Gold Lighter

by Carole
(Costa Rica)

Greetings,

I have a gold lighter in it's original velour box. I have researched the maker's mark but with no luck.

The lighter is 3 1/2 inches long by 1 1/2 wide. The box looks old maybe between 1930 - 1960?

it weights between 8 - 10 oz looks like an ingot. It has the numbers 175 798 marked in the gold on top and the crest is of two bears standing facing one another on the bottom left corner of lighter. The bear on the left is facing right and is bigger than the one on the left. The bears are seperated by a diagonal line. (Could be another type of animal?)

There is also a very small mark right to the crest with something but it is so small I can't make it out. Maybe numbers like a 9 on top and two 9 below , like a pyramid?

The crest of the bears (or animals) is also imprinted on the white silk inside the box.

I also tested the core with out the lighter part with a magnet and it is not attracted at all.

I have a bad camera so attached is the best I could do.

Hope you can help in figuring out what I have and the approx. value.

Thank you