This silver chocolate pot is shaped like a rooster. It was probably made in France in the 18th century. Notice the special knob at the top of the lid. James Julia Auctions, Fairfield, Maine, sold the pot last year for ,600.

Teapots, coffeepots and chocolate pots all were used in past centuries. Each had a special shape, but collectors sometimes do not give antique pots their correct names. A teapot held brewed tea made from loose tea leaves. It was usually small and rounded. An 18th-century teapot held about two measuring cups of tea, which was served in very small porcelain cups. Coffeepots were taller and held six or more cups. Coffee was served in a cup about the size used today. Chocolate pots, introduced in the 17th century, were needed to make and serve a new beverage. The drink was made from cocoa powder, sugar and hot milk. It had to be stirred just before the finished hot chocolate was poured, so a stirrer was usually part of the pot’s design. The center of the lid had a hole so that a long rod with a knob top could be swirled in the pot. Sets were made with creamer, sugar and pots for each beverage in matching designs. Today a teapot can look like one of an earlier time, or it can be a fantasy pot with an unusual shape and fanciful decorations. Chocolate pots with stirrers seem to have lost favor.

Q: I was working in Las Vegas more than 10 years ago and saved $1 chips from a lot of casinos that are no longer in business. I have some from the Sands, Hacienda, Stardust and Desert Inn casinos. I read somewhere that casino chips from defunct casinos can be worth more than their cover value. Is that true?

A: It is true, although $1 chips are usually not as valuable as higher denominations. Your chips are from casinos that have closed within the past 11 years. In general, the older the chips and the better their condition, the higher the price. You can find lots of collectors and dealers (no pun intended) online.

Q: I have a 15-inch-tall ceramic lemonade cooler shaped like a barrel. It’s glazed brown with the word “Lemonade” printed in yellow capital letters on the front. I know it is about 50 years old. I have been searching Web sites to find out what pottery made it. Can you help?

A: Watt Pottery of Crooksville, Ohio, started making barrel-shape coolers with spigots in the 1940s and continued to make them until the company closed in 1965. Some are marked “Lemonade,” while others say “Iced Tea” with or without a brand name. A Watt Lemonade keg can sell for more than $100 today. Perhaps Watt made yours.

Q: What is goofus glass? I couldn’t find any information at my library.

A: Goofus glass, made by many American glass factories from the 1890s until about 1920, is decorative clear or colored pressed glass with overall painted designs. The paint colors most frequently used were gold, red, green, bronze, pink or purple. Because the designs were cold-painted and unfired, they chipped easily. That might be why the glass came to be called “goofus” — somebody goofed thinking that cold painting would work. Collectors in the 1950s often removed the damaged paint and saved the clear pressed-glass vase or bowl. Today, goofus glass pieces in excellent condition are sought by collectors.

Q: I have a small table that my grandmother used as a telephone stand. It has been passed down to me. The other day I opened the small cabinet door and noticed that the cabinet is lined with sheets of metal. Why?

A: The cabinet is lined with metal because it was also designed to be a humidor to store cigars.

Q: Recently I have seen several Coca-Cola commemorative coins for sale online. They’re dated 1915 in Roman numerals on both sides. One side pictures a soldier in armor and reads, “United States of America, Fifty Dollars.” The other pictures an owl and reads, “Coca-Cola Bottling Annual Convtn.” Someone told me they are fakes.

A: They’re “fantasy” items (new items that don’t copy old ones). They are not old and they aren’t worth much. Be careful when shopping for old advertising items, especially for famous brands. Many fakes and fantasies are out there.

Q: I bought a “Remember Pearl Harbor” pin at a small antique store in northern Minnesota. The words “Remember” and “Harbor” are printed in fancy letters made of a gold-colored metal. A small pearl representing the word “Pearl” fits into the top of the left side of the letter “H.” Is this type of jewelry collectible?

A: Your pin is a piece of patriotic jewelry made to remind the nation of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. Thousands of pins, necklaces, bracelets, charms, lockets and other jewelry were made during World War II. They were decorated with flags, hearts, military insignia, eagles, wings, airplanes, soldiers, sailors, V for Victory symbols and more. There were many different “Remember Pearl Harbor” designs, including several like yours, with a pearl in place of the word. Versions of your pin were made in plastic, pewter and metal alloys that look like gold or silver. Think of your pin as a patriotic statement similar to the U.S. flag pins many started wearing in response to the 9/11 attacks.

Tip: Do not store handbags in plastic.

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