Seymour Music Box Decanter (ca. 1980)

A ceramic decanter a little over 1 foot tall shaped like the anthropomorphic Golden Eagle mascot of the University of Southern Mississippi, Seymour. The brown-feathered character wears a yellow football uniform with USM on the front and is throwing a football with its right hand. It stands on a grassy knoll. At the base of the decanter is a sticker that reads - I Believe; Golden Eagles

Among the more intriguing additions to the University Archives’ memorabilia collection is a decanter shaped like Southern Miss mascot Seymour that also functions as a music box. Seemingly made by Hoffman Whiskey Distilleries throughout the mid to late 1970’s, this item is but one example of several similar novelty decanters made to promote Hoffman’s liquor. The company made several different designs featuring various college mascots, often with similar features or poses, most notably the MSU Bulldog and the Ole Miss Colonel.

In addition to the mascot decanters themselves, Hoffman also created a series of football helmet decanters with school specific emblems and several of “Mr. and Mrs. Lucky,” a pair of leprechauns in a variety of costumes and poses. Hoffman Distillery has a storied history that dates back to its origins at a Kentucky distillery in 1889 and spans expansions, multiple closures, the Prohibition era, company acquisitions, and changes in ownership.

Most of the Hoffman novelty decanters contain music boxes that play a variety of tunes located at the base of the ceramic decanters. The example in the University Archives featuring Seymour has a functional music box that plays the fight song, albeit slowly and slightly out of tune. Liquor could be poured from Seymour’s throwing arm, with the forearm holding the football being detachable from the rest of the mass.

The phrase “I Believe” is glued onto the base, and although it was not an official slogan of the school or the football program, it was a common chant at the time. Given the fact that the decanters of this kind were used to prop up Hoffman Distillery’s business model until its closure in 1979, the item likely contained whiskey at the time of sale.

For more information on the item or the University memorabilia collection contact .

Sources Consulted:

Special Thanks to Sandi Creel and her husband for donating the item to the Archives ttps://oldcommonwealth.com/pages/about
(History of Hoffman Distillery) https://insidetheparkcollectibles.com/viewblogarticle.aspx?blogid=18
(Football Helmet Decanter Collection) ttps://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/usm-believe-golden-eagle-liquor-4674035383

This Item of the Month was written by Uriah Jenkins, records management specialist, in Special Collections.