Identification - Unknown Maker

PHOTOS REQUIRED - marks + item
Post Reply
Waylander
co-admin
Posts: 395
Joined: Sun May 01, 2005 5:07 am
Location: Australia

Identification - Unknown Maker

Post by Waylander »

Hi all

It's been a while between visits. About 7 years in fact! Anyway, life moves in mysterious ways and I've re-discovered my passion for sterling silver and hall marking!

I've got a fairly plain fiddle back spoon. It was purchased in a (motley?) collection of spoons, the rest of which have been identified as American silver, all coin silver (no sterling marks in the lot!), mostly dating around 1850 -1890.

This one is a puzzle. One of the other forums I frequent reckoned it was Norwegian silver, due to the Assay Mark for Trondheim (being an upper case M, for the period 1842-1863). Date fits, but not sure the other marks do.



Apologies for the lack of a full image, will do that in future, hope someone can shed some more light on this spoon.

Cheers

Waylander
Waylander
co-admin
Posts: 395
Joined: Sun May 01, 2005 5:07 am
Location: Australia

Re: Identification - Unknown Maker

Post by Waylander »

Ok, that didn't work. And I've forgotten how to edit posts. Ha.

Take 2:

Image
Image

Hope it works this time.

Bit rusty after 7 years or so....

Waylander
dognose
Site Admin
Posts: 59003
Joined: Thu Dec 29, 2005 12:53 pm
Location: England

Re: Identification - Unknown Maker

Post by dognose »

Hi Waylander,

Welcome back to the Forum.

It's Maltese.

Maltese silver of this period carries the makers mark and also a single letter that denotes one of the three silver standards permitted at this time, the standard was divided into 12ths and as follows:-

"F" (French Silver) 11 1/2 parts Silver to 1/2 part alloy
"R" (Roman Silver) 11 parts Silver to 1 part alloy
"M" (Maltese Silver) 10 1/2 parts Silver to 1 1/2 parts alloy

See: http://www.925-1000.com/forum/viewtopic ... 38&t=33204

Not sure of the maker, hopefully someone else can identify him.

I'll move the topic to the Provincial & Colonial Marks section to see if we have any luck there.

Trev.
Waylander
co-admin
Posts: 395
Joined: Sun May 01, 2005 5:07 am
Location: Australia

Re: Identification - Unknown Maker

Post by Waylander »

Cheers Trev

Waylander
Granmaa
co-admin
Posts: 1734
Joined: Sun Apr 09, 2006 9:32 am
Location: London
Contact:

Re: Identification - Unknown Maker

Post by Granmaa »

Good to see you back, Waylander.

The maker's mark is similar to that of Antonio Portelli (AP in a shield with fleur-del-lis above), drawn in Denaro, 'The Goldsmiths of Malta and their Marks'. The 'date of mention' it gives is 1808, which is not impossible for your spoon.

Miles
Waylander
co-admin
Posts: 395
Joined: Sun May 01, 2005 5:07 am
Location: Australia

Re: Identification - Unknown Maker

Post by Waylander »

Cheers Miles. The maker's mark you describe certainly fits what I have, so I'll use Mr Portelli as the tentative attribution.

Thanks for your help

Waylander
Post Reply

Return to “Provincial & Colonial Marks”