1950s Melmac Flatware Set
Updated September 5, 2026
| Lot number | 161 |
| Auction | Hancock Estate Auction |
| Date | September 25, 2026 at 9:30 AM CDT |
| Auction house | Harrison Auction & Realtor |
| Location | Gracemont, Oklahoma |
VINTAGE 1950s INTERNATIONAL STAINLESS FLATWARE SET WITH BLACK MELMAC HANDLES IN MID-CENTURY WALNUT CHEST - ORIGINAL WEDDING GIFT CARD A mid-century modern flatware service in its original wooden storage chest, complete with the printed dealer card that came with the set. The flatware is bright mirror-polished stainless with slim, tapered, faceted black melmac (melamine) handles and polished ferrules - the sleek, minimal 1950s silhouette that reads as pure atomic-era modern on the table. The chest is a low walnut-finish box on four tapered gold-tone legs with a slim polished torpedo pull, a wood knife rack fitted inside the lid, and a gold-tone textured lining. The enclosed card is hand-inscribed "Wedding Gift from Audrey & Edna Dec. 1956," dating the set and making this an unusually well-documented mid-century service. A strong lot for a mid-century dining table, a set-the-table display, or a buyer building a period service. Sold as one lot, all pieces and the chest together. Description Chest: rectangular hinged-lid wooden case with a glossy dark walnut-stained top, lighter honey-brown stained figured-grain sides, and four tapered brass or gold-tone metal legs. A long slim polished chrome torpedo-form pull is mounted on the front lid edge. Measures approximately 16" long by 11-1/2" front to back, and approximately 3-1/2" to 4" tall at the closed lid per the tape-measure photographs. Bidders should verify all dimensions from the photographs. Chest interior: lined in a gold/mustard textured tarnish-cloth-style material. The lid holds a shaped wood knife rack with slotted retainers holding eight knives. The lower well holds a divided fitted tray with eight compartments for forks and spoons. Flatware: mirror-polished stainless steel bowls, tines, and blades with black tapered melmac handles and bright metal collars. Photographs show eight knives in the lid rack, plus spoons in the four left tray slots and forks in the four right tray slots. Counted from the photographs, the tray appears to hold roughly a dozen spoons and about ten forks, for a total in the range of thirty pieces including the knives. Slots are stacked and overlapping, so bidders should count the pieces themselves from the photographs and bid on the set exactly as pictured. Original card: yellow printed card reading INTERNATIONAL / Stainless / WITH melmac / "An exciting new trend in fine stainless tableware for dining room elegance" / Mastercrafted in Steel by THE INTERNATIONAL SILVER COMPANY / Trade-mark American Cyanamid Company, with the handwritten ink notation "Wedding Gift from Audrey & Edna Dec. 1956." The card is included in the lot. Terms Sold as-is, where-is, All sales final. Please ask any questions before bidding. Buyer is responsible for pickup or shipping arrangements per auction terms.
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