www.925-1000.com

Hello
Can you please help me identifying the hallmarks on a "silver" topped cane?
Whilst the anchor mark looks like Birmingham, the other marks do not seem to follow the rules for a genuine piece of silver and I'm wondering if it could be silverplate or even fake. The other marks are K, C and 925. The anchor mark lies on its side next to the other 3 marks. Hopefully you'll be able to see for yourself from the photo links below.
Whether silver, silver plate or fake is fine with me. I'm very fond of the item and love it for its style and feel. I'd simply like to discover as much about the walking stick's origins as I can.
Many thanks in advance.
Cheers
David

http://www.freeimagehost.eu/image/ab782f905689
http://www.freeimagehost.eu/image/a780a7905690
http://www.freeimagehost.eu/image/f776f4905691

Hi David,
Your cane top is Sterling silver, it is imported and fairly modern.
The KC would be the importers mark, the 925 the Sterling standard mark, the anchor would be for Birmingham.
I am confused as to why it is marked with an anchor, rather than the delta mark used by the Birmingham office for imported articles under the Hallmarking Act of 1973, also by the lack of a date letter.
I can only assume that there has been an updating of the act that I am not aware of, but be assured it is silver.

Regards Trev.

Here's something from the Birmingham assay office that may explain it:

The Assay Offices have power to omit the date letter (one of the approved hallmarks) from articles weighing less than 4 grams but such omission will not render the article unhallmarked.

I also found out that use of the Delta (triangle) mark was discontinued in 1998.

Miles

Quote:
The Assay Offices have power to omit the date letter (one of the approved hallmarks) from articles weighing less than 4 grams but such omission will not render the article unhallmarked.

Question: does it look as if it weighed less than 4 grams, though???

Hi
Thanks for the comments. I must admit that the 4g limit has been troubling me. I can only assume that the interior of the handle has been infilled with wood or another substance and then the silver mounted around that. That could get the actual silver content to within the 4g limit and yet still leaving a sturdy handle to the feel.
All the best
David

Hi,
Cane handles are often no more than very thin silver, almost a heavy foil, infilled with resin to give them heft and support the structure, the same technique as hollow handled knives or weighted candlesticks. The photo below shows the silver peeled away from its resin core on a candlestick base.

Regards, Tom