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From: Ron
Remote Name: 165.121.238.23
Date: 12/11/2003
Time: 12:44:53 PM
John,
The first stein is a 4F stein for a gymnastic festival in 1913 in Leipzig. The mark on the bottom is that of Merkelbach & Wick of Grenzhausen, Germany. That firm became Wick Werke in 1921. The artist is Franz Ringer, a popular artist that is very collectible. The Library section has articles on both Franz Ringer and 4F Gymnastic steins. The stein dates from around 1913.
The glass stein is a student association stein. I could not find this particular association in my reference books. The crossed swords indicate the association participated in duels. You sometimes find marks on the pewter indicating duels, but these could be added after the fact. The Library section also has an article on Student Associations. This stein dates from around 1922.
The auction catalogs of Gary Kirsner, see the Links section, can give you an idea of the value of these steins.
Ron