Who might be the maker of these old teaspoons? They are hallmarked CH, lion & h.
Thank you
Spoons marked CH
Spoons marked CH
Hello
Who might be the maker of these old teaspoons? They are hallmarked CH, lion & h.
Thank you
Who might be the maker of these old teaspoons? They are hallmarked CH, lion & h.
Thank you
Re: Spoons marked CH
Hi Niceguy,
See Charles Hougham at: http://www.925-1000.com/dlLondon2.html#M
Date of assay at London was 1783, see: http://www.925-1000.com/dlc_london.html
Further detail on Charles Hougham can be found at: http://www.925-1000.com/forum/viewtopic ... am#p103029
Trev.
See Charles Hougham at: http://www.925-1000.com/dlLondon2.html#M
Date of assay at London was 1783, see: http://www.925-1000.com/dlc_london.html
Further detail on Charles Hougham can be found at: http://www.925-1000.com/forum/viewtopic ... am#p103029
Trev.
Re: Spoons marked CH
Thank you very much Trev.
Re: Spoons marked CH
Mind my curious asking but why is there no town mark? In this case the London "Leopard's" head.
Just wondering....
Just wondering....
Re: Spoons marked CH
Hi Qrt.S,
It was quite normal at this time for small items not to have the town mark. This was a deliberate attempt by Goldsmiths' Hall to prevent fraud by the transposing of hallmarks, from say a teaspoon to a teapot, and thus avoiding the assay, and the charges, duty, etc. accompanying the assay procedure.
Trev.
It was quite normal at this time for small items not to have the town mark. This was a deliberate attempt by Goldsmiths' Hall to prevent fraud by the transposing of hallmarks, from say a teaspoon to a teapot, and thus avoiding the assay, and the charges, duty, etc. accompanying the assay procedure.
Trev.
Re: Spoons marked CH
Hmmm, very interesting. Well English marks are not my "specialty. However, recently stumbled into a similar marking on a spoon. It had three marks only (no town mark) and I was very confused. I even thought it was a fake. I have understood that an English made object always carry either 4 or 5 marks according to the law and so say the books too...but if you say so.
Rgds
Qrt.S
Rgds
Qrt.S
Re: Spoons marked CH
Curiously spoons are almost the only small articles to be ever fully marked prior to the last part of the eighteenth century. The spoon collectors are fortunate in that spoons very often have a dateletter.
Buckles, tongs and nips very rarely have either a town mark or a date prior to around 1790. As Trev suggests , it was almost certain that the partial marking of small articles was to avoid the possibility of fraudulent transposition of marks. As was, in the case of spoons, the distinctive positioning and alignment of the marks.
Bucklemakers ,who because of their casting skills , often made tongs and nips were always regarded as very dubious characters . Not surprisingly , as most coin forgers usually involved a bucklemaker or two in the gang !
Buckles, tongs and nips very rarely have either a town mark or a date prior to around 1790. As Trev suggests , it was almost certain that the partial marking of small articles was to avoid the possibility of fraudulent transposition of marks. As was, in the case of spoons, the distinctive positioning and alignment of the marks.
Bucklemakers ,who because of their casting skills , often made tongs and nips were always regarded as very dubious characters . Not surprisingly , as most coin forgers usually involved a bucklemaker or two in the gang !
Re: Spoons marked CH
OK, thank you, interesting information. Must keep it in mind next time I see "insufficient" markings on an English small object.