eBay Tuesday: Old Town Mill Heart

We know it's Election Day, but that doesn't mean it's not an eBay Tuesday as well. You still have three hours to hit the polls if you haven't done so yet. In the meantime, why not take a few minutes to read about the latest New London find up for auction online?

This week's offering comes advertised as "Souvenir Medal Heart New London CT ~ The Town Mill 1650." As you might expect, it portrays the , the replica grist mill built on the site of the site of the original (Johnna Kaplan did a nice writeup on it for her column, and you can read it ). The seller, pgsantiques, does not mention what kind of metal this heart-shaped dish is made of, but it looks like it's brass. On the rim around the fairly detailed mill landscape are a collection of decorative flowers.

A bit of lettering sneaks in near the bottom. Beneath the mill itself: "Old Town Mill, Built 1650." Gracing the heart's more pointy end: "Souvenir of New London, Conn." And hiding on the back: "Made in Japan. A.C. Bosselman & Co., New York." The seller estimates the piece comes from the 1940s or 1950s, and considering the point of origin I'd have to say the 50s, or at least late 40s, sounds more likely.

Perhaps it's not a good thing that one of the first blurbs I can find on the A.C. Bosselman & Co. is that they were the defendant in a lawsuit by the American Metal Art Novelty Co., although that involves a 1905 court decision on a disagreement over hatchet deliveries. It seems A.C. Bosselman & Co. was a fairly successful company, focusing mainly on postcards, and numerous archives have preserved their wares as bits of history.

The asking price for the souvenir plate is $15, plus $4 for shipping and the state's 6% sales tax. Depending on where you're reading from, it might not have far to go; the seller is in Southington. This auction ends at approximately 6:45 p.m. on Wednesday.