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🏛️ ANTIQUE WEST BADEN SPRINGS HOTEL — LUCKY NUMBER 7 — ORIGINAL BRASS HOTEL TAG 🏛️
A LITTLE PIECE OF THE LEGENDARY “EIGHTH WONDER OF THE WORLD” — AND PERHAPS A LITTLE GOOD LUCK, TOO! 🍀
Imagine holding a small piece of history from one of the most magnificent resort hotels America has ever known.
This beautifully aged antique brass tag bears the name WEST BADEN SPRINGS HOTEL, the location WEST BADEN, IND., and a wonderfully distinctive, oversized number 7.
It is an evocative survivor from the golden age of American grand hotels — a time of mineral springs, elegant ballrooms, lavish vacations, and extraordinary architecture.
Its original purpose was likely as a numbered hotel room-key tag, baggage tag, or related identification check.
Unlike the countless postcards and printed souvenirs produced for tourists, this is an actual piece of historic hotel hardware.
And its number makes it particularly LUCKY NUMBER 7 — A SURVIVOR WITH A STORY
Seven has been associated with good fortune for centuries, making this antique hotel’s beautifully styled number 7 especially captivating.
One of the most intriguing questions surrounding this piece is simply:
How did it survive?
Could an early guest have kept it as a lucky charm or sentimental reminder of a memorable visit to West Baden Springs Hotel?
Perhaps it was tucked away in a jewelry box, dresser drawer, or collection of treasured keepsakes, eventually passing from one generation to another.
Or perhaps it remained among old hotel furnishings or equipment long after its original purpose had ended.
We may never know.
Its ownership history and the circumstances of its preservation are undocumented, and the lucky-charm explanation is offered only as an intriguing possibility.
But the mystery is part of its appeal.
More than an antique brass tag, this is a genuine historical object bearing one of the world’s most recognizable symbols of good WEST BADEN SPRINGS HOTEL — AN AMERICAN LEGEND
Located in West Baden Springs, Indiana, the celebrated West Baden Springs Hotel became one of America’s premier resort destinations during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
The original hotel was destroyed by fire in 1901.
Determined to rebuild on an extraordinary scale, owner Lee W. Sinclair commissioned a magnificent replacement hotel that opened in 1902.
Its breathtaking circular atrium, crowned by an enormous free-spanning dome, quickly became an architectural sensation.
The hotel earned the celebrated nickname:
“THE EIGHTH WONDER OF THE WORLD.”
Guests traveled from across America to experience the mineral springs, luxurious accommodations, recreation, and fashionable social atmosphere of the French Lick–West Baden resort region.
Today, the beautifully restored West Baden Springs Hotel is a National Historic Landmark and one of Indiana’s most treasured historic destinations.
This antique brass tag offers a tangible connection to that remarkable HOW OLD IS THIS TAG?
Estimated period: Late nineteenth to early twentieth century, potentially circa 1890–1920.
The tag’s construction, recessed serif lettering, decorative numeral, and overall design are consistent with antique hotel identification hardware from around the turn of the twentieth century.
An especially interesting possibility is that this design could date to the original hotel before the 1901 fire.
Alternatively, it may have been produced for the magnificent replacement hotel that opened in 1902.
The exact manufacturing date has not been established, and this piece cannot currently be attributed conclusively to either building.
The suggested date range is an informed estimate, not a documented production date.
The hotel name and location are clearly identified on the artifact itself, providing a direct connection to West Baden Springs Hotel regardless of which period it ORIGINAL HOTEL HARDWARE — NOT AN ORDINARY SOUVENIR
The tag features a distinctive rounded-square shape with gently softened corners and an elongated attachment slot across the top.
Its front is impressed with deeply recessed lettering arranged around a large, decorative number 7.
The inscription reads:
WEST BADEN
SPRINGS HOTEL,
7
WEST BADEN, IND.
Dark material remains within much of the recessed lettering, creating a beautiful contrast against the aged golden-brown brass.
The reverse is plain and unmarked.
Its sturdy construction and attachment slot suggest use as a numbered identification tag, possibly associated with hotel room keys, baggage, or another aspect of hotel operations.
A similar West Baden Springs Hotel brass tag bearing number 81 appeared in a May 2025 historical memorabilia sale, where it was described as a room-key tag.
That comparison supports the identification of this piece as part of a recognizable style of numbered hotel hardware, although it does not conclusively establish the original purpose or age of this particular example.
This listing is for the original antique brass number 7 tag shown in the EXACT MEASUREMENTS
• Height: 39.49 mm — approximately 1.55 inches
• Width: 35.29 mm — approximately 1.39 inches
• Thickness: 1.34 mm
• Weight: 13.53 grams
Material: Brass
Number: 7
Hotel: West Baden Springs Hotel
Location: West Baden Springs, Indiana
The compact size makes this an especially attractive piece for display in a historical memorabilia collection, alongside antique hotel keys, or within a carefully arranged shadow CONDITION — BEAUTIFULLY AGED & UNRESTORED
This antique brass tag has been preserved with its existing surface character intact.
It displays an attractive, naturally developed golden-brown patina with darker areas of oxidation and discoloration.
Visible signs of age and handling include:
• Surface scratches, scuffs, and scattered small marks
• Uneven patina, oxidation, and localized spotting
• Minor wear to the edges and rounded corners
• Wear and small irregularities along the attachment slot
• Localized loss of dark material within the recessed lettering
• Small surface imperfections and handling marks
• Two short, adjacent linear impressions on the otherwise unmarked reverse
The recessed hotel name, location, and decorative number 7 remain clearly defined and readily legible.
The elongated attachment slot is intact, and no obvious cracks or major structural damage have been observed.
No manufacturer’s mark has been identified.
The tag has not been polished or restored.
Its original-looking aged appearance is part of its historical character and collector appeal.
Please carefully examine every photograph, particularly the detailed close-ups of the lettering, edges, attachment slot, and reverse.
The photographs are an essential part of the condition description and show the actual antique tag you will IMPORTANT — ADDITIONAL HISTORICAL ITEMS SHOWN FOR REFERENCE
One photograph shows this brass number 7 tag alongside two other historic French Lick Springs Hotel and West Baden Springs Hotel collectibles.
The additional historical pieces are pictured solely for comparison, historical context, and size reference. They are separate collectibles and are not included in this purchase.
A Mercury dime and precision ruler are also shown in selected photographs for scale only.
ONLY THE WEST BADEN SPRINGS HOTEL BRASS NUMBER 7 TAG IS INCLUDED IN THIS LISTING.
All other pictured collectibles and measuring references are AN EXCEPTIONAL CONVERSATION PIECE FOR COLLECTORS
This antique tag offers an unusual combination of historical interest, visual character, and enduring symbolism.
Especially appealing to collectors of:
• West Baden Springs Hotel memorabilia
• French Lick and southern Indiana history
• Antique hotel keys and numbered brass tags
• Historic American hotels and grand resorts
• Victorian and Edwardian travel artifacts
• Early American tourism and hospitality history
• Antique brass hardware and identification checks
• Lucky number 7 and good-luck collectibles
• National Historic Landmark memorabilia
It would also make a thoughtful gift for someone with a personal connection to West Baden Springs Hotel, an appreciation for historic architecture, or a lifelong affection for the lucky number 7.
An original antique brass tag from one of America’s most legendary hotels — beautifully aged, historically fascinating, and numbered a very lucky 7.
Opportunities to acquire an identifiable piece of historic hotel hardware with this combination of character and appeal are worth considering.
🍀 WHO KNOWS? PERHAPS THIS LITTLE LUCKY 7 STILL HAS A STORY LEFT TO SHIPPING
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