Bidspirit auction | American Manganese Steel Co -

American Manganese Steel Co - AMSCO - Missabe Dipper Dragline Advertising Paperweight - AMSCO Missabe Dipper paperweight or match holder, likely made of manganese steel, the company's product. While this is likely a paperweight, its design suggests it could also be a match holder. History, per the company's website and other online resources: The AMSCO name, which stands for American Manganese Steel Company, came along in October of 1915. The first time it appeared on a casting was in 1916. The company history extends to 1795. The company - then American Brake Shoe and Foundry Company - started manufacture of manganese steel in Chicago Heights, Illinois in 1906, after the English inventor's US patent expired. The company subsequently patented and produced the first all-manganese steel power shovel dipper, the “Missabe Dipper.” It was put to used in the Minnesota iron range and the Panama Canal excavation. About 3 1/8 x 3 x 3 1/2 inches