World-renowned sculptor Robert Shure was associated with the historic collection of Caproni casts for more than 15 years before purchasing it with his wife. How to tell if you own a vintage Caproni cast? There is a metal hallmark on or near the bottom or back of each piece.

Although not a certified member of the International Fine Art Appraisers, Robert Shure's vast experience comes from being the present owner of the Caproni Collection (formerly the Giust Gallery). Because of this, he has an astute awareness of many values relative to the sale of plasters originally made by Caproni, as well as knowing the values of replacement casts. With this in mind, he will provide his best-educated opinion of value, but this is not a guarantee that the work would sell for any specific amount if placed for sale.

His services would identify the reproduction, provide any information known about the original, and project replacement value as well as an estimate of its antique value.

Appraisal service is available for $125.00 per hour. Send a clear picture of the cast, a picture of the hallmark, and any identifying name on the cast to the Caproni Collection ~ Attention: Appraisal. You can send the request by email or snail mail.

How do you identify a vintage Caproni cast?

There is a metal hallmark on or near the bottom or on the reverse of the piece. Antique Caproni casts have one of several versions of metal hallmarks with the company’s information. These small pieces of metal were inserted into the wet plaster during casting (see example below). Starting in the 1960s when the name changed to the Giust Gallery, the company began using a stamp that was pushed into the wet plaster to create incised text (see photo below). We continued to use the Giust Gallery stamp until 2020, soon after we changed our name to the Caproni Collection. The Capronis through to the Shures (the current owners) identify their casts in these ways to signal the pieces’ provenance and quality.

Can you identify a cast for me?

Yes. If you have an antique plaster cast with a metal hallmark or stamp (see some examples below), you can contact us for information and an estimation of when the cast was created. 

Hallmark dating from c. 1922 to 1960

Hallmark stamp dating from the 1960s to December 2020