Vintage Sterling Silver Rhode Island 13 Colonies Thimble by Franklin Mint * 1978

Description

Vintage Sterling Silver Rhode Island 13 Colonies Thimble
by Franklin Mint * 1978
This sterling thimble is part of the 13 colonies series made by Franklin Mint in 1978. This one is Rhode Island and the front has a picture of Roger Williams*, considered the founder of Rhode Island.
The back and sides show the settlers and Indians interacting. Inside the top it is stamped © FM 1978. It tests solid sterling silver, but is not so marked. It is in mint condition and brightly gilded inside. It weighs a very solid 8.8 grams.
The size is about an American 7-8 (14.7 mm diameter opening).
Jon von Hoelle has a lot of interesting information about the Franklin Mint thimbles
on p. 97 of the New International Edition of his book
Thimbles Collector's Encyclopedia
.
He shows pictures of two of them on p. 99.
*Roger Williams advocated religious freedom, separation of church and state and fair dealings with the Native Americans. He was expelled from Massachusetts by the Puritan leaders for spreading 'new and dangerous ideas' and he founded Providence plantation which became the Rhode Island colony. This was the first set of thimbles minted in sterling silver offered by the Franklin Mint. According to John von Hoelle, “The Thirteen Colonies series is considered to be one of the finest examples of bas-relief in American sterling thimbles.”
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