Topic: Can you help age this Nought and Crosses Paperweight?

[wiggy131]

Hi,
   I got this paperweight resonatley and I see they have made this design over and over, but i haven't seen one with a purple background. Is this the original noughts and Crosses Caithness Paperweight? It says the design number T93583 I think!
Thanks for your help
Vickie

[Wuff]

Visit Scotland's Glass, do a product search (left hand column) on "noughts" - and you'll get the different colour versions of the weight.

The design number is U00134. The T93583 is just a running number, the T indicating 1998 as year of manufacture (with 93583 indicating very late this year) - which is a bit surprising for a year 2000 (U00nnn) design number. Unless someone comes up with a better explanation, these weights must have been produced well in advance.

[tamefox]

The sales catalogue code is U00134 - the colourway is Purple Heather.

In 1998 there were only 65,768 unlimiteds recorded in production.

So, pick your options:

A)  It was premade early (for a 2000 release) with a duff number (not really likely IMHO)
B)  It really is a T 43583  -which fits the number range but not the year.  (I think it is a 'bad' 4, not 9).
C)  It's a 'bad' Y also and it's really Y43583 - making it 2001 production year - which fits, as 64,933 were made that year.
D) none of the above - someone was drunk

Did you know that in the old days (pre-CG) the glassmakers used to drink copious amounts of beer all day to stop being dehydrated, in the days when water was undrinkable...   ..and many got drunk and were sent home or had brawls....  If you go and visit the Red Cone in Stourbridge, you can experience the old type glass works conical building and imagine the bustle and the fierce heat....   ..see the pix, and read all about it...

back on topic....

My vote goes for (C) above.

And - I never understood this weight, and still dont.   In my day, Noughts and Crosses was a game on paper with two sets of parallel tram lines, one set crossing the other at 90 degress, creating 9 boxes, into which you drew '0's or 'X's to try and beat your opponent to get 3 in a row.

I thought this was pretty universal worldwide, and anyway, I grew up in Scotland too - so what was Colin on?
-was it the beer - and if so can I have some?

[Frank]

Artistic license.

[Wuff]

And - I never understood this weight, and still dont.   In my day, Noughts and Crosses was a game on paper with two sets of parallel tram lines, one set crossing the other at 90 degress, creating 9 boxes, into which you drew '0's or 'X's to try and beat your opponent to get 3 in a row.

I thought this was pretty universal worldwide, and anyway, I grew up in Scotland too - so what was Colin on?
-was it the beer - and if so can I have some?

If you look at Shona Spittal's earlier one-off or design study (or whatever you want to call it), you'll recognise the game as we know it.

[wiggy131]

Hi Tamefox,
                 thankyou for your great reply, I'm really confused as to what has happened with the dates. It really looks like a T and a bad 4 I think, now I have looked at it again. A lot of the ones on Ebay I have seen have a white background which I don't like. This one is very pretty colours, the other white background nought and crosses canes are all marbled,  and mine are set very well. I think somebody has gone out for their new year drink and scrawled on anything, or there was an apprentice working that day! We'll never know!

Maybe the design is what he came up with after a few beers and the lines and dots became a bit squiffy!

Thanks again for all your advice everyone!
Vickie
p.s going off to have that beer! :spls:

[tamefox]

Thanks to Wolf for emailing me to invite my comments!

[tropdevin]

Hi wiggy

One key point no one else has mentioned is the value - these can sell at anywhere between 50p at the car boot to £5 on eBay (except when the mad buyers are about - then the world is your oyster).

Alan