www.925-1000.com

I would very much appreciate help in identifying a maker's mark on a napkin ring. It belonged to my great grandfather William Barnes of Ashbourne, Derbyshire UK, and bears his initials WB. I shortly plan to give it to another one of his great grandchildren, a US citizen, now living in Colorado.

One of William Barnes sons emigrated to Concord Massachusetts in the early 1900s, Other children emigrated to Vancouver.

As the marks are not British, I had assumed they may be US marks, and that the napkin ring may have been sent from the US by his son, perhaps for a 60th or 80th birthday gift or similar. But having joined another silver forum, I am directed that it is a French mark, and ineed it does appear to be the Minerva head as illustrated on 925-1000.com

Does anyyone recognise this makers mark? I have assumed it is L& C, (perhaps L & Cie (son)). But it may not be an L

Does anyone know the extent to which French silver was ever sold in the UK? Or, I wonder if it was common to sell French silver in USA or Canada, who knows about this?

Can anyone help me please?

Many thanks

Nigel Aspdin

Derby, UK

Welcome to the forum.

Believe that's LG for Jules Ladoucette and Pierre Garvard.
May have entered the mark in 1866 instead of 1869 as shown below.




Pat.

Thank you !! A pretty conclusive reply, it is so very nice to know.

I wonder how French silver came to be in the UK this time. William Barnes was born in 1848 and always lived in Ashbourne Derbyshire and I guess it MAY have been a 21st birthday present. Over the years I have seen family silver but NEVER have I come across a nice quality peice that was not British made and assayed.

Does anyone know the extent to which French makers could have competed in the UK market, after all Ashbourne, where the family lived, in equidistant and near to both Sheffield and Birmingham, so the French were certainly treading on the heart of the UK centre of the silver industry, if indeed it was sold locally in Derbyshire.

Nigel