TRIO: 10.15 Spoons: A.E.W (American?)

PHOTOS REQUIRED - marks + item
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wlwhittier
Posts: 23
Joined: Wed Mar 24, 2010 1:00 am
Location: Port Angeles, Washington

TRIO: 10.15 Spoons: A.E.W (American?)

Post by wlwhittier »

These three may have come to me through family, but I doubt it.
Each is 15cm long, and weighs ~21.2gm.
I have been unsuccessful in trying to find the maker's name by this mark; note there is no period after the W, on any of them.
The 10.15 is cryptic to me; I believe it indicates .8458 silver (10.15/12). I didn't have that information an hour ago.

If these aren't American, will someone please indicate what forum they belong in? Thanks.
Also, am I correct in reading ML in the monogram? wlw

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WarrenKundis
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Re: TRIO: 10.15 Spoons: A.E.W (American?)

Post by WarrenKundis »

Good day,

Using the online resource American Silversmith A.E.W may represent Baltimore silversmith and jeweler Andrew Ellicott Warner (1786-1870) and or his son by the same name (1814-1893). See American Silversmith for more details. 10-15 appears to be a Baltimore assay mark, you may find the link below of interest.

http://www.smpub.com/ubb/Forum19/HTML/000494.html

Warren
wlwhittier
Posts: 23
Joined: Wed Mar 24, 2010 1:00 am
Location: Port Angeles, Washington

Re: TRIO: 10.15 Spoons: A.E.W (American?)

Post by wlwhittier »

Warren...Thank you sincerely! You've nailed it, and offered another illuminating peculiarity to my meager understanding.

I'm puzzled, though, by the use of various numbers of Troy ounces to indicate quality. 10 ounces silver per 15 ounces Troy (89.6% silver) (?) may have been easily understood then, by those both in the trade and by consumers; though it seems to indicate two parts in three: 66.666% silver?

The other designators [11 ounces silver per 12 ounces Troy (91.7% silver)], and even more arcane [11 ounces 2 pennyweight silver per 12 ounces Troy (92.5% silver / sterling)] are equally amazing.

I do not mean at all to imply doubt...but I wonder what could have been the purpose of having both 12 and 15 ounces Troy as finished alloy weight to be divided then by not only ounces Troy, but in one case by pennyweight? I readily admit I have a lot more to learn.

I am (also) Warren...
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