What’s It Worth?

Q:I would like information about my chair that is purported to have been used aboard a cruise ship. It is made of dark, inlaid wood [with casters]. I searched the Internet, but I cannot find information. -- S.S.

Answer: This chair was manufactured in America around the turn of the 20th century. It may have been part of a suite that was meant for use in a late-Victorian parlor. More than likely it spent the past 100 years on land.

Similar furniture may have been used aboard early cruise ship; however, most of the pieces are marked. Yes, it would be more valuable if used aboard, but only with documentation. This chair would retail for $95.

Q:I bought a tea set at auction for $100. It consists of tea and coffee pots, sugar and creamer marked "EPNS," "Made in Sheffield" and a lady's head. The tray is marked "E.P. Copper, Viking Plate, Made in Canada." They are badly tarnished. How do I clean it and was it a good deal? -- B.W.

Answer: The pots, sugar and creamer were made in England during the 1920s or early'30s. I cannot identify the maker without a copy of the mark. "EPNS" is an acronym for electro-plated nickel silver.

The tray was made in the 1930s by Lipman-Levinter of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The firm operated during the early 1930s. It used the "Viking" trademark on many of its silver-plated copper products.

Use a quality cream silver polish to clean it. Do not use any product containing abrasives. It would retail for about $100.

Have a question about an antique or collectible? Send e-mail to with a digital image, or send a complete description with a clear photograph to Jay Moore, Flair Department, Richmond Times-Dispatch, P.O. Box 85333, Richmond, VA 23293. Photographs will not be returned. The large volume of mail may mean a delay in publishing answers.