I own one of these Gorham bells. I believe it was made around the turn of the century (1900) The bell is not marked with any silver marks only Gorham and Co. 049 and THE FLORENTINE BELL. It is likely cast bronze and the 049 is the casting or mold number for Gorham. It is a type of replica of a famous Florentine bell. Although the bell is not silver, but heavy bronze that is plated the quality of the casting is so good I would think it should be worth in the $100-200 range. Having the carved ivory handle is particularly nice and Gorham bronze from this period is collected. The bell is not common so looking on the net or places like Ebay won't help. Although Ebay may be a good option if you want to try to sell it.

S.B. Gorman
decorative Arts appraiser
Merion Station,PA 19066

I need help in guess-ta-mating the value of a very old bell that a neighbor of mine has in his possession.

It is VERY ornate and beautiful.

It is marked with the following:

Gorham 049
Old Florentine Bell

It is VERY heavy and has an ivory handle. Its stands 5 1/4" tall.

Does anyone have any suggestions on the value of this item?

Luan Dean
email: LDean@Ad-Vantedge.com

Dear Luan, As a Gorham collector, I would suggest that a local appraiser take a look at it, but do not be surprised if it is electroplate...which is why it is so heavy. You also might check Carpenters book of "Gorham Silver 1831-1981" which has all the marks that the company has ever used...and it will show you why I believe your piece is not sterling. Without handling the item in person, I cannot value it. Try our membership listings and perhaps you can find a member near your home. Thanks for the interest. Suzy McLennan Anderson, ISA CAPP

Hello,

If you would like for me to put you in contact with an appraiser in your area please contact ISA HQ toll free at 888-472-4732 or you may contact us by e-mail at ISAHQ@isa-appraisers.org. We look forward to hearing from you and helping you in any way we can.

Best Wishes
Crista Davis
Education Coordinator
International Society of Appraisers

Dear Miss Davis,
I saw your email on the internet and I would like to ask help from you if you could appraise my Gorham Bells which I couldn't find anywhere on the internet. I will send you some photos tomorrow because I don't have my camera with me. I will give a short descriptions of those. I have at least 6 of them with wooden stands with the names of each of those, they are heavy and I don't know if they are sterling silver as a whole. The bottom part is the bell and the upper part is a woman. There are some letters and numbers on the lower edge of the bell. I'm not sure if these are original or copies. Thanks a lot for your help and I hope to hear from you.

Sincerely,
Ignacio Macasaet
Crestview, FL 32539
my email is: imacasaetjr07@cox.net