FTLewisBrat Posted August 4, 2022 Share #1 Posted August 4, 2022 I bought this ashtray last night at an online estate sale, picking it up tomorrow. Looks like it's made from a 1942 stamped M19 shell. My question is, should I give it a good clean and polish? I know generally removing patina destroys value... but not sure how much value (if any) that these actually have. I feel like it would display nicely if cleaned, after fees and tax I'm only $9.04 into it. Sorry for the bad pics, they are screen shots from the auction house. Thanks! Rick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daskrieg Posted August 4, 2022 Share #2 Posted August 4, 2022 Leave it alone... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Keith Posted August 5, 2022 Share #3 Posted August 5, 2022 Since it is already a trench art piece, I would say make it shine! If it were not trench art, I would generally leave it alone once any active corrosion was stopped. It is all "eye of the beholder". I have what may be a late 1930's USMC aviation trench art ash tray. I'm leaving the crusty patina on it. I curated a Trench Art show for the art museum I work at a few years ago. Some things were left with the original patina, some things I cleaned up. The things I cleaned were personally owned by me or friends and we were OK with it. I can't quite figure out what is going on at the top, I wonder if it was a lamp at one time, or maybe had a lighter at the top.You have a nice item and you got it at a great price. Thanks for posting it. BKW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FTLewisBrat Posted August 6, 2022 Author Share #4 Posted August 6, 2022 On 8/5/2022 at 2:42 PM, Brian Keith said: Since it is already a trench art piece, I would say make it shine! If it were not trench art, I would generally leave it alone once any active corrosion was stopped. It is all "eye of the beholder". I have what may be a late 1930's USMC aviation trench art ash tray. I'm leaving the crusty patina on it. I curated a Trench Art show for the art museum I work at a few years ago. Some things were left with the original patina, some things I cleaned up. The things I cleaned were personally owned by me or friends and we were OK with it. I can't quite figure out what is going on at the top, I wonder if it was a lamp at one time, or maybe had a lighter at the top.You have a nice item and you got it at a great price. Thanks for posting it. BKW Thanks for the advice Brian. I think, since I would actutally use it while smoking my grandfather WWII corn cob pipe, I will probably clean it up a bit. If it was older (WW1-ish) and a complete piece... I would definitely leave it. The estate had a lot of machine tools (mill, metal lathe, etc). I think you are right and it was, or was going to be, a lamp. Looks like it was a project that was never completed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bodes Posted August 6, 2022 Share #5 Posted August 6, 2022 Part of it is a 20mm round...I wonder if the top was intended to be used as a candlestick holder?....A lamp would preclude it having a power chord hole drilled somewhere in the base of it....Bodes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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