crashbelt

After the last 4 Thursdays of Josephs Coat boards this last offering just sneaks in this week. 11 Josephs Coats and 22 swirls. I've always been pretty sure its original because the glass colours are consistent and the 11/16" size and ground pontil finishes. So probably a later period board I was lucky enough to find in the UK 25 years ago.

Just love those Bennies

Bit late this week, but for the 4th week running its a board of Joseph Coats. Pee wees this time. Not 100% sure if they're all Josephs may be some onions and banded transparents in there!

At the risk of being predictable here's a third consecutive week of Josephs Coat boards. Again very likely an original set found in the UK 25 years ago. 9/16" to 5/8" less finely made than the previous 2 sets but great bright colours.

Following up last week's board with Josephs Coats with another. They make for some of the most attractive solitaire sets and these days original sets are vhtf and expensive. Lucky I found mine years ago in the UK. 9/16" ground pontils so later period.

Good question Chad. I have around 150 Josephs Coats - none has AV and they're all 9/16" to 11/16". But that's because they're all in solitaire sets -probably all original sets. The set in my post is 11/16".

One of my favourite sets - 11/16" Josephs in great condition on a beautifully carved board.

Last week I showed a FH Ayres compendium set board with swirls. Here's the other main marble type they used for their compendiums - pee wee micas.

I've always thought that latts would be much more valued if they weren't so common - very attractive marbles.

Here's a pee wee swirls set from a FH Ayres games compendium. Having seen quite a few of these, it seems that Ayres went with either swirls or micas for their compendiums. Interested if anyone has seen other marble types on these boards.

Extraordinary Ron - what a collection.

Here's where my handmade marble addiction started! Two of the German swirls from a £20 jar bought from a vintage toy shop in Edinburgh in 1991. 1" orange latt and 1 1/4" divided core with latt strands.

Thank you for your comments Ric. We don't have marble collector communities or marble shows in the UK, so its been a pleasure to show my collection online to such knowledgeable appreciative collectors, and learn so much from yourselves.

Here's my examples of a Victorian board game called Nine Mens Morris, or sometimes Merelles or The Mill. I've added the marbles to the boards to the boards - I've never found a set that looks original. I can't identify makers either although some have characteristics of Ayres and Jaques. But its good to have less common boards among all the solitaire sets!!

I started in the early 1990s Ric, avidly looking for original solitaire boards and loose marbles in the UK for maybe 20 years. Slowed up since then as I have managed to get examples of the main types of board and they became much harder to find in the UK. I'm really lucky to have started collecting when I did!!

Couldn't think of something to post this week so here's a shot of some of my board collection in their cabinet.

Beautiful pee wee Ric

Here's a 1 1/4" single ribbon core I've had for many years. Later period with rougher pontils but nice.

As Chad has started this week with 2 great banded transparents, here's a cute little boxed set by HP Gibson. 6" diameter board and 14mm mibs. I'm pretty sure this is early 20th Century.

Just posting my jar of clays and Bennies alongside our 1710 long case clock. Nothing rare but I really like having some of these!

Love the single ribbon core with matching latticino ribbons.

A colourful 1 1/2" divided core swirl this Thursday.

Some German peewees.

Yes they're in great condition and very attractive.

A recent pic I took of 2 similar early period caged colourful divided core swirls. 1" and 1 7/8".