Topic: Vasart 'sampler' paperweight

[tropdevin]

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Hi.

I thought some GMB paperweight members might like to see this Vasart paperweight that I have recently acquired, which has an outer garland of twelve different canes, some quite complex.  Diameter 2 1/2 inch / 64 mm. Usual ground out pontil mark.  (I am assuming it is Vasart rather than Ysart Bros, but quite willing to be corrected!).

Alan

[KevinH]

That's a very cheerful looking weight. I think all of the outer canes are "early Ysart" as opposed to Vasart Ltd.

But as for whether it might be Ysart Brothers period ... just wave the magic shortwave lamp over it.

[tropdevin]

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Thanks Kev.

I have waved my slightly magic shortwave uv philatelic lamp over it, and as a 'quality contro'l test, also over a Vasart concentric, an Ysart Bros concentric, and an upright frit flower in pot attributed to Salvador.  The latter and the Ysart Bros gave a faint grey-green, whereas the Vasart and the 'sampler' weight gave the same quite strong blue.  So I assume it was made post 1956 using some canes from an earlier time.

Alan

[w8happiness]

Hi Alan,
a very pleasing weight! What caught my eye are the clover like green canes, and-
you might have guessed- the spokes with aventurine spine!

Good to hear that the magic lanterns were a philatelistic tool-was my first close Encounter
 when my dad examined stamps detecting hidden uv marks!!
My current tool at hand is a battery UV lamp (for quick test) originally made for check of bank notes....
Kind regards, Erhard 

[KevinH]

So I assume it was made post 1956 using some canes from an earlier time.

Yep, that'll do nicely - except that it could have been during 1956 (I don't know exactly when in that year the change was made to the lead-based batch).