Learn more about Thimbles with Slogans  
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Build and share your knowledge about thimbles - new topics added regularly


THERE ARE 32 "LEARN MORE ABOUT..." TOPICS
Brass Advertising | British Placenames | British Royalty on Thimbles | British Silversmiths | Charles May | Christmas | Coalport
Dorcas Thimble Boxes | Easter | Gadgets | Francesca | Hallmarked Thimbles set | 'Mother' | The World's Greatest Porcelain Houses
Royal Albert | Royal Crown Derby | Royal Doulton | Royal Worcester Handpainted Thimbles
Royal Worcester Decal Thimbles | S + H Foskett | Silver Advertising Thimbles | Spode | Stratnoid | SylvaC
Thimble Books | Thimble Collectors Club | Thimble Societies | Thimbles with Slogans
Thimblefuls | Victorian Silver Scenic Thimbles | Wedgwood Jasperware | Wedgwood Bone China

THERE ARE 22 PAGES OF THIMBLES & OTHER ITEMS TO BUY
aluminium 1 - books 1 - brass 1 - china 6 - display cases 1
gold 1 - needlework tools 2 - other collectables 1 - pewter 1 - plastic 1
silver 3 - steel & metal 1 - unusual materials 1 - wood 1

Click on a photo to see a bigger picture


INTRODUCTION - THIMBLES WITH SLOGANS

  Introduction  

I have always been fascinated with slogans, mementoes, inscriptions, mottos or keepsake messages on thimbles, with sayings using the language of love. It was only when I acquired my first MIZPAH thimble, that I began to look at these thimbles with lettering around the rims, more closely. Mizpah is a Hebrew blessing "May the Lord watch between me and thee whilst we are absent one from another". [Genesis 31.v49]

Go back in time, when women were closely chaperoned, to the Victorian era and picture a young man in love. How was he to plead his love? A gift of a thimble with a word or phrase was not too personal and if it was accepted, he knew he could then pay suit. So we get a glimpse of this bygone era and its manners with these unique themed thimbles. Some of these tokens of love were given when parting and there may be several sad stories attached to a few of these messages. The messages on the 17th century thimbles have now passed into oblivion.

By sheer serendipity when paging thru von Hoelle, on p296 I noticed his list of these inscriptions for the first time. So that's where this listing began and then I included those from Holmes from p180 and Zalkin p83-5. Di Pelham Burn produced a list of brass messages in the May 1999 issue of At Your Fingertips. I have now tracked over 134 different slogans or mottos. Where there is no photo, I have included where the reference was found.

My perception of slogan thimbles was that they were Victorian and made of brass with a few made of silver. Now I know they were made mainly of silver, closely followed by brass. The thimbles are mostly English and produced mainly in the Victorian era. French has always been associated with the language of love, so there is a small collection of French slogans, followed by those in German and Spanish, with one or two in Italian, Norwegian and Dutch. I have included slogans from all countries, all periods, in all languages [including a rough translation - if I have gone wrong, please help]. The only example I have not included is for 'Souvenir' which tho very prolific, doesn't have the romantic implications of this thematic study. The most popular slogan is FORGET-ME-NOT.

The material ranges from silver to tombac and brass but I have only seen two gold slogan thimbles [not many were made in case she didn't accept his thimble?] At the other end of the metal spectrum, I have only come across a few of aluminium and one plastic slogan thimble. Many of the brass thimbles were late 19th C and probably made by England's Charles Iles. As most of the silver thimbles were made pre-1884 when hallmarking for thimbles came into force in England, it is nearly impossible to know when these thimbles were made or who they were made by. The lettering is usually in upper case, plain letters, but Gothic lettering was also quite popular.

I have also included the gold REGARD thimble - there is no lettering, rather the setting of six gemstones around the rim spells out the word Regard. Recently a 2nd one of this type emerged with DEAREST, created using 7 stones, tho no lettered message.

With this subject already being such a big one, I have not included many slogan thimbles from the late 20th century [ie the Franklin Mint set], nor those made in reproduction. These replica thimbles of the 20th century are made mainly of pewter, tho there are a few in silver, like those made in 1986 by Charterhouse Mint. Political and advertising slogans are also out of the scope of this small study.

In the Museum of Sydney, Bridge Street Sydney, there was a display in 1999 of base metal and brass thimbles excavated from The Rocks area. Where these thimbles have a message, I have noted this with the description.

I notice that on some of the early silver thimbles - from 16th century - the slogan is lettered upside down. Was this so that the sewer could read the message whilst she sewed, as the message would be facing her?

Three facets of Victorian life were FAITH - HOPE - CHARITY. This darling little boxed brass set of thimbles by Charles Iles, has a set of these values or slogans. Traditionally these also had symbols: faith by a cross - hope by an anchor - and charity by a heart.

I have only found one example of a slogan thimble where a Rebus image is used. See "Stick to me"!

Have you ever been given a slogan thimble from a loved one?

Some of the detail or lettering is so fine or feint, that you should click on the photo for a clearer picture.


  Thimbles with Slogans  


A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - I - J - K - L - M - N - O - P - Q - R - S - T - U - V - W - X - Y - Z

a gift


BRASS
Pelham Burn

a gift of love


SILVER
England
James Swann & Son

a keepsake / a keep sake


SILVER
England
leaf border
1840s

SILVER
England
1850s
"A Keep Sake"

SILVER
England
1860s

SILVER
England
1870s

SILVER
England
James Fenton
Birmingham 1895

SILVER
England
"A Keep Sake"

BRASS
Pelham Burn

a present


BRASS
Zalkin

a toi pour l’eternite
yours for eternity


France

a token of friendship


SILVER
England

BRASS
Pelham Burn

accept


SILVER
England
child's size

accept a trifle


SILVER

acuerdate de mi
remember me [Spanish]


BRASS
Museum of Sydney

all for her
love


STEEL

always faithful


BRASS
von Hoelle / Zalkin

always friends


BRASS
Austria
von Hoelle

amitie
friendship


Dreesman

amor
love


SILVER
Spain
1930s

amor eterno
eternal love


SILVER
Spain
20th century

andenken
remembrance or souvenir


SILVER
Germany
Gothic script
enamelled band
amethyst apex
photo Bernadine Biske

.800 SILVER
Germany
Gabler

.800 SILVER
Germany
Lotthammer

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be happy


BRASS
Zalkin

be kind


BRASS
Pelham Burn

be merry & wise


BRASS
England
patterned rim

be not idell


SILVER
England
1600s

be trw in love as tvrtl dove


SILVER
England
1600s

benevolence


BRASS
Pelham Burn

blessing/s attend you


BRASS
Holmes / von Hoelle

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charity


BRASS
England
Charles Iles

constancy


BRASS
England
Charles Iles

contentment


BRASS
Pelham Burn

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dearest


SILVER
France
20th C
Diamond Emerald Amethyst Ruby Emerald Sapphire Turquoise
with no lettering just the spelling of the names of the gemstones

dinna forget


SILVER
England
James Swann & Son
1989

SILVER
England
James Swann & Son
2002

BRASS
Pelham Burn

do not lose me


SILVER
England
1600s

return to top

erindring
memory


SILVER
Germany
brown stone apex

SILVER
Norway
stone apex

esteem


BRASS
England
Charles Iles
patterned rim
photo Norma Spicer

BRASS
England
Charles Iles

ever dear


BRASS
Pelham Burn

ever true


SILVER
England
1600s

ewig dein
ever yours


TOMBAC
Austria
Settmacher
1920s

ALPACCA
Germany
Lotthammer

ALPACCA
Germany
Lotthammer
different rim

excelsior


BRASS
Pelham Burn

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faith


BRASS
England
Charles Iles
1870s

faith till death keepe


SILVER
England
1600s

fare well


SILVER
England
Gothic script
with band of flowers
1840s

BRASS
England
Charles Iles

fare ye well


von Hoelle

fear god / feare god


SILVER
England
1600s

SILVER
England
SR
1600s

BRASS
England
Charles Iles

fidelity


GOLD
England
Gothic script
1850

for a friend


BRASS
England
Gothic script
1850s

forever yours


von Hoelle

forget me not
each thimble has a slightly different band


GOLD
England
Gothic script
1840s

SILVER
England
1830s

SILVER
England
1830s
with dots

SILVER
England
with small bouquet
1830s

SILVER
England
1840s-1850s

SILVER
England
1840s-1870s

SILVER
England
1850s

SILVER
England
1850s
with forget me nots around the rim and on the band

SILVER
England
1860s

SILVER
England

SILVER
England

SILVER
England

SILVER
England

SILVER
England

SILVER
England
feathery pattern

SILVER
England
with leaves

SILVER
England
scalloped rim

SILVER
England
maid's size

SILVER
England
James Swann & Son
various colour bands
1989

SILVER
England
Gothic script
1830s

SILVER
England
Gothic script
1840s

SILVER
England
Gothic script
1840s-1880s

SILVER
England
Gothic script
1860s

SILVER
England
Gothic script
1870s

SILVER
England
Gothic script
scalloped rim
1870s

SILVER
England
Gothic script
with leaf pattern
1870s

SILVER
England
Gothic script
feathery pattern
1870s

SILVER
England
JWAC
Gothic script
feathery pattern
1870s

SILVER
England
child's size

SILVER
Gothic script
red stone apex

COPPER NICKEL
England
Gothic script
1840s

PINCHBECK
England
Gothic script

BRASS
England
Charles Iles
1870s
patterned rim

BRASS
England
Charles Iles
1880s
patterned rim

BRASS
England
Gothic script
patterned rim

BRASS
England
1900s

TOMBAC

GILT
England?
Gothic script
patterned rim

ALUMINIUM
England

ALUMINIUM
England

METAL
England

PLASTIC
England
Charles Iles

friends


BRASS
Museum of Sydney

friendship


BRASS
England

from a friend


SILVER
England
1830s

SILVER
England
1840s

SILVER
England

SILVER
England


SILVER
England
child's size

BRASS
Pelham Burn

return to top

gage d'amitie
bond of friendship


GOLD
France
Gothic script

SILVER
France
Gothic script

gedenke mein
think of me or remember me


ALPACCA
Germany
Soergel and Stollmeyer
1920s

TOMBAC/NICKEL SILVER
Austria
Settmacher
forms a tiered thimble
gedenke mein / ich liebe dich
1920s

generosity


BRASS
England
Charles Iles
photo Norma Spicer

gift of friendship

god be with you


von Hoelle

god help us


BRASS
Pelham Burn

god is love


SILVER
England
1600s

BRASS
England

good luck


SILVER
England
James Fenton
with horseshoe
1892 / 1894 / 1898 / 1910

BRASS
England
Charles Iles
with horseshoes
1920s

PLATED
England
Charles Iles
italicised script

goodwill


BRASS
Pelham Burn

gott mit dir
god be with you


NICKEL SILVER
Austria
Settmacher
1920s

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happiness


BRASS
patterned rim

happiness & home


von Hoelle

honour the brave


BRASS
ENGLAND
excavated
double rim
photo: Steve

hope


SILVER
USA
1890s
photo Gay Ann Rogers

BRASS
England
Charles Iles
1870s

humility


BRASS
England
Charles Iles
also with a Greek Key patterned band

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i live in hope


SILVER
England
1600s

i love you


SILVER
England
1600s

TOMBAC/NICKEL SILVER
Vienna
Settmacher
+ forget me not
forms a tiered thimble
1920s

BRASS
England
tailor's
1890s

TOMBAC
Austria
Settmacher
+ forget me not
1920s

i protect


BRASS
Pelham Burn

i shall return


BRASS
Pelham Burn

i think of thee


BRASS

i welcome thee


BRASS
Pelham Burn

i wis it better


von Hoelle

ich liebe dich / vergiss mein nicht
i love you / forget me not


TOMBAC/NICKEL SILVER
Vienna
Settmacher
forms a tiered thimble
1920s

i'll marry you


BRASS
England
Charles Iles

in memory of


SILVER
England
1830s-1840s

in remembrance


von Hoelle

industry


BRASS
England
Charles Iles

return to top

keep me bright


BRASS
England
Charles Iles
mistletoe completes slogan
so probably a Christmas gift

return to top

le temps passe souvenir
time passes memories remain [French]


18ct gold with white enamel
France
approx 1914

lebewohl
farewell


BRASS

lende me not if you love me


BRASS
England
1600s

live and let live


BRASS
England
Holmes / Zalkin / Pelham Burn

live in love


SILVER
England
1650s

loose no tyme


SILVER
England
SB?
1650s

love


BRASS
England
Charles Iles

BRASS
England

love and live pray and prosper


SILVER
England
1600s

love forever


von Hoelle

love god


BRASS
England
Charles Iles?
BUY THIS THIMBLE

love is all

love one another


BRASS
Pelham Burn

love united us


BRASS
England
Charles Iles

love vertue


BRASS
England
1600s

return to top

may happiness attend you


BRASS

may you be happy

mi amor ceguira hasta la tunba
my love will continue to the grave [Spanish]


GOLD
photo Frederique Crestin-Billet

mizpah
this is a blessing on parting "May the Lord watch between me and thee whilst we are absent, one from the other"


SILVER
England
with stone top

SILVER
England
James Fenton
with two swans
1914

SILVER
USA
Webster

SILVER
USA
modern

BRASS
England
Charles Iles

my hart is yours


SILVER
England
16th century
there is a pewter replica made of this thimble

return to top

ne m'oublie pas
forget me not


BRASS
France

n'oublions jamais 1914
never let us forget


.800 SILVER
France
1914
notice the rim - this is the original

.800 SILVER
France
Lenain
1970s [restrike]

return to top

pense a moi
think of me


SILVER
France

persevere


BRASS
Pelham Burn

perseverance


SILVER
England
CB

profitez du tems/temps
make the most of time


GOLD and ENAMEL
France

GOLD and ENAMEL
France

STERLING SILVER
France

prosperity


BRASS
Pelham Burn

protect


BRASS
England
with floral scroll
1880s

providence


BRASS
Zalkin

return to top

qui m'aime me suive
he who loves me let him follow me


France

return to top

recuerdo
souvenir [Spanish]


SILVER

regard


GOLD
England
Gothic script in black
1840s
with belt and buckle design

GOLD
England
Ruby Emerald Garnet Amethyst Ruby Diamond
with no lettering just the spelling of the names of the gemstones

SILVER
England
Gothic script
1850s

SILVER
England
Gothic script
band of flowers/leaves
1860s

SILVER
England
Gothic script

SILVER
England
Gothic script

BRASS
England
patterned rim

BRASS
England
Charles Iles
1870s

BRASS
England

BRASS
England

BRASS
England
Charles Iles

regards

remember me


SILVER
England
1870s

SILVER
England
1870s

SILVER
England
1870s

SILVER
England

SILVER
England
Gothic script

BRASS
England
Gothic script
1860s

ALUMINIUM
England

ALUMINIUM
England

remembrance


BRASS
Zalkin

reward


BRASS
Pelham Burn

reward for me


BRASS
England
Charles Iles

reward for merit


BRASS
England
Charles Iles
1880s

ricordo
memory [Italian]


SILVER

BRASS
Pelham Burn

return to top

semper fideles
always faithful


SILVER
1896

sincerity


BRASS
von Hoelle / Pelham Burn

soe not sleping


SILVER
1600s

soyez heureux
be happy


GOLD
France
1860s

soyons fidele a l'amour
let us be faithful to love


BRASS
France

stick to me


SILVER
England
Rd No 272815
with a pictogram of a stick [Rebus]

return to top

ter na gedachtenis


SILVER
Netherlands

tho absent ever dear


SILVER
England
1870s

BRASS
England
1850s

BRASS
England
patterned rim

BRASS
England
double rim

BRASS
England

thoust my love in hert


SILVER
England
1600s

to my love


von Hoelle

toujours fideles
ever faithful


STEEL
France
1800s

truth


BRASS
England
Charles Iles

return to top

vaartwel vergeet mij niet // vart wel vergiet my niet
farewell forget me not [Dutch]


SILVER
Netherlands
with bands of stars
19th C

SILVER
Netherlands
with bands of stars
19th C

vergeet mij niet
forget me not [Dutch]


SILVER
Germany?
1920-30
photo Kay Sullivan

vergiss mein nicht / vergissmeinnicht
forget me not


TOMBAC
Austria
Settmacher
1920s

Germany
Lotthammer

vinger in den hoed wie meedoet
put your finger in the hat [thimble] and play with us [Dutch]


SILVER
Germany
Gabler
1930s
photo Friedy Kamp

return to top

wandelt op rozen
walk on roses [Dutch]


SILVER
Germany?
1920-30
photo Kay Sullivan

welcome


von Hoelle

will you be mine

will you try me


BRASS
Museum of Sydney

with esteem


von Hoelle

with love


von Hoelle

with regard


BRASS
England
patterned rim

return to top

yours truly


ALUMINIUM

return to top

zum geschenk
gift for you


SILVER-PLATED
Germany
Soergel & Stollmeier

zur erinnerung
for remembrance

return to top

DO YOU KNOW ANY MORE DETAILS ABOUT THIMBLES WITH SLOGANS?
DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER SLOGAN THIMBLES NOT MENTIONED?
DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER SLOGAN THIMBLES NOT PICTURED or a CLEARER PICTURE?

EMAIL thimbleselect@bigpond.com TO SHARE YOUR KNOWLEDGE.


Contributors
Bernadine Biske - Carolyn - Sue Christensen - Helga Hill - C Hunt - William Isbister - Kit Froebel
Friedy Kamp - Caroline Meacham - Ray Nimmo - Ro Olbricht - Di Pelham Burn - Norma Spicer
Steve - Joanna Waciorski - Mickey Walbrun - Sue Wilson


References
Christina Bertrand Brass thimbles (TCI) 1986
Frederique Crestin-Billet La folie des Des a Coudre 2003
Cecile Dreesman Een vingerhoedje...A thimble full 1983
Edwin Holmes History of thimbles 1985
Magdalena and William Isbister The "merchant's warehouse" fable TCI Bulletin spring 2007
Diane Pelham Burn Brass message thimbles At Your Fingertips 15/1, May 1999; 15/2, Sept 1999
Norma Spicer Another rare and unusual thimble Stick to me TCI Bulletin spring 2006
Thimble Society [of London] catalogues
John von Hoelle Thimble collector’s encyclopedia 3rd ed. 1986
Estelle Zalkin Zalkin’s handbook of thimbles & sewing implements 1988



This listing of Thimbles with Slogans does not purport to be complete or accurate in all aspects. Rather it invites comment and contribution to add to our knowledge. My thanks to the contributors.

Enjoy!

© Sue Gowan
November 2005


THERE ARE 32 "LEARN MORE ABOUT..." TOPICS
Brass Advertising | British Placenames | British Royalty on Thimbles | British Silversmiths | Charles May | Christmas | Coalport
Dorcas Thimble Boxes | Easter | Gadgets | Francesca | Hallmarked Thimbles set | 'Mother' | The World's Greatest Porcelain Houses
Royal Albert | Royal Crown Derby | Royal Doulton | Royal Worcester Handpainted Thimbles
Royal Worcester Decal Thimbles | S + H Foskett | Silver Advertising Thimbles | Spode | Stratnoid | SylvaC
Thimble Books | Thimble Collectors Club | Thimble Societies | Thimbles with Slogans
Thimblefuls | Victorian Silver Scenic Thimbles | Wedgwood Jasperware | Wedgwood Bone China

THERE ARE 22 PAGES OF THIMBLES & OTHER ITEMS TO BUY
aluminium 1 - books 1 - brass 1 - china 6 - display cases 1
gold 1 - needlework tools 2 - other collectables 1 - pewter 1 - plastic 1
silver 3 - steel & metal 1 - unusual materials 1 - wood 1

Any questions or comments?
thimbleselect@bigpond.com
I do not offer any type of valuation or advice on prices.

  Last updated 21 November 2009  
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