Ampico Rolls Appraisal

Vintage 'AMPICO' Player Piano Roll Box

This item is a vintage rectangular box, likely constructed from cardboard or pressboard and covered with a dark, possibly navy-blue or black, textured paper resembling leather. Its dimensions appear to be considerably longer than they are wide, suggesting it was designed to house an elongated object. The most prominent feature is the word "AMPICO" displayed vertically along one of its longer sides, rendered in a sans-serif font within an ornate double-lined cartouche with rounded corners. The lettering and the borders of the cartouche are gold-embossed or printed in a metallic gold color, showing some wear and fading. The short ends of the box also feature decorative gold-toned scrollwork or filigree designs, indicating careful attention to aesthetic detail. The box exhibits significant signs of age and use, including scuffs, scratches, dust accumulation, and loss of surface paper, particularly along edges and corners. There are visible white specks or residue, possibly from past storage conditions or degradation of the material. The overall impression is one of a well-used but historically significant item. Given the