2015 ASCAS membership
No fees are requested for ASCAS membership.
Members still interested to ASCAS and its activity are invited
to send an e-mail to
confirming their 2015 membership (the simplest way is to
use the 'reply' button on our December e-mail).
I apologize for this little effort asked to whomever appreciates
and supports ASCAS activity.
No action is required to unsubscribe. Members not confirming
their membership will be automatically deleted from the sending
of our monthly Newsletter and will be suspended on
February 2015.
Please accept my best wishes for a happy Christmas and a
prosperous New Year and my thanks for your present or past
appreciation of my work.
Giorgio Busetto
ASCAS Secretary
David McKinley presents:
London Hallmarking on 19th Century Flatware
The methods of marking from 1781 onwards require a good deal of
close examination to determine what nuances of difference were
introduced in the engraving of punches to outwit unscrupulous
silversmiths.
As I have stated elsewhere it becomes obvious that marks on
teaspoons could be easily "let in" on the foot rims of jugs and
other similar items so that it was of some importance that
teaspoon marks could be differentiated from other marks of
similar size.
Apart from the omission of the leopard's head the main
difference between the teaspoon mark and that used on other
plate is in the shape of the punch in which the sterling lion is
engraved. Whereas on all marks, other than those designed for
tea and other small spoons, the lion is in a rectangular box
with an ogee base and canted top corners the lion on these
smaller spoons between 1781 and 1785 is in a roughly oval
outline.....
click
here
Welcome to new ASCAS members:
Jonathan Harris - England UK
Janelle Jefferson - Australia
Rev.Dr. John Wade Long, Jr, Webmaster of the Pipe Club of
London, writes:
...I regularly receive inquiries about antique pipes from around
the world, and usually am able to answer them on my own.
This one, however, has me stumped! It's a silver-mounted
meerschaum Kalmasch which APPEARS to be Swedish?
1. There is a clear stamp with three-crowns.
2. There is a stand-alone H which may be a date mark, though
1766 seems terribly early for a pipe like this which my guess
would date into the early-mid 1800s.
3. There is a maker's mark: E.W.G. The only Swedish maker with
those initials is a 20th Century maker, so I'm baffled.
4. There appears to be a silver purity mark of some type that
mystifies me! 8.4.???
Any help you can offer would be MOST appreciated.
Thanks & blessings,
Johnny
Blair writes:
...I'm unable to decipher this mark. Would you be able to help
me?
Blair
Robert Massart writes
The maker's mark, Riccardo Bonardi is asking for, belongs to
the manufacturer silversmith François Labat, 43 rue de
Montmorency, Paris
n. de garantie: B972
n. de préfecture: 11403
Symbol: a shoemaker's piercer (une alène de cordonnier)
Mark entered: January 19, 1897
Mark deleted: January 23, 1920
Robert Massart
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This month ASCAS presents a 1907 advertisement of:
ALVIN MFG. CO
The firm was organised as Alvin Mfg Co in
Irvington, New Jersey, in 1886.
In 1895 the factory was moved to Sag Harbor, Long
Island operating as a branch Joseph Fahys & Co
(c.1898-1910).
In 1919 the company changed its name to Alvin Silver
Co operating as maker of sterling silver and silver
plated flatware, holloware and dresserware.
In 1928 Gorham Company purchased assets, dies and
patterns changing the name to Alvin Corporation
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"A WORD per MONTH"
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TEA KETTLE
TEAPOT WITH STAND
Owing to the high cost of tea during most of the
18th century the teapot was of noticeably small size
requiring frequent re-filling. The tea kettle was used
to contain hot water to replenish the teapot when
brewing tea.
Usually it has a pear-shaped, spherical, bullet-shaped
or melon-shaped form with a stand containing a heater.
Sometimes it is accompanied by a tray to prevent heat
and drips reaching the table.....
more
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"A SILVERSMITH per MONTH"
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SAMUEL GODBEHERE
- SAMUEL GODBEHERE & EDGAR WIGAN
- SAMUEL GODBEHERE, EDGAR WIGAN & JAMES BULT (S.GODBEHERE
& CO)
- SAMUEL GODBEHERE & JAMES BULT
Samuel Godbehere was not
apprenticed through the Goldsmiths' Company nor was a
Freeman of the Company.
He entered his first mark as plateworker at 86 Cheapside
in 1784, succeeding to James Stamp (goldsmith and
jeweller).
In 1786 Samuel Godbehere began the partnership with
Edward Wigan, entering the new mark on 13 September.
In 1787 the partnership was registered as Godbehere,
Wigan & Co (late Mr. Stamp's) 'working goldsmiths'
(1787-1796).....
more
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"A CREST per MONTH"
SMYTH
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The crest of Smyth family ((Yorks.)
A unicorn head, erased. The motto is 'Exaltabit Honore'
(He will exalt with honour)
The crest was found in an Old Sheffield Plate set of
entrée dish with marks of Waterhouse, Hatfield & Co (c.
1836)
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Closing our DECEMBER 2014 edition of ASCAS Newsletter I hope
you have appreciated its content.
Your comments, suggestions and advice will be of great help.
My thanks to Blair, Riccardo Bonardi, Robert Massart, David
McKinley, Rev.Dr. John Wade Long, Jr for their precious
contributions.
Giorgio Busetto
Secretary
DISCLAIMER AND PRIVACY POLICY
ASCAS is a community of people having a common
interest in antique silver.
It is a non-profit association without commercial links.
Membership is open to whomever has a true interest in
this subject matter.
ASCAS has no real property and no fees are requested nor
accepted from members.
ASCAS keeps in touch with its members only through
periodical newsletters, e-mails and web-site updating
and ignores and is not responsible for any other
activity pursued by its members.
Likewise, ASCAS is not responsible for opinions,
evaluation and images displayed, and in any form
published or supplied for publication, by its members
who, in any case, maintain the property of their works
and assure the respect of national and international
legislation about Intellectual Property.
ASCAS does not have the full addresses of its members (only
town, country and e-mail address are requested for
membership).
ASCAS handles and protects with care its members' e-mail
addresses, will not disclose the addresses to third
parties, will use this information only to reply to
requests received from members and for communications
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These rules are expressly accepted by submitting the
membership request.
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newsletter
# 127 December 2014
