| The picture below shows a larger view of the (3) Small Old Cracker Jack Pop Corn Confection Miniature Pot Metal Toy Prize Loving or Trophy Cups in this lot. These prizes are not dated but they are believed to be from the 1910s to 1930s. They are not marked, and the maker is unknown. The left and right ones are identical except one has a red inked finish, and the silver colored one has no finish, as made. The center one is painted silver with gold accents. This one was originally pained red, as seen in the bottom and through the silver pain in the picture below. Many of the early pot metal or lead prizes were manufactured by Dowst (Samuel Dowst), or the Tootsietoy Company of Chicago, Illinois, but there were other companies in the United States, and including ones from Japan and Germany prior to World War II as well. Some of these type prizes were made specifically for Cracker Jack, while others were made as small novelties, bought in volume, and used as prizes by The Cracker Jack Company. Pot metal or lead prizes were some of the earliest prizes that were used in Cracker Jack boxes from the 1910s to the late 1940s. Many of these type prizes or novelties were also sold out of old Johnson Smith & Company catalog as well as some other early novelty catalogs, also used in fortune telling sets, and some were also sold and used as board game parts. Many of these can be found factory painted, inked, or with no finish at all. To judge the sizes, the matching two miniature trophies measure about 3/4'' x 1-3/8'' x 9/16''. these appear to be in excellent to mint condition as pictured. |
