Press Plates

[mdmeraven]

Help! I've spent a week researching these things and have come up empty handed!

A friend of mine came into posession of a number of printing plates. Being that I work in the newspaper field, he asked for my help. I've gone up the ladder and can't get an answer as to the value of these items. My friend had listed them on Ebay, and wasn't happy with the results. Technically since I put in the highest bid, I am now more than a bystander.

They are old, lead, mounted on about an inch of solid wood, 6 in total, from two separate dates, and only 1 'front page' plate.

Here's the tricky part. They are dated Dec, 6 1918 and Nov 8 1918 and the masthead confirms they are from  "The Stars & Stripes" - Covering WW1 from Paris, France for the troops there. I've even found copies of the actual pages they produced from the Library of Congress.

I don't know a whole lot about pricing, but I was told that they normally  melted down these lead plates to reuse them for the following edition of the paper. Which makes them legitimately rare (not just in an Ebay kind of way). Then there is a certain amount of historical value to take into consideration. Correct??  

My friend and I agree that they're worth something. We just don't know what. There's also the thought in the back of my mind that the Dept of Defense is going to show up and demand their property back - ok, so it's way in the back of my mind, but it's there. Like a NASA moon rock manuver.

Any ideas?? Thoughts?? Suggestions??

Any would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you in advance -
K~

 

[Tim]

As you've already found out, they don't garner much $$. Congrats on your research though. They were recycled almost daily. If I'm reading you correctly, the lead piece would be about 1/8" thick (a shell casting) and mounted to wood. Earlier ones as yours were usually zinc, but I'll take your word that they are lead. Finished height would be "type high" which is 5.5 picas or about 7/8" high.

I think your going to have to try and reach the War memorabilia collectors, specifically WWI....... eBayers call them print blocks, although in lead they would be called castings or in zinc would be engravings. Earlier ones were also made from copper.

Sorry, it's not good news........I think most collected are ones that depict advertising. I spent a lot of earlier years casting tons of the stuff.

Tim

 

[mdmeraven]

Thank you Tim.
On the advise of one of my co-workers, my friend is contacting the current publisher of the newspaper.
I never considered there might be another name for them.

K~

[Jeremiah]

yes, we get people coming in, trying to sell us printing blocks from old newspapers all the time,

the bad news is that they are very common, not rare at all - so unless there is something very special about them, such as a particularily interesting news story or illustration then they are very difficult to sell at any money at all

Jeremiah
Antique Print Store