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Hello Iris, Welcome to the forum. There's a list of London gold & silver assay marks in "Jackson's Silver & Gold Marks of England Scotland & Ireland" published by Antique Collectors Club. To my knowledge there is, as yet, no published work on London sponsor/maker marks for date...

Hello Trev, A worthwhile project to add to the forum. For information Jackson's book has the following: TF is given as Thomas Farnett rather than Farnell but I guess you have it right. TWY+ also for Edward Twycross in 1829. Until the forum has its own images there are examples of: Ash's mark of 1795...

Hello SS,

Because you have several examples of this damage it seems unlikely the USA was a nation of glass grinders, particularly into silver bowls. The damage would more likely be caused by some kitchen process. If not sugar what about grinding small amounts of peppercorns or coffee beans?

Mike
.

Hello Cheryl, BJD isn't in my list of marks. As you say it's a modern one and therefore unlikely to be recorded at all outside the Assay Office itself. Your quickest course, I think, would be trying Goldsmiths Hall direct. The Deputy Warden's E-mail address is "admin@londonassayoffice.co.uk&quo...

Hello Brad, Although the "HM" mark doesn't clearly fit Nigel is probably right about the scent bottle being put to assay by the firm of Henry Matthews. My records indicate that Matthews first registered a mark with the Birmingham office around 1867 but by 1894 his firm was seemingly in the...

Hello Pat, I think "C" is Osborne House, Queen Victoria & Prince Albert's bijou summer house on the Isle of Wight. I think "F" is Eton College, a public school near Windsor (fees are payable to UK public schools; not the same in the USA I seem to remember). As I wouldn't know...

Hello and welcome to the forum.
I have an idea that the College of Arms in London have approval authority over the use of a coat of arms and that they have extensive records.
Hope this helps.
Mike
.

Hello Philo, The disc on the box top was probably sent to London assay by John E Terry. Unfortunately this mark was in use for a cosiderable time so it wont be possible to estimate the date of the disc without the clearer images the other Mike has asked you for. It follows that the disc and the lid ...

Hello All, It was with some trepidation I returned to the Forum screen. Being controversial isn't my favourite pastime folks so what a pleasant surprise to find such Forum stalwarts agreeing with the view I'd thought long and hard about before submitting. My thoughts on the matter of the attribution...

Hello All, It seems to me there isn't a contest here of Grimwade v Shlosberg. Respect is due to any published author who puts their name on the line in attribution of a maker's mark. Attribution isn't and can't be an exact science. Grimwade, it seems, could find no compelling evidence to attribute h...

Hello,

Minshull & Latimer confirmed.
Although there is no definitive publication for Birmingham the publications for both Chester & London show identical marks to those here attributable that firm.

Mike
.

Hello, Although the outline of the lion mark seems, as Buckler observes, somewhat at odds with the one normally accepted as right for London 1743 I'd agree with Trev, on the balance of probability, the piece could be attributed to Richard Bayley. For what its worth I don't know of another "RB&q...

Hello Ann, John Culme's London Directory identifies a Lizzie Chapple of 95 Bond Street London, an importer, registering a mark in 1898 such as the one on the spoon. He mentions the lady in question may have been known as Madame Menon trading as a Burmese Art Depot. This fits nicely with the name etc...

Hello Graham,

As most of the fobs assayed at Chester were made in Birmingham you could try contacting the latter to see if "W & WI" was registered there.
Email "history@theassayoffice.co.uk".

Regards,
Mike

Hello again!

Can't help with the initials TJW except to say a very similar mark was registered at both the Chester & London offices by Thomas J Watson but he is described as a dressing case fittings manufacturer.
The case was assayed at Birmingham in 1890.

Mike

Hello again!

The initials RO relate to Richard Oliver.
The case was assayed in London 1858-9.

Mike

Hello,

The initials are more likely to be CHE, those of Charles H Errington of Coventry, a prolific watch case maker.
The case was assayed in Birmingham 1897-8.

Mike

Hello Havash,

The JP mark was registered by John William Page in 1892.

Mike

Hello Trev, Analysis of tablespoons for sale on a well know British specialist web-site shows Hanoverian pattern in the range 202-211mm whereas Old English pattern were 219-230mm in length. If, as you say, the Hanoverian stems weren't hammered to convert to Old English presumably another way was fou...

Hello Karen, The "L & AO" mark almost certainly relates to Louis & Alfred Orlik, tobacconists of 62 Barbican, London who registered marks very similar to the one on the pipe mount at the London and Chester offices in the period 1906-11. Unfortunately there is, as yet, no definitive...