Gold Plated Triumphs
Posted: Sat Nov 27, 2021 10:18 pm
I was fortunate enough to purchase a gold plated Triumph recently and would like to know how many documented examples there are. I know of three or four others but at least one of them does NOT have the TAE "signature tag" so may be a dealer or owner plated machine. It is very late (model E) so may have indeed be factory plated but without the tag.
Mine is a Banner "A" model so I was super excited to have a chance to own it. Here's the one-in-a-million story of how it came my way: My neighbor's daughter occasionally dog-sits for us so her mother had been in our house and seen some machines. Her brother had snagged this machine years ago whilst cleaning out an uncle's house in Florida. She had it here in St. Louis so shot my wife a couple of quick pics. She didn't know how to open it so all I knew was that it was a mahogany Banner machine - OK, good. I'm out of town so couldn't see it for an excruciating three or four days. I kiddingly said to a friend, watch it be nickel plated or have a Weber repeater on it! Well, a day or two later the photo of the tag arrives and - WOW - distinctive hints of gold there. Too good to be true. . . . only four door down from my door.
The brother was visiting St. Louis for Thanksgiving and we were able to come to terms and two of my "bucket list" items are now checked off: Mahogany Banner Triumph and plated Triumph.
As you can see, it was converted to 2/4 and the original gold mandrel, carriage, and reproducer were replaced. The gold crank is missing. Beggars can't be choosers, I guess.
Fortunately, many years ago, a local collector called me because he had a Triumph in for a repair and it had a nickel carriage. He offered to substitute a black carriage on the machine and I kept the plated one not knowing if I would ever need it. Serendipity!
Just checked my George Frow book: Banner Triumphs cost $50, mahogany was an extra $10, and gold was a walloping 50 bucks add so more than double the cost of the base machine! Note the late Spring Motor style tag. I've not seen this style tag on very many Triumphs and certainly none later than about 30,000 serial number (have you?).
Let me know what other gold machines you know of. I do have a record of the model "D" in the upcoming Stanton auction.
Mine is a Banner "A" model so I was super excited to have a chance to own it. Here's the one-in-a-million story of how it came my way: My neighbor's daughter occasionally dog-sits for us so her mother had been in our house and seen some machines. Her brother had snagged this machine years ago whilst cleaning out an uncle's house in Florida. She had it here in St. Louis so shot my wife a couple of quick pics. She didn't know how to open it so all I knew was that it was a mahogany Banner machine - OK, good. I'm out of town so couldn't see it for an excruciating three or four days. I kiddingly said to a friend, watch it be nickel plated or have a Weber repeater on it! Well, a day or two later the photo of the tag arrives and - WOW - distinctive hints of gold there. Too good to be true. . . . only four door down from my door.
The brother was visiting St. Louis for Thanksgiving and we were able to come to terms and two of my "bucket list" items are now checked off: Mahogany Banner Triumph and plated Triumph.
As you can see, it was converted to 2/4 and the original gold mandrel, carriage, and reproducer were replaced. The gold crank is missing. Beggars can't be choosers, I guess.
Fortunately, many years ago, a local collector called me because he had a Triumph in for a repair and it had a nickel carriage. He offered to substitute a black carriage on the machine and I kept the plated one not knowing if I would ever need it. Serendipity!
Just checked my George Frow book: Banner Triumphs cost $50, mahogany was an extra $10, and gold was a walloping 50 bucks add so more than double the cost of the base machine! Note the late Spring Motor style tag. I've not seen this style tag on very many Triumphs and certainly none later than about 30,000 serial number (have you?).
Let me know what other gold machines you know of. I do have a record of the model "D" in the upcoming Stanton auction.
, Larry