International Silver Company subsidiary jug.

Item must be marked "Sterling" or "925"
PHOTOS REQUIRED - marks + item
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Essexboy Fisher
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International Silver Company subsidiary jug.

Post by Essexboy Fisher »

Hello, I just bought a cream jug while out on a day trip not far from my home in Northern Britain. Photos are below and the jug is 4 inches (10 centimeters) tall.

Image

Image

A bit of research tells me this is a USA item and should be Sterling (925 parts per 1000) silver. The maker is seemingly the “International Silver Co”, an amalgamation of many other companies, and who were in business for much of the 20th century. “Courtship” is a pattern name and maybe “C154” is an “item” number and one reference said the pattern was developed in 1936. On the forum there are many, many, references to “ISC” including some showing pictorial trademarks or referring searchers to “our” main website for other images. I do not recognise anywhere the image in my photos. There are marks incorporating an “S” but I do not see a dolphin sitting in a small sailing boat illustrated, as that’s what it looks like to me.
Do please put me right where I am wrong and tell me which “ISC” subsidiary is the Joker.
Yours
Fishless
Traintime
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Re: International Silver Company subsidiary jug.

Post by Traintime »

Simpson, Hall, Miller & Company: http://www.925-1000.com/americansilver_S4.html

Can't say why the knight head became Flipper the sailing fish.
Traintime
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Re: International Silver Company subsidiary jug.

Post by Traintime »

The old marks and the whole family tree:

Image

Image

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Traintime
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Re: International Silver Company subsidiary jug.

Post by Traintime »

"In 1895 the Simpson plant at Wallingford added sterling silver ware to its products. That venture was so highly successful when Simpson, Hall, Miller & Co. was absorbed by International Silver that its Wallingford factory became International's sterling center." ref. Century of Silver...Illustrated 1st Ed. (pg. 119) by Earl Chapin May, Mcbride & Co. NY 1947.
Aguest
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Re: International Silver Company subsidiary jug.

Post by Aguest »

::: I have noticed quite a few examples of these International Silver Company hallmarks which appear somewhat crude or even mis-struck :::
I have no explanation for this, but it seems to occur with more frequency when compared to other silver flatware manufacturing companies
And always that "I.S. Co." hallmark where the first letter looks just like a "J" and many times is mistaken for "J.S. Co." sterling silver
Essexboy Fisher
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Re: International Silver Company subsidiary jug.

Post by Essexboy Fisher »

Thank you Traintime and Aguest for your quick replies and comments. With Traintime’s pictures I can see the “ knights helmet with plume over a shield “ that flipper in a sailboat is supposed to represent. Thank you for condensing a lot of information about “ISC” in one post. I am sure plenty more people will find what they are looking for here.
Fishless
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