I purchased this spinning wheel from an antique dealer in Asheville, NC about 25 years ago and used it as a decorative accent. It has historical significance but I do not know if it has functionality. I am considering selling it to make room for desk in the space that it occupies and would like to have some idea of its current value. There is a fragment of the original paper label from the maker on the accelerating wheel head, “...Pierce Co’s W...” This matches images of more complete examples online that read, “Fred B Pierce & Co’s Wheel Heads.” Frederick Benjamin Pierce (1845-1928) was a manufacturer of bits and augers, spinning wheel heads, and brush handles in Chesterfield, New Hampshire. He was the son of, and business successor to, Benjamin Pierce (1814-1899), who pioneered in the manufacture and distribution of both bits and spinning wheel heads and attained national prominence in both industries. Wheel-heads made in Chesterfield were manufactured according to patents 1803/1810, owned by Amos Minor from upstate NewYork.
