Gambrinus Advertising Beer Stein, ca. 1880

Appraised on: August 9, 1997

Appraised in: San Francisco, California

Appraised by: Noel Barrett

Category: Collectibles

Episode Info: San Francisco (#1626)
Roadshow Favorites (#813)

Originally Aired: April 26, 2004

IMAGE: 1 of 3  

Appraisal Video: (2:17)

APPRAISER: Tell me about this wonderful beer mug you brought in today.

GUEST: Well, this was my grandmother's, and she had it over the kitchen sink on a shelf, and she'd always put her string in there.

APPRAISER: Mm-hmm.

GUEST: When she'd go to the bakery and get a cake or something, it was always wrapped in paper with string, and that was the jar she stuck her string for future use.

APPRAISER: And you don't know where she got it.

GUEST: No, I don't know where she got it.

APPRAISER: Well, it's a wonderful thing. I see we have an original maker's label in here, where it was made in New York City. This dates from around 1880.

GUEST: Oh.

APPRAISER: And these were made to be on display behind a bar to advertise the beer. In this case, Gambrinus Lager Beer.

GUEST: Yes.

APPRAISER: And it has a reverse-on-glass applied label. This is a curved piece of glass, actually painted on reverse and then applied to the mug. Most commonly you find bottles, like a liquor bottle would say the name of the brand of liquor, and it would have a beautiful label on it. It's very rare to see a beer stein advertising beer with this reverse-on-glass. And it's a wonderful image of King Gambrinus, who is the patron saint of beer. When I looked in the side here I saw another little label, a little paper label with "50" on that.

GUEST: Oh, I was going to have a garage sale, and I put prices on a couple things I had, but I never had the garage sale. I wish I'd been at that garage sale.

APPRAISER: Because I'll tell you, you know what this is worth?

GUEST: Haven't the faintest idea.

APPRAISER: Between $2,000 and $4,000.

GUEST: Oh, go on.

APPRAISER: Yes. So you have a real, real treasure here.

GUEST: $2,000 to $4,000?

APPRAISER: Yes. At an auction where you had some real competition, you could certainly bring $2,000 to $4,000. And who knows? Maybe a little more.

GUEST: I can't believe it.

APPRAISER: Take good care of it.

GUEST: Well, thank you.