Unsure of marks.

[quiet knife]

Can anyone help me identify these marks.
They look to be Sheffield 1866.
Is the J F for James Fenton.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks~

[quiet knife]

Can anyone help me identify these marks.
They look to be Sheffield 1866.
Is the J F for James Fenton?
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks~

This picture is of a sterling silver fruit knife with Mother of Pearl handles.
The first mark is worn and isn't all that clear but looks to be a crown.
The second mark is a capital "Y" and looks to be the type font for 1866 sheffield.
The J F is what's got me stumped.
Most James Fenton marks I've seen have a period between the initials.
Also did James Fenton make these type knives to be sold in Sheffield? As from what I've read his shop was in Birmingham.
Was there another maker in Sheffield who used these initials during this time period?

[MCB]

Welcome to the Forum.
You are right in saying James Fenton was from Birmingham. He was a silversmith, jeweller and thimble specialist and registered a mark at his local office in 1852.The mark was of rectangular shape and showed a pellet (dot) between his initials. In 1854 however he also registered a mark at the Sheffield Assay Office from his address at 74 Great Hampton Street, Birmingham. This mark was similar to the one registered in Birmingham but for the absence of the pellet.
He subsequently registered other marks of varying designs at Birmingham,Chester,and Edinburgh.
The first mark on the knife might be the Sheffield Town Mark but it is well worn or badly struck. There is also a suggestion that the JF mark was an overstrike of another.
If the knife was assayed in Sheffield it was not necessarily for sale in that city. A batch of knives may have been ordered from a Sheffield cutler; the cutler may have submitted them to the Sheffield AO and, after the assay process was completed, forwarded them on to Fenton for sale in Birmingham.

Mike

[quiet knife]

Thanks for your reply and informative info.
After further research I found out indeed James Fenton registered these two marks below in November of 1854. The lower mark looks to be the one on this knife. Also the date 1866 fits right in the time period on this chart. I am now 99% sure this knife is a James Fenton.
Thanks again,
J W

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