::: I recall seeing a thread describing this strange "O" that is not a date letter, but has a significance that has become obscured with time :::
::: I cannot tell if the makers mark is "FE" in a vertical stack. It could be some other combination of letters. These should be provincial :::
Provincial Tongs
Re: Provincial Tongs
Might be an "L" stacked on top of another "L" ....
Re: Provincial Tongs
This particular tong was so mysterious, it still haunts my memory, I am leaning towards Scottish Provincial....
Re: Provincial Tongs
I wonder if the New Member "Elspeth" might take a look at these tongs, I believe they are Scottish Provincial, perhaps by an unknown maker?
Re: Provincial Tongs
Ok, the maker is "James Erskine" and the member Cliff Nunn has a very similar pair with the mysterious "O" and the two letters....
I knew I had seen a pair of these tongs before! I am trying to upload the pics from Cliff Nunn, but I get blocked due to privacy concerns...
I knew I had seen a pair of these tongs before! I am trying to upload the pics from Cliff Nunn, but I get blocked due to privacy concerns...
Re: Provincial Tongs
Of course, in the extensive article in the silver magazine "The Finial," hallmarks such as those found on my pair and Cliff Nunn's pair are not listed.
Whoever made these tongs, I can assure you that these hallmarks are identical, even the curious extremely close stamping of the [F] on top of the [E} are extremely similar, almost identical:
Whoever made these tongs, I can assure you that these hallmarks are identical, even the curious extremely close stamping of the [F] on top of the [E} are extremely similar, almost identical:
Re: Provincial Tongs
The mark showing in the pic in the above post is the "Stylized O" or perhaps a "Stylized Q" which has unknown significance.