Swedish silver import marks

[dave.chaplain]

The marks pictured are on the silver pocket watch case where the watch dates to about 1909. I'm hoping to identify the and the [3-pronged leaf] marks as I believe I have already read the source for the [MAB] mark.

I'd add pictures but can't figure out how to do so.

[dognose]

Hi,

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Trev.

[dave.chaplain]

Thank you for the help ...

[Sasropakis]

I don't see any Swedish import marks here unless. There should be an oval three crowns' mark. The oval leaf mark looks like a thistle which would indicate Scotland and MAB looks more like MAH to me.

[dognose]

Hi,

Yes, MAH for Marc Alfred Holland. The import mark is that of Chester, oak leaves and acorn, the year of assay was 1920.

Trev.

[dave.chaplain]

I don't see any Swedish import marks here unless. There should be an oval three crowns' mark. The oval leaf mark looks like a thistle which would indicate Scotland and MAB looks more like MAH to me.

It does look like MAH is these shots, but with a loop I can see that the top and bottom of the H/B are closed, and so it looks like MAB at other angles. In addition, I've found references to an MAB mark for an older Stockholm based maker through about 1950 ( Matsilver AB), and then a newer maker using the same MAB mark and the same company name as the older one beginning in about 1990. I've also found a reference to a potential Swedish town mark, Ullander, for the script U. So far that's what I've found, and so points to a Swedish origin at the moment, but of course that could be incorrect.

[dave.chaplain]

Hi,

Yes, MAH for Marc Alfred Holland. The import mark is that of Chester, oak leaves and acorn, the year of assay was 1920.

Trev.

Hi Trev,

The Chester mark does looks convincing, but it's said that it was discontinued after 1904, and the watch movement was produced (by Hamilton Watch Co.) in 1909, and sold in 1911.

Where do you see the Marc Alfred Holland reference?

Dave

[dave.chaplain]

Hmmm ... at one place it's said that the Chester mark was discontinued after 1904, where the national marks rather than town marks were begun, and at another place it's said that the Chester mark began in 1904!

[dognose]

The Chester mark shown was in use from 1904 until the closure of the Chester Assay Office in 1962.

Marc Holland's 'MAH' mark was registered with the CAO on the 8th September 1909 from his trade address of 46a, Holborn Viaduct, London. He described himself as a 'Watch Manufacturer'. He entered his private address as 38, Tavistock Square, London.

Marc Holland was also registered with the London Assay Office.

Trev.

[dave.chaplain]

Thank you, again!

[dave.chaplain]

One other thing about the date mark - I've read that not only are the Chester assay vs import marks different, but that the import marks used a different set of date marks. But I see no separate table of Chester import date marks. If they do differ that may make more sense of the movement made / sold date vs the import date.

[dognose]

The date letters remained the same for both home produced wares and imported items.

If you are certain of the date of the production of the workings, then perhaps the workings laid in stock for a long period of time, or maybe, and more likely, the case is a replacement one.

Trev.

[dave.chaplain]

Thanks Trev,

You, Phil at silvermakersmarks.co.uk, and John Mathews on the NAWCC message board have all confirmed the import date alignment with the assay mark date letters, and after checking the source which further clarified that the differences in the Chester import date marks are (sometimes) in the punch design but not with the date letter itself, I'll accept that the watch was imported in 1920/21!

So the mystery of what happened to my watch between 1911 and the 1920 import date to Britain will remain, for now!

Thanks again,

Dave