Page 17 - SUNDAY 28 FEBRUARY AUCTION

handle, raised beading at colour
join. Players pict. sailor t.m. below lip, cig. name each side
- all in blue. Lovetts Langley base transfer. (9/10)
transfer. See easylive for close up of crazing/ condition.
Players Please
In March 1820, William Wright set up a small tobacco factory in Craigshill, Livingston, West Lothian. His business expanded and earned Wright a comfortable fortune. John Player bought the business in 1877. He already had the Castle Tobacco Factories in Radford, Nottingham, just west of the city centre. He had three large factory blocks built, initially only one was used to process and pack tobacco, the other two loaned out to lace manufacturers until the business expanded enough to use the extra space.
John Player died in December 1884 and for the next 9 years the business was run by a small group of family friends until W.G. and J.D. Player took over the firm in 1893, becaming a private limited company in 1895, with a share capital of £200,000.
In 1901, in response to competitive threats from the US, Player’s merged with the Imperial
Tobacco Group. The largest constituent of Imperial Tobacco was W.D. & H.O. Wills
and the new group was run from Wills’ head office in Bristol. Player’s retained
its own identity with cigarette brands such as Navy Cut, No. 9, John Player
Special, and Gold Leaf; loose tobacco brands such as No Name; and its
distinctive logo of a smoking sailor in a navy-cut cap.
70. PLAYERS PLEASE NAVY CUT JUG. 4ins tall. Cream coloured water jug with players t.m to front. has base transfer.
(9/10)
74. PLAYERS WEIGHTS DISH/ASHTRAY. 5ins
by 4.5ins rectangular dish, 8 facetted edges. Blue lettering to outer rim detailed pict. cig. packet to middle. Gold coloured base transfer. (9/10)
71. PLAYERS PLEASE TALL NECK WATER JUG. 5.5ins tall.
Blue neck and
75. PLAYERS WEIGHTS CIGARETTES ASHTRAY. 4
ins triangular blue print gold rimmed ashtray. Blue base
(8.5/10)
72. PLAYERS PLEASE WATER JUG. 4.2ins tall. Blue neck and handle,
76. PLAYERS
WEIGHTS WATER
JUG & ASHTRAY. 4.5 in tall jug & 5.8 diam. ashtray. Mint-green body
glaze, black and
orange print.
T.G.Green & Co
Ltd base transfer. A
very period looking
duo! 9/10
raised beading at colour join. Players pict. sailor t.m.
below lip, cig. name each side - all in blue. Lovetts
Langley base transfer. (9/10)
73. PLAYERS WEIGHTS CIGARETTES CERAMIC ASHTRAY. 4.8 ins diam. Circular with gold & blue detailing, & large central pict. t.m. Blue base transfer p.m. (9/10)
77. STONES ALES ASHTRAY. 5.4
diam. Circular red print
ashtray/ dish with cartoon like ctentral pict. image.
Green Wade Regicor base transfer. (9/10)