1799 coaster..what does the crescent mean?

[clue]

Hello, and thanks for a great forum! I found this coaster at a thrift shop and have identified all the marks save for the crescent and the maker's mark. Anyone know what the crescent means? Is there a site where I can go to attempt to decipher the maker's mark?

http://photobucket.com/albums/a245/clue ... TRMRKS.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://photobucket.com/albums/a245/clue ... ASTRSM.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;



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[Waylander]

Hmm, the marks are not very clear. From what I can see, you have:

(1) Lion Passant
(2) Crowned Leopard???
(3) Letter Mark
(4) Duty Mark

Which leaves the following queries: Where is the maker's mark? And is it something to do with the crescent? I would expect to see a maker's mark on a piece such as this. Is there no evidence of any mark? The photos do not reveal any sich evidence.

Waylander
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[clue]

The maker's mark, if that's what it is, is to the left of the lion mark. I've been trying to snap a digital picture of it, but my photography skills are lacking apparently. I'll keep trying to get a clear pic of it. Any ideas about the crescent to the right of the duty mark?
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[admin]

Photo needed a lot of lightening and some contrast. It is London 1799/1800. How's about giving us a verbal description of the maker's mark on the left, looks like it might be RC or BG?
The crescent mark is not a crescent, it is a full round cartouche - worn at the bottom, looks a bit like another duty mark.
Pieces were sometimes additionally marked with a tally (or benchman's) mark. Journeymen smiths were often paid on a piecework basis. These marks were used "in shop" to identify which pieces a journeyman smith actually made, so that his production could be tallied and he be paid appropriately. However, this additional mark does not look like any tally mark I've ever seen. Nor like the import marks used in other countries.
Hopefully a clearer pic will enlighten us.
Regards, Tom
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[clue]

As nearly as I can see with my 6x magnifier, the mark looks like maybe a capital 'h' over an 'n' next to a lower case 'a', in other words.

H
na.... on the other hand, when I look at it upside down, it appears like this:

DU
H

I hope that helps. Still trying to get a clear picture, but the mark is so tiny. Thanks so much for your input!
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[Tongtwister]

I can't see much of the maker's mark, however from your description, could it be Duncan Urquhart & Napthali Hart - they were active in London at this time.

see below for some pictures that you may be able to compare with.

http://www.silversugartongs.com/london/ ... 0MAKER.JPG" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.silversugartongs.com/london/ ... 0MAKER.JPG" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

My view is that the crescent is a journey-man's mark
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[clue]

Hello again, and thanks so much to the kind poster who identified the maker's mark as those of Urquhart and Hart. I was having a difficult time with it as it was on the edge of part of the design of the thing and so one letter was almost unreadable. That and it was upside down in relationship to the other marks. Does anyone have an idea as to the value of this object? Thank you so much for your time!
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