The top of the cabinet has some wear and stains. Nothing that cannot be restored. The machine has a lot of wear of the metal and paint including distinguishing marks. It is missing a handle on one of the drawers and the other drawer handles are not in great shape. Many original items remain in the drawers including the puzzle box. I have looked up the serial number and believe it is a 1893 model and the manufacture date on the machine match up with the last year listed as 1878. We purchased a house in which this item was left. We know that the husband received it from his grandmother who had had it in the family for some time.
I bought this at a garage sale, I tried to research online and couldn't find another that looked like this, I did however, see a very old bottle that had swirls and lip similar to this. this decanter is definitely hand blown, it has an open pontil, and wear on the bottom, it is not symetrical, the stopper is heavy, almost solid glass, with just a tiny hole up the bottom of stopper. There is one large air bubble in the glass near the bottom, and a few pits, a some spots with stuff in the glass. I'd like to find out how old this could be, and who made it, and the value it might have to a collector...I am really sorry about the cat hairs on it, and water drops inside, I did wash it, but must have dried it with a "hairy" towel :).....oops
