Anson Tie Clip

An Anson tie-clip in the shape of a pump-action shotgun I found among my late father's effects. Remarkably detailed.  My dad never hunted ducks, so why he had this will remain a mystery.

Olof Verner Anderson was born in Transdor, Sweden, and emigrated to the U.S. in 1929 at the age of 17.  In 1938 he founded the Anderson Tool & Die Company in Providence, Rhode Island, which made tools and dies for the jewelry manufacturing industry.  During World War II, the factory altered milling machines for war production.  In 1946, the company became the Anderson Tool and Die Works, shortening this to Anson Inc. in 1948.  They began producing men's jewelry including cuff links, tie tacks, tie chains, stick pins, money clips, key holders and other items made out of sterling silver, gold and silver-filled metal bases.  In 1960, the Anson trademark was changed from block letters to script.  They company added women's jewelry in 1967, when rhodium, bronze and pewter were added as materials.  Their products were sold through the Tiffany Company, among others. Sadly, the company declared bankruptcy in October 1983, when its assets were sold to C&J Jewelry (which, on what's left of its website, claims to have bought the firm in 1993.)  It's not clear that they're still around.  As for Olof, he continued to be assigned jewelry patents into the 1970's and lived to see the company he founded and ran for almost fifty years go under.  He passed away in 1995.