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Hello.

I think this spoon is from Sheffield in 1806. But the spoon lack of the city mark. Is this usual?. I think duty mark show George III.
Is possible that this spoon was make in other city???? What do you think?.

Please, help me.

Thank you very much!!

Fernando - ANDALUCIA

Dear Fernando,

Usually on teaspoons of this period when there's no city mark and a round duty mark, it means they're from London. This one seems to be 1796 and made by George Burrows. You're quite right: the duty mark is George III.

Miles

However, the cartouche around the GB does look rather strange. A second opinion needed.

Dear Granmaa.

Thank you very much!!!!!
I think you are in the right. I found a web page about George Burrows. The maker marks in the web page are similar to maker mark on my spoon.

Thank you very much again and apologise for my bad English!

Fernando

Miles, you are right to query the cartouche. It is quite distinct, with convex (?) sides and tops. Burrow's mark is quite diffierent - usually just cut corners with a square. On the other hand, I can't see to see another likely suspect in the London lists. Perhaps an unrecorded mark? Fernando, to what website do you refer?

Waylander

Thank you for you opinion!!!
The web page that i refer is: http://www.silversugartongs.com/london/ ... rows_I.htm

What do you think Waylander?

Fernando.

This cartouche seems odd because concaved cartouches are quite rare; I can't think of another London maker from this period who used one. If anyone can, do tell. It also looks uneven to me: the bottom line protrudes over the G, and the left side actually brushes the side of the G; plus the top of the catouche is rather bumpy. All in all, very peculiar. I'm begining to wonder, Waylander, whether it's meant to be concave or just poorly struck (hard as it is to believe such a shape could be achieved with a rectangular punch). I've included below two spoons by Thomas Wallis the bottom of which seems to have a concave top and bottom; however, if you look at the top spoon from the same set, you'll see that it isn't concave, or at least certainly not to the same extent.

A factor against its being the work of George Burrows is the order of the hallmarks: every piece of his I've seen is duty mark - lion - date letter.

Miles

Miles,
I believe cartouche concavities on bottom marked spoons is a result of compression from stem thickening, part of the manufacturing process. This step in the process seems, more often than not, to be done post hallmarking.
I have no idea why and would like to hear others thoughts on it.

Regards, Tom