Stein, Mettlach (not Leonid)

Chess Sells Beer? Or maybe beer sells chess? On Top eBay Chess Items by Price, you're never sure which is selling what.

The item on the left sold under the title 'ANTIQUE METTLACH GERMAN STEIN WITH CHESS PIECES WITH BOARD'. It received 30 bids from 16 bidders, finally selling for US $1009. The price more than doubled in the last five minutes of bidding.

Were those 16 bidders chess collectors, stein collectors, some other kind of collector, or a few individuals looking for a nice piece to display on the fireplace mantle? Whatever the motivation, the item's description stated clearly that it was something special:-

This listing is for a very handsome Mettlach german antique stein. It is 1/2 liter stein that measures 9 1/2 inches or 24 cm high. It is an incised stein with a pewter top. The stein is decorated with the center design being a chess board flanked by two Knight chess pieces. Above this is a motto in German "SCHACH DEM KONIGE" or "The Chess Kings".

The stein is signed on the bottom with "METTLACH GESCHUTZ 2049" along with Mettlach's incised castle mark. The pewter top is fancy with a mask on the thumb piece. A handsome stein. It is in exceptional condition. There is no damage and the lid is tight and strong.

I'm not sure that the translation of "SCHACH DEM KONIGE" as "The Chess Kings" is entirely accurate, but I'm not going to quibble. It's a nice piece whatever you call it.