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From: Ron
Remote Name: 68.231.53.22
Date: 10/15/2011
Time: 10:22:40 PM
Jane, Your stein is a souvenir of (Gruss aus) Laufen, a town on the Bavarian and Austrian border. It is located near the rapids (Laufen means running water). The inscription Andenken (souvenir) of July 19, 1896 is probably the date the owner visited that city, but not necessarily the date the stein was made. The mold is probably blank mold 729, which could accomodate putting different transfer pictures on the body of the stein. You can see Reinhold Merkelbach 729 on page 22 of the RM catalog at http://www.mysteincollection.com The finial is typical for that period. The fact that the outside of the lid is darker than the inside, which is still shiny, is an indication of an older stein showing aging. The inside was protected from the air and thus subject to less aging. The finial is typical for that era, circa 1900. You say there is a viking or Green Man face on the finial, but I think you mean the thumblift. I can't see the thumblift in your photos. Go to http://www.steveonsteins.com and look at his articles on unusual thumblifts. The Green Man is shown on article 3. Based on similar blank steins for Marzi & Remy, I would guess the price range for your stein would be $50 to $75 in mint condition. The subject matter could make it more worthwhile to some collectors. Keep in mind that the higher values will be through auctions or antique dealers to cover their costs. The lower values will be through private sales or eBay transactions. You and the buyer have to be the ones to judge what a fair price is considering the cost and time to make a sale or purchase for a similar type stein. Ron