Q. I’ve attached photos of a jar that’s been around the house for as long as I can remember. It’s 15 centimetres tall (six inches) and the writing on the bottom says “Souvenir of the Great War. Commenced Aug 4th, 1914, Armistice Nov 11th, 1918, Peace Signed June 28 1919.” Then in writing below “Bairnsfather Ware.” There’s also an image of an old man, under which reads “Old Bill.”

— Linda, Toronto

A. This is a fascinating piece with a great story. Old Bill was a popular and well-known British cartoon character developed during the First World War by Charles Bruce Bairnsfather (1888-1959), who initially hoped to pursue a military career but ended up studying art instead.

When the war began, he volunteered for military service and began drawing cartoons depicting life in the trenches. The cartoons were subsequently published and were credited with boosting troop morale, which led to Bairnsfather being asked to draw similar cartoons for the Allied Forces. The Old Bill series became so popularized they were reproduced on planes, buses, and mess hall walls.

Grimwades, of Britain, made your tobacco humidor, which pictures Old Bill dipping a piece of bread into a tin of Tommy Tickler’s famous war ration, plum and apple jam. Underneath, it says ‘When the ‘ell is it goin’ to be strawberry?’

Bairnsfather’s talents went beyond his gift as a cartoonist though. He was also a writer and playwright (he wrote and directed the 1928 Canadian movie, Carry on, Sergeant.) This humidor is full of history on so many levels. As for monetary value, I think it’s worth about $450.

Q. I found this little truck at a garage sale and paid 25 cents for it. It’s cast iron and measures 14 cm (5.5 inches) bumper to bumper. The letter M is stamped on the bottom of the frame. It’s in pretty good condition and I was wondering if it’s worth anything.

— Mary, Toronto

A. Coca Cola items are still widely collected, but the trouble with this piece is it’s not old; it’s a reproduction made to look old. The biggest giveaway is the lack of manufacturing quality. The old ones are always crisp and well made, with much finer details. The large star screw head on the side of it is another giveaway. This is a fun little item, but it is what it is. As a novelty, it might be worth $25 to somebody.

Q. My parents received this cut glass lamp as a wedding present in 1913. My father worked for the Canadian Pacific Railway and his co-workers gave it to them as a wedding gift. Unfortunately, that’s all I know about it.

— Marg, Richmond Hill

A: Not to be crassly commercialistic, but this was quite an extravagant present. These lamps were expensive, especially when you consider that in 1913 the average factory worker was making between $10 and $15 a week.

This lamp, which I’m estimating stands about 56 cm tall (22 inches), probably cost close to $30 back then. It’s known as a mushroom dome-cut glass lamp. It was made in what’s commonly known as the “brilliant period” of cut glass — from about 1875 to 1916.

This type of heavy, very sparkly, leaded cut glass was made by a number of North American companies, including Roden Brothers, Gundy & Clapperton, and Gowans and Kent, all of which were based in Ontario. It was used for a whole range of decorative tableware, including berry bowls, napkin rings, pitchers, candlesticks and vases. The patterns were hand-cut using large metal and stone wheels by very skilled glass cutters who worked according to specified patterns. The quality of the glass and the patterns themselves, however, varied enormously.

One of the larger, most elaborate versions of these mushroom dome lamps sold a few years ago in the United States for a whopping $15,000. Your parents’ lamp is more of an average quality, but it is nice and as such is worth in the $400 range.

John Sewell is an antiques and fine art appraiser. To submit an item to this column, go to the Contact John page at www.johnsewellantiques.ca Please measure your piece, say when and how you got it, what you paid and list any identifying marks. A high-resolution jpeg must also be included. (Only email submissions accepted.) Appraisal values are estimates only.