2".
The English Style marbles are so named because the largest customer base for them was the English game board market that was prospering during the late nineteenth century, circa 1870-1910. Of course, the marbles used for these game boards were much smaller 21/32-11/16" mainly. I don't know if anyone really knows the purpose of these behemoths, maybe just to show off the skills of the maker. I once suggested that they may be used as salesmen samplers, and was soundly rebuked by the "experts". Any way, English Style marbles are recognizeable by the exceptionally clear glass, the unusually bright colors, and the fact that the pontail marks were unfinished, manufacturers stopped grinding the pontail marks smooth during this era to step up production speed). For this example, the core is a well designed latticinio web of alternating lemon yellow and white lines. The outer bands have almost modern colors of cardamon/white alternating with the very rare powder blue/lemon bands that produce a quite desireable pinwheel effect. CONDITION: NEAR MINT(++) 8.99 In hand, the surface has the wet shiny look of a new marble, but under lighted magnification, you can see the slightest bit of general wear. Also, there are many as-made places in the forms of tiny pinpricks, melted dimples, partially open air bubbles and such--all very tiny. There are a couple of small crescent reflections near the surface that could have come from the marble bumping against others, or possibly dropped. Everything is small and you have to search for it. You may click here to view the grading system I use. Size 36.08mm or 1.420" at the equator. | |||||
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| SOLD |
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 M.F. Christensen |
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