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I bought this tea pot
made in Exeter in 1776
maker is John Holt

What do you think about hallmarks ?

please let me know

Thanks






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What a lovely teapot. This mark is attributed to Jason Holt rather than John Holt.
Lovely, clear marks. The account book for 1773-1780 is missing, so we can't check this item. There is no other mention of Jason Holt making a teapot, but he did make a coffee pot.

Miles
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thanks for your prompt reply

do you think the hallmarking is regular, without the leopard's head ?

Thanks
Agostino
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The leopard's head was only used on earlier Exeter silver.

Miles
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I wonder if this is evidence of the date letter 'D' being used for longer than one year. As I understand it, the use of the Leopard's Head was discontinued in the 1777-1778 period. If the 'D' was used for longer than one year, it would not be a unique occurrence as the date letter 'I' was used from 1781-1783.

Trev.
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I haven't seen enough pieces to be sure, but I attach a 1775 mark with no leopard's head. The Exeter Museum booklet, from which I think much of the Exeter section of Jackson's is taken, does say "After 1777-8 the leopard's head was no longer used."
This seems to go against the 1776 and 1775 marks featured here. The only way to clear things up is to find as many marks from this period as possible. This is a good opportunity to ask again for members to please post any 18th century Exeter marks they may have in the request in the Exeter Forum.
There was a Parliamentary report carried out in 1773 which investigated the assay offices of England. It may be that it was this which was responsible for the removal of the leopard's head from Exeter silver.

As for the 1781-3 letter I. In the Exeter Minute Book, at the meeting at the beginning of the 1782 assay year it is written: "Letter for the ensuing year continued."
I think this is most likely down to the partly interchangeable nature of I and J at the time, and not a lax attitude.

Miles


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thanks everybody for the useful informations
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Hello Miles,

Having not come across an Exeter registered mark BB could you confirm you have attributed the mark on the 1775 piece as RB and Richard Bidlake although Jackson's book page 304 has him last mentioned in 1773, or have you information for it being by another maker please ?

Thanks,
Mike
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Sorry Mike, I missed your mesage.

At the moment, I am tentatively attributing the mark to Richard Bidlake.
His last recorded mention is indeed 1773, but the 1773-80 book is missing, so we can't tell if he continued.
He took to assay: buckles, chapes, knee buckles, spoons, teaspoons, 1 lamp and ladles.
What puts me off is that all these items, except for the lamp, are small time flatware. The marks above are from a spectacular coffee pot, of possible foreign design. Of course, he could be assaying it for someone else.

Miles
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