For your amusement .

[whowhatme]

Hi ,

First time poster .

I recently bought this tankard for daily use rather than anything else (hence it's used look) and was wondering if anyone has any idea at all about it's age or anything .

The CB mark seems to be Charles Boyton London 1933-47 (per silvermakersmarks.co.uk) but the strange handle , which feels like degraded aluminium (no bolts so soldered) seems more like Green shield stamps C: 1973 .

It weighs 472.2g and is five and a quarter inches high .

Could be a fake set of marks . I have no idea after looking for a day or so on and off .





Any reply would be greatly appreciated .

Many thanks in advance .

[dognose]

Hi,

Welcome to the Forum.

They're pewter marks. They are often to be found imitating official silver hallmarks.

Beware of using such an item for every day use, I believe there are now health concerns from drinking from pewter vessels due to their high lead content.

Trev,

[whowhatme]

Many thanks for your prompt reply .

The way things are going I'm not too sure the lead would be harmful to me :-)

That will explain why I couldn't find a way to clean the inside so it doesn't look like the black hole of Calcutta .

Always good to learn something new .

Gotta go and learn a little about Pewter now .

Just need to find out where I've seen that 3 squiggly like mark before .
Um , that's worrying :-))))

Again , many thanks .

Have a great week ahead .

[dognose]

The small mark resembles a county shield (Essex or Middlesex, perhaps), it may be official stamp from the weights and measures department of that county that ensures that the marked capacity, one pint, is a correct one.

Trev.

[whowhatme]

Hi ,

That jogged an aged memory .

I think I know where I knew it from .

Danbury mint did a box of 12 Royal Standards ingots back in 1977 and this reminded me of the one where the 3 lions are laying down ingot (I hope) . Obviously the pewter maker (whenever , I'll still go with the Green Shieled stamp theory) was trying to make a connection there . Possibly .

Anyways , I've asked the Pewter Society if they've ever seen the marks before . I've looked around this evening and haven't seen them .

CB in a rectangle is a real bummer though :-)))

I also , until tonight , didn't know that pewter makers used the lion passant and the Leopard head .

Brilliant :-)

Tricksy pewterty's .

[whowhatme]

How is/was it "allowed" that hallmarks that appear to be genuine sterling hallmarks to the uninitiated (hello that's me) , are allowed on non-silver items .

If the pewter makers had/have access to stamps (made of steel or a harder substance than silver or pewter) to create their own makersmarks , how can any genuine silver item be genuine , apart from the workmanship which can be faked by a skilled craftsperson ?

Getting a bit worried about my Mexican and American stuff now :-)
Why did I ever collect Pinches ? :-)

yes I have had beer tonight :-)

Was going to be from the tankard :-)

[dognose]

Of course, it wasn't permitted, but enforcement of the law was difficult at times. You will note from the marks that interpreting can be open to opinion. Is that Britannia, or a king on his throne? Is that a lion, or maybe a cat or dog? Prosecutions had to be brought by the The Goldsmiths' Company, they, and especially the provincial offices, had not the manpower nor the funds, to bring many to task, unless a conviction and recovery of costs was likely. But the chance of conviction was small, mostly because juries were reluctant to convict as the sentences were so severe.

Trev.

[whowhatme]

Sorry for double posting earlier .

I found out who the manufacturer was .

A certain Charles Bentley of London 1837-1863 working out of Woodstock Street , London .
Thank you Pewter Society of Great Britain .

But the chance of conviction was small, mostly because juries were reluctant to convict as the sentences were so severe.


Back then if you were caught with a stolen loaf of bread you'd be sent to Australia .
Interesting that the users of fake silver hallmarks weren't :-)

Nothing changes I suppose :-)


Anyway , I can't thank you enough for your time in answering .
It was very kind of you .

I won't waste anymore of you time .
Unless I actually find a piece of silve worth asking about .

Thank you again .

[dognose]

Thank you for taking the time to update the information, it is appreciated.

Please never think such posting is a waste of time, for this is how we all learn something.

Trev.

[whowhatme]

Thank you .

For information , this is a better photo of the Pewter hallmarks .



Be most excellent .

Again , I thank you again .

[dognose]

Missing mark image replaced:



Trev.