remarkably intact 19th century antique american outdoor storefront hanging jeweler or watchmaker trade sign attributed to the ed. c. miller co., bellefontaine, oh. the visually striking double-sided pocket watch advertising sign features an ornamental cast iron bezel adorned with surrounding embossed letter banners interspersed with floral rosettes. the intact fluted crown and bow or stationary ring are original. the hand-painted clock face, featuring black enameled roman numerals and hour and minute hands, is comprised of pressed zinc. amazingly, the original gilded finish applied to the bezel and banners remains largely intact. expected surface wear, discoloration, crazing, chipping, etc. consistent with age. increasingly hard to find these watch trade signs with the original (i.e., "first paint) intact. the trade sign took many forms in early america. when education was a privilege and literacy rare, the ideal trade sign immediately caught the attention of a passerby and, because of its design, was totally self-explanatory. folk artists, sometimes including itinerant portrait painters, created signs that bore pictures that visually explained the name of the establishment or the services to be found within. these signs usually carried pictures or lettering on both sides and were hung from a tall post at right angles to the road, so as to be visible to travelers approaching from either direction. three-dimensional carved trade signs were often produced in the same workshops as figureheads and other ship decorations and usually displayed the same broad-planed carving style that typified american figureheads. the introduction of electric signs, which could advertise a business in the dark, led to the decline of the carved trade signs. measures 22 1/2 x 18 x 2 1/2 inches.