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David McKinley presents:
An Enigmatic Spoon
There is nothing remarkable about this spoon, as a spoon! It is a straightforward fiddle pattern table spoon made by Robert Rutland in London and assayed in 1822/3. What is mysterious about this spoon is the way in which it has been marked at Goldsmiths' Hall.
Marking of spoons by this date was done mechanically by means of a fly press, a method of marking which not only made the process much quicker than by the old hand punching method but made sure that the marks would always appear even and in the same order.
On this spoon the marks have been struck twice and it is interesting to speculate on why this might have been. Duplicated marking was very rare and certainly not part of accepted practice so that I have found no references to it in the records at Goldsmiths' Hall in London. For this reason we shall never know beyond doubt why it was done but one can speculate on a possible....
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Welcome to new ASCAS members:
John Daniel Tilford - USA
Amanda Parry writes:
...I have a large snuff box which appears to have the mark similar to the subscription period running from 1674 to 1676, the silversmiths applied for the "décharge" of their works marked with the "charge" mark "Y over a fleur de lys", as I'm a novice it may be wrong so would really appreciate your advice
Amanda Parry
Marina Conti writes:
...I'm looking for information about these marks that I have found on an old tray of my grandmother.
Can you help me please?
Thank you
Marina Conti
Don Huestis writes:
...I recently purchased French flatware for 12, a spoon and fork set for "entremets" or hors d'oeuvres, salad or dessert. I bought it from a reputable dealer in Paris. The silversmith mark on this set is "HFres" for Henin et Freres, and my research tells me that this mark was used from 1865 to 1872.
It also has the Minerva mark, which connotes argent massif, or sterling silver.
I have a few curious questions you may be able to answer:
1. Have you seen this type of monogram before? Do you know when they used these and if they very common? It looks like it is pressed metal attached to the piece.
2. At the back of each spoon and fork, behind the Minerva mark, is a strange mark that is more obvious on some pieces than the others. It looks like it's some kind of unintended mark which happened when they were punching the piece. Have you come across something like this? Does this make these pieces "seconds"?
Thanks for any information you can share. .
Marivic Limcaoco
I don't have information about the monogram. The "strange" mark is the bigorne mark, see my website at http://www.silvercollection.it/DICTIONARYBIGORNE.html
Giorgio Busetto
Andrew Scott writes:
...I recently purchased this caddy spoon which was described as by Beatie,
Boyer or Bunn or another.
There is no assay office town mark but it is
assumed to be London where there are several "IB" silvermarks
registered.
The date mark was quoted as 1809 but the bottom of the
shield is round and not wavy.
Can you have any more luck identifying
the maker or date.
Many thanks
Andrew Scott
The Assay Office is London (missing the leopard's head to prevent duty dodging).
The date is 1809 (the shape of the contour used for small spoons).
There are indeed many silversmiths using IB mark.
The only spoonmaker of the period is John Blake (Grimwade # 1160). Blake entered this mark on 16.5.1803.
Other similar marks: John Bunn (smallworker, 1806), John Brockwell (smw, 1808). I'd exclude Beattie (smw, 1790) and Boyer (smw, 1794).
Giorgio Busetto
Ludo D'Haese writes:
... I'm trying to identify the marks of this item.
Thanks for your help.
Ludo D'Haese
In this column we presents 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.
This column is published under the kind permission of Giorgio
Busetto's website
OTHER SILVER ADVERTISEMENTS
FACTORIES, PLANTS, SALESROOMS, SHOPS AND WORKSHOPS: OLD IMAGES
This month ASCAS presents an ancient advertisement of
P. BRUCKMANN & SÖHNE
The firm was established by Georg Peter Bruckmann (1778-1850) in Heilbronn (Germany) in 1805.
At his death he left a growing and flowering hollowware and flatware manufactory which was managed by his widow and his sons Wolfgang Peter Bruckmann (1818-1891) and Ernst Dietrich Bruckmann (1829-1870).
After the death of Ernst Dietrich Bruckmann the business was continued by his widow Pauline along with Wolfgang Peter Bruckmann.
Later, two sons of Ernst Dietrich Bruckmann entered in the activity: Peter Bruckmann (1865-1937) in 1885 and Ernst Bruckmann in 1887.
Under their guidance the activity developed and in 1898 a new factory, considered the larger German silverware manufactory, was opened in Lerchenstraße.
After the destruction suffered in WWII and the new factory rebuilt after the war the business was sold in 1968 to Gerofabriek NV.
In 1970 the production was transferred in Neckarsulm until 1973 bankruptcy.
The maker's mark for silver wares was the "Eagle with spread wings and legs" while for plated flatware the "Locomotive" symbol was used.
In this column we present an abstract from a page of the "What is? Silver Dictionary"
courtesy of
MEASURE VERIFICATION MARK
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