Large Zeilin Dosage Cup

Yesterday, we started the morning with a walk around Pittsburgh, grabbing a requisite second cup of coffee at Starbucks, and after packing up, started the drive towards Miamisburg.

Of course, given we live on an island 14 miles out to sea, we seized the opportunity to do a little retail therapy, before really hitting the road.

Then it was drive time. And, drove we did (well, the lovely did). I navigated. And, yet again, it was a drive that would go from sunshine to deluge, sunshine to pouring rain.

And, with about 40 miles to go, there it was, this ginourmous antique mall on the side of the road.

Three of them actually. But, with plans to host TC at our AirBnB for dinner, we opted to keep going. And, we made it just about a half hour before Tommy was due to arrive.

So we chilled down some wine, and I unloaded the Bronco, and the Sue started prepping for dinner.

In short order, Tommy arrived, we shared toast, and then began a show and tell of what we each had brought with us; several that were available for sale; several that we just wanted to share with one another.

There were a couple that changed hands.

And, by the end of the evening, we made plans that on one of the upcoming mornings, Tommy and I would make the drive to the aforementioned antique malls, and see what we might unearth.

Of course, the night was filled with laughter, wine, and good food.

The big deal of the night was for the large version of the Zeilin dosage cup with corkscrew; a nice addition to the collection, and there was lots of talk of trades of this for that, or this for those.

A great night, and who knows what will happen today, as the JFO opens for business at noon.

Stay tuned!

Advertisement

Zeilin arrives…

The bottle opener auction lot arrived today, and it arrived safely–all wrapped up together as one lot, in bubble wrap, in a box.

And, after carefully removing the tape, and unwrapping the contents, the Zeilin looked to be in nice shape, but with a fair amount of tarnish.

With a jar of Wright’s Silver Cream at the ready, I gave it a quick polish.

Much better:

Marked with S. Cottle’s makers mark, STERLING, and 10, it is a lovely addition to the Zeilin collection.

The embossed one on the right is also marked for S. Cottle, STERLING and 11.

If you have a dosage cup corkscrew with which you would like to part, I would love to add a few more.

Drop me a line!

20 days later

20 days after I won an auction for a bottle opener lot…

And, after seven emails, two phone calls, and four text inquiries…

I received a phone call yesterday regarding the cost of shipping said lot.

And, as requested, I gave the shipper a credit card number, and as one would expect, they charged my card for the various fees associated with packing up the bottle openers and mailing them off.

I was given two options, USPS first class or UPS ground (apparently USPS Priority wasn’t an option).

I opted for USPS first class, as it was half the cost.

But, the Zeilin lot is finally on its way!!!

Currently, said Zeilin bottle opener lot is somewhere in Wisconsin, and it should be here on Monday.

Better photos upon its arrival.

on the Fürstenwärther hunt…

On February 7, 1888, Johann B. von Fürstenwärther was awarded his patent (#377,483) for a Medicine Cup and stopper.

And, for those of you not familiar with Johann’s patent, it is quite different than the Zeilin patent, insofar as instead of having the corkscrew extend from the bottom of the dose cup, it is instead set at a right angle. This serves several purposes, but our man Fürstenwärther, explains it pretty clearly in his patent description, explaining:

“The cup A may be made capable of holding any desired quantity of liquid—for instance a tea-spoonful, two tea-spoonfuls, a table-spoonful, &c. –-and may be marked with appropriate inscriptions showing the capacity of the cup for use by druggists and physicians. It will obviously perform the two functions of assisting to extract the cork from the bottle and to measure the quantity of fluid or other material taken from the bottle. If provided with the corkscrew, it can be readily applied to any cork or stopper of any size, and the cork, if worn out or unfit for use, can be exchange for another. On the other hand, the cork or corkscrew, which is attached to the cup at right angles to its vertical axis, will serve as a convenient handle for the cup whenever the cup is used apart from the bottle. The cup may also be used as a cover for the bottle by being inverted and placed over the mouth thereof.

Unless the corkscrew is at right angles to the cup the latter, when filled, would have to be emptied at once. By my invention the dose can be laid aside on a table until the patient has been adjusted to receive it. The bottom of my cup serves as a base to rest it on, the corkscrew not being in the way.”

I would love to add an example of the Fürstenwärther to the collection, and they are out there.

Well, I know of at least one that is out there, but surely they didn’t make just one.

When found, it is marked with the patent date: “PAT. FEB. 7, 1888.”

If you have a medicine cup corkscrew, I would happily make a trade for it. Drop me a line.

a few teaspoons…

As mentioned the other day, during the most recent collectorcorkscrews.com auction, I picked up a Sterling spoon with folding corkscrew.

As many of you know, I have lots of medicine / dosage corkscrews, and it does seem that the spoons generally have some uniformity of size–a teaspoonful of medicine…

or alternatively:

A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down

The medicine go down

the medicine go down

Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down

In a most delightful waaaaaaay

But, I digress…as I am want to do.

If you are wondering, all three of the spoons pictured above do really hold a teaspoonful (yes, I actually measured)

I have larger spoon with corkscrew that has been in collection for some time, and it holds 3 teaspoons.

So a tablespoonful.

(yes, I measured that one too).

There are other medicine spoons with corkscrews out there, as well as variations of the Zeilin dosage cup with corkscrew.

And, I would love to add others to the collection. If you have a dosage cup with corkscrew, or medicine spoon with corkscrew, drop me a line.

Sterling Zeilin

Over the weekend, the latest corkscrewcollectors.com auction took place, and lots of corkscrews changed hands.

I did bid on a few, and of course, didn’t win as my bids were quickly taken out by those willing to take the price to a level that was far beyond my means.

Or, perhaps, far beyond what I thought was reasonable.

Still, I sold a few, and bought one.  Yes, I ponied up for a nice example of the Sterling Zeilin dosage cup with corkscrew.

I actually have owned several of these over the years, but they have made their way into other collectors’ collections.

That said, we have quite the collection of medicine corkscrews, and it was time to put one back into the collection.

And, since I am trying to acquire a few more examples of the Zeilin…if you have a dosage cup with corkscrew with which you would like to part feel free to drop me a line.  The one that I am really after is not in Sterling.

In O’Leary amongst the others, this version of the Zeilin is pictured and described as being marked, “ONE TEASPOONFULL PARRISHS HYPOPHOSPHITES, J.H. ZEILIN & CO. PHILA, PA”

This would make for an excellent addition to the collection!!!