Click on the arrows to swipe through the images, or click a photograph to enlarge
QA-2026-080
American meter company
A miniature gas meter in brass, made as an advertising paperweight for American Meter Company. Its appeal is as industrial advertising memorabilia: an everyday machine turned into a decorative desk object.
€ 55 margin scheme, VAT not separately charged
- Every mark photographed and transcribed below
- Condition stated in full, including what is wrong with it
- Posted insured and tracked from the Netherlands
- Return within 14 days if it is not as described
About this piece
This is a miniature gas meter, made as an advertising paperweight for American Meter Company. It reproduces the two pipe connections, the meter dials and the access panels. The company name is shown prominently on the base.
The company manufactured meters for measuring gas consumption in homes and businesses. Examples of its full-sized meters are held by the Smithsonian. Comparable paperweights are catalogued in both gold- and silver-coloured finishes.
It was probably a promotional desk accessory or corporate gift. I haven't found documentation of who received these. A mid-20th-century date is plausible. Another American Meter paperweight is inscribed "200,000 June 1960", but that does not establish the date of this one.
As a collector you will enjoy this as an industrial advertising memorabilia. A recognisable everyday machine has become a decorative desk object.
Condition
- Dark spots and tarnishing on the back and lower half of the body.
- Fine surface scratches confined to the base.
- A small casting irregularity at one corner of the base.
- The red plush fabric on the underside is in excellent condition.
Details
| Object | Miniature gas-meter advertising paperweight |
|---|---|
| Material | Gold-coloured metal (solid brass or bronze is not established; a plated casting is possible); red pile fabric on the underside |
| Country | USA |
| Assay system | American meter company |
| Maker | American meter company |
| Period | Mid-20th century (plausible, not firmly dated) |
| Height | 8 cm (3 inches) |
| Width | 4,5 cm (1.8 inches) |
| Weight | 359 grams (0.73 lb) |
| Condition | As new |
| Attribution | Inscribed on the base: AMERICAN METER COMPANY. This names the company advertised. The maker of the paperweight itself is not established. |
American Meter Company
American Meter Company manufactured meters for measuring gas consumption in homes and businesses. Examples of its full-sized meters are held by the Smithsonian. This paperweight reproduces such a meter in miniature, with the two pipe connections, the dials and the access panels.
How I read a mark strip