Is This Copperware Worthwhile?

Question

An estate sale near me includes a half dozen copper pots and pans. Because of the virus, there is no in person inspection. The items at the sale are sold more like an online auction from the pictures. There is one picture of a stamp saying "Villedieu France" in simple straight type on two lines and another stamp "Williams Sonoma" underneath. The handles are attached with what appear to be copper rivets. The interiors are silver colored. There are no covers. There is no information on sizes. They look like they were used, but more for a hanging display than for cooking. Are they in any way special? Cookers or lookers? Value range? Consider bidding or run away? I have a few days to decide.

Answer

The first sort is easy. Are the handles on the saucepans cast iron or brass?

Answer

Do the pots have a hammered surface or are they smooth?

Answer

Worth a look. Anything stamped “Villedieu France” is going to be worth considering. Depending on price of course. Copper rivets= Tin lined.

Same goes with “Williams Sonoma” copper. Anything W/S with copper rivets is going to be traditional and usually good quality. Tin lined. 

How good? That’s more difficult, but here’s some clues.

Pans with a long handle are usually better if the long handle is cast iron and not brass. 

HOWEVER, this clue does not apply to pans or pots with 2 short handles. The handle material (short handles) doesn’t indicate quality, and brass is much more common even in the best of pans/pots with 2 handles.

Type of pan makes some difference. Certain specialty type pans might be thinner. But if Williams Sonoma sold a standard sauce pan, Windsor, or sauté or rondeau, or stew type casserole pots, with copper rivets, it’s going to be best quality and probably decently thick copper. 

The “hammered” look was used and continued forever in the sauce pans with long Iron handles. So, while nice, it would not be unusual. 

It may mean something in the bigger pans. So, definitely worth checking out.

Answer

The copper is smooth, not hammered looking. The handles are brass colored. The handle lengths are at least as long as the pan is wide. There is no way from the pictures to guess thickness.

So, with no physical inspection and only limited info to be gleaned from the pictures, the key question: How much would a pan like this be worth, low to high? There are 5 different items available, no unusual shapes or types, and they are being sold as a single lot. Two pans and 2 pots with the long handles, and an oval flat pan with two small handles.

Answer

Not enough information.

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Is This Copperware Worthwhile?

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