Antique Meriden Quadruple Silver Plate Match Stick Holder 

Measures 3" tall, 1.75" wide
Condition is well used, and worn with no other apparent damage.

Mark on the bottom:  Meriden Silver Quadruple Plate

Inscribed on the front:  A Chip OF the Old Block
Notice "OF" is an old idiom attributed to  John Camden Hotte in 1873 (The Slang Dictionary)
Today we use the alternative, Chip OFF the block.

Meriden Britannia Company, established in 1852, right in the middle of the silver-plating craze, became the largest manufacturer of silverplate (including the quadruple plate) in the United States by the early 1860s.

What a great find. 

Thanks for stopping by.