ASCAS Association of Small Collectors of Antique Silver newsletter # 97 June 2012
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A new article for ASCAS website

Britannia standard Marks on a teaspoon by Richard Britton London 1835/6
David McKinley presents:

The Double Mark Punch Used At The London Assay Office English version

On 29th May 1786 John Pingo, the engraver to the Goldsmiths' Company of London, petitioned the Company for an increase in salary because of his greatly increased workload. Within this petition he mentions that: ".....I have also made double marks on single punches for Tea Spoons...." and these 'Double Marks' are mentioned in the mark registers from 1785, the first year in which mark registers (or mark books) were kept.....
click here English version

New members

Welcome to new ASCAS members:

Francis Barclay - New Zealand
Patrick Costello - England UK
Charles Kalus - USA
François Milliat - France
Debora Rindge - USA
Edward Schmitt - USA
Jean-Paul Zucchetto - Dominican Republic
 
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Members' Window # 97

A Dutch cow creamer
Craig Dorman presents:

Collecting Silver Cow Creamers English version

It's not often that silver items start a "craze" that leads to massive production of similarly shaped pottery items... but that's what happened in the late 1700s when John Schuppe, a Dutch silversmith transplanted to London, popularized silver cow creamers (later immortalized by P.G.Wodehouse in the Code of the Woosters, the first of the Totleigh Towers saga, where Jeeves saves the cow creamer). I had been fascinated by cow creamers ever since I had a simple china one as a small boy (my mother disdained from putting anything as gauche as a milk bottle on the table) and had started a modest and inexpensive collection, but I didn't know anything about their origin and 18-19c popularity until I lived in London in the mid 90's and visited the Victoria and Albert Museum.......
click here
English version

Mail to ASCAS: e-mail silverassociation@yahoo.it

Benedict Gagelmann writes:
...can I ask you for your help? I have a silver tea pot with burner, but I cannot find out in what country it has been made.
Maybe Italy? Swiss? I send you a photo of the tea pot and its marks. It has the two letters "CB".
Maybe you have any idea who made it?
Thanks very much for your help
Benedict Gagelmann
***ANSWER PUBLISHED IN JULY 2012 NEWSLETTER***

Derek Jones writes:
... I have tried every site I can find to try to get the full hallmarked information on this presentation knife given to my father in 1928 by the Finnish community in the town where he lived.
I have identified the Finnish crown, the silver mark & the date, but I can't find the maker JVK, or the town/city where it was made.
Can you please help?
Kind regards,
Derek Jones
I found this information about the marks of your knife:
J.V.K; maker Juho Wilhelm Kantola
813H: silver fineness 813/1000
symbol: town of Kokkola
Y5: date 1928.
Giorgio Busetto

Maurice R. Meslans writes:
... I have this unusual set of marks on a wine taster, and was wondering if you know anyone who can explain them.
It is obviously made from 1809-1819 and re-marked in 1819-1838 (I don't show the 1819-38 second standard mark also on the piece).
Unfortunately the department number on the 1809 isn’t legible.
The number on the later department mark certainly seems to be 85 which is not in Tardy's list.
I suppose it could be 35 (Tours) or 65 (Strasbourg).
Personally I would love it to be the latter as I collect Strasbourg silver and a wine taster from there even this late would be a real rarity.
However the mark does not look like a Strasbourg mark.
In any case it certainly appears to be 85, and I can find no reference to such a number on the internet for this period.
I trust in your help.
Maurice R. Meslans
***ANSWER PUBLISHED IN JULY 2012 NEWSLETTER***

Silvio Negro writes:
... I send the photos of an object of which I ignore the use. I presume it is French as the mark is "Boulanger".
Any suggestion would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance
Silvio Negro
I believe it is a cigar lighter. See my website at http://www.silvercollection.it/dictionarycigarlighter.html
Giorgio Busetto

Francis Barclay writes:
... I have been searching the net for someone who could help me identify a silver chalice that has been in our family in Greece for many years.
I hope that you and your Association could help me and I have attached several detailed photographs of the item and the hallmarks.
Thank you in anticipation for any assistance you can give me
Yours Sincerely
Francis Barclay
In my opinion your item isn't a chalice but a large sugar bowl with cover.
These items were made in large quantity in Italy during the 19th century, but I'm unable to identify the mark as Italian.
In my opinion it is only a maker's mark.
Another hypothesis is Hanau silver.
Giorgio Busetto

Debbie Rindge writes:
... I have a pair of silver Egyptian Revival salt cellars we think are from 19th century Naples, but the Partenope mark is different than others I've found online, as the head is facing left instead of right, with a numeral 8 at right.
Also, I would be grateful if anyone can help identify the maker's mark AF or AT.
Debbie Rindge
The mark isn't Naples but Sicily. The female head facing left isn't Partenope but Ceres Goddess. This mark was used as warranty mark in Sicily until c. 1860. The mark (833 and 1/3 silver fineness) was used in Catania (from 1832), Messina (from 1829), Palermo (from 1829), Trapani (from 1834), Noto (from 1843 until 1865), Siracusa (from 1834 until 1843 -possibly-).
The mark AT, partly rubbed, (maker or assayer) isn't present in the literature.
Giorgio Busetto


"A PAGE per MONTH"

In this column we present a page obtained from makers' brochures, books, auction catalogs, advertising or whatever other printed paper, related to silver, that may be of interest for ASCAS members.
The images will be published at a "low resolution" level and for private and personal use only
a 1920 advertisement of Crichton Bros.
This month ASCAS presents a 1920 advertisement of:

CRICHTON BROS.

of London
Goldsmiths and Silversmiths

Rare Old English Silver. Original pieces typifying the purest spirit of the great epochs. Also masterly REPRODUCTIONS by Crichton Bros.' own Silverworkers
 
The business of dealers in antique silver and retail silversmiths was established c. 1890 by Lionel Alfred Crichton.
In 1920 the firm was active with premises in London (22 Old Bond street), New York (636 Fifth Avenue) and Chicago (622 South Michigan Avenue).
The firm went out of business in the 1950s.

"A WORD per MONTH"

In this column we present an abstract from a page of the "What is? Silver Dictionary"
courtesy of
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silver bosun whistle, Birmingham 1847

BOSUN WHISTLE
BOATSWAIN'S CALL

Bosun (or Bo'sun or Boson) whistle derives its name from 'boatswain', a warrant officer on a warship, or a petty officer on a merchant vessel, in charge of rigging, anchors, cables, etc.

Historically it was used to pass commands to the crew as its high pitch could be heard over the activities of the crew and bad weather

In present days it is used in traditional bugle calls announcing certain events and ceremonies in modern navies.... more
 

"A BOOK ON MY SHELF"

In this column we present books, new or ancient, dealing with silver in all its aspects (history, marks, oddities...). This isn't a "book review" but only a fair presentation of some useful "tools" that anyone may have in the shelf of his bookcase.
ASCAS members are invited to contribute to this column
(click to enlarge images)
In the "book on my shelf" of this month Karin Sixl-Daniell presents:
a book per month: Indian Colonial Silver by Wynyard Wilkinson

INDIAN COLONIAL
SILVER

European Silversmiths in India
(1790-1860)
And Their Marks
by WYNYARD R.T. WILKINSON
Argent Press, Durrant House, London
1973
The book is in a limited edition of 1000 copies
a book per month: Indian Colonial Silver by Wynyard Wilkinson

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Closing our June 2012 edition of ASCAS Newsletter I hope you have appreciated its content.
Your comments, suggestions and advice will be of great help.

My thanks to Francis Barclay, Craig Dorman, Benedict Gagelmann, Derek Jones, David McKinley, Maurice R. Meslans, Silvio Negro, Debbie Rindge for their invaluable 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.
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