Another of my Great Grandpa’s things.
A compass watch fob.
He was a logging camp foreman and surveyor in the late 1800’s. NW Wisconsin.
The compass is still accurate.
I think the clasp is marked Premier, but the P and R have solder on them.
I found similar watch fobs with the Premier mark. All of them have the different types of chains on them attaching the bar.
Does anyone know when Premier was making watch fobs? Or a history of the company? I tried searching, but nothing came up other than items for sale.
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Look on the inside of the clasp for a possible assay mark. Is the chain hollow? Many of those were 14k to 22k hollow gold, Victorian era, never marked. The bracelet I have is 22k verified by XRF. The clasps were often replaced so you can’t always go by the mark on the clasp.
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Nice bracelet.
I found what appears to be the number 2 on the bar. It is near the middle and tough to get a photo of. Nothing inside the clasp or on ring.
Overall, the piece appears too heavy to be hollow gold. Is there a way to tell if it is hollow gold?
This is one of my nicer pieces from my ancestors. It is not tarnished, like some pieces I think have a gold wash.
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The number 2 is probably just a production number. The clasp would be gold filled. If the chain is heavy and no links dented, its probably solid. Look for wear where the links rub showing gold rubbed off or green corrosion on the links, both indicating gold filled over copper. Most chains were gold filled.
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