Near PERFECT BCC "Popular" series set .

I really can't get over this find. I know, I know it isn't BCC's top of the line set. But for one that is 100 plus years old this survivor looks to have rarely been touched!! It is their Popular Series set with 4.1" Kings. Weighted and felt (original) in excellent condition. I LOVE the cylinder finials on the Kings. The gaping Bishop tops with FAT miters and frumpy knights expressions are also PERFECT. The pawns have a great slimness to them as well. The most I could find on this set says they were circa 1895-1900. The Mahogany box has a great old world store scent to it as well. I still can't believe the condition.  

Ron, very nice set. Just note, however, that it's not necessarily a BCC set. This design was available in the UK for many years after the demise of BCC. One way to tell would be whether rooks/knights have the typical BCC markings.

I really like that set, Ron.

It is in excellent shape for its age.

Beautiful set. The finial looks on the way to be cut to end up looking like a cross and didn't get there ... which would make the set even more unique ...

Fantastic acquisition Ron, are the felts original and if so what's their condiiton? 

I was just going to comment on that. I have a German set in the same condition. To make the cross from those cylinders, you make parallel cuts to the front and back of the cylinder, and voila, a cross!

My unfinished king is in the lower left corner of this photo:

Beautiful set Ron, I've just been lucky enough to bag myself one of these sets too! It even has the same circular king finials as yours.

Thanks and Congrats . Though I have had people tell me mine could have been made by another company from the turn of the Century (circa 1900). I really don't care as I LOVE this set. The pawns are my favorite of all the sets I own. They are slightly taller than most Staunton sets and the quality of the wood is incredible.  And here's a slightly smaller set with an identical box to mine but these pieces are real combat vets compared to my beauties  ...   http://chessantiques.com/product/lot-26-british-chess-company-popular-chessmen-3-12-king/

I think research has provided information that BCC likely purchased these sets pre fabricated from a foreign manufacturer, so it's likely that none of this style of sets were technically made directly by the British Chess Company. However this doesn't take away from the importance of these sets, which can certainly be called 'Staunton Popular' without worrying about which company re sold them to the British public.

Could it be that sets featuring cylindrical finials were left this way because they had yet to be 'finished' by the BCC/other company? - I've noticed that sets with these unfinished finials are almost always unstamped, and their boxes are never labelled, perhaps because they were part of a large consignment of 'unfinished' stock when BCC finally closed shop at the turn of the century?

Others have speculated that different chess retailers continued to import these sets after the demise of BCC as there was still demand, hence why there are many without BCC stamping or labels.

Btw if you haven't already seen it my thread on my recent 'Staunton Popular' chess set purchase can be found here:

https://www.chess.com/forum/view/chess-equipment/recent-purchase-staunton-popular-chessmen-4-inch-set

What a GREAT link Thanks  !!  I often wondered if these non denominational "cylinder tops" could have been left that way for possible clients in Muslim or Hindu  (Hindi?) Majority Nations ? Chess has such a broad appeal . I even think they may have found a home about 20 years later in Communist countries.

That's an interesting theory Ron, I guess we'll never truly know why the finials were left unfinished.

Btw do the knight and rooks in your set have any form of kings-side markings? I've read that BCC used both starburst and crown markings, but it's difficult to see if they're present on your set from the images that you've posted above.

Very nice set. I actually prefer this to the top of the line BCC. This looks more playable to me.

Hi - Nope no markings I can find. 

By any chance are there any stamp markings in this position of the inner box lid?-

Hi - No markings on the box I can see. But the box is a dead ringer for this one also in Mahogany. Right down to the latch ...  http://chessantiques.com/product/lot-26-british-chess-company-popular-chessmen-3-12-king/

That's a shame about the lack of stamp markings, but I completely agree that it's the correct box.

Out of curiosity did you already know that this set featured in the Tinker Tailor film?

Nope didn't know about the film having it. You mean the original with Sir Alec Guiness? I haven't seen that in decades. I found the full version online. Something to do this evening

I actually never seen the original, but this chess set features quite heavily in the newest 2011 remake of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy featuring Gary Oldman and Colin Firth:

Btw would you be so kind as to share the external dimensions of your box for this set? I often visit antique fairs in Stroud (the home of BCC) and Cirencester in Gloucestershire, and so it’s likely I’ll come across one of these empty BCC boxes eventually, but it would be nice if I could verify any future find against your certified BCC chess box.