Send your answers to the What Is It contest, postmarked by October 20, to the Mountain States Collector, P.O. Box 1003,  Bailey, CO 80421. At least three winners will be drawn. Winners will receive a year’s subscription to the Mountain States Collector.

Jerry Michals of Aurora, Colorado tells us that September’s What Is It is a Muffin Bell. “This bell was commonly used by volunteer 19th Century fire fighters. The torch boy or firefighter leading the hand pulled hose reel or hand pumper would ring this bell as he led the way to the fire. These bells usually have an 1850s patent […]

We had one correct guess from our Alaskan reader Marjorie McLaren. August’s What Is It appears to be a place setting of china in the style of the presidential china selected by Mary Todd Lincoln for her husband, President Abraham Lincoln (1861-1865 term). It was the custom for each president to choose their own presidential china.  The Lincoln presidential china […]

We had no correct answers or our July’s What Is It. The item is an egg scale! If you are raising chickens for their eggs you might want such a device. “Reliable” Egg Scale. Speed-Accuracy. Los Angeles, CA. Circa 1920-1949. Gifting to my friend who has a new Hen House. The scale also works with gold, if that’s still more […]

We had two correct answers to our June What Is It? Both Charles Pheasant of Centennial, Colorado and Jacque Rutledge of Northglenn, Colorado identified the object as a stamping or sealing device. Our friend Tricia Meyers of Berwyn Heights, Maryland also identified the object Charles says, “It looks like a date stamper you used to see at the bus station, […]