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Hi team,

Here is a stunning piece (IMHO) of Chinese Export silver. This decorated OE Pattern ladle is marked with the pseudo hallmarks for Linchong, who was working out of Canton in the first part of the nineteenth century.

His work is often high quality.
X
X

Ben

Hi everyone,

Wondering about this spoon. Does anyone know this mark? Is it Provincial English? Or maybe European?

It seems the crest and motto could be Bain or Ferguson.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.
x
x

Thanks,
Ben

Hi team, Can I get confirmation that these are by Alexander Stewart? There is a set of marks on each arm (same marks). I'm assuming from the style of tongs that they are from his time in Inverness (rather than Tain), but are his marks from each town identifiable? https://www.925-1000.com/pics/Ximg.j...

Hi Martin,

I have a marrow scoop with near identical marks, but sadly no attribution yet.

(They are in Houstone's Early Australian Silver as unknown, possibly Australian).

Let's hope we can solver the mystery eventually!

Ben

Hi James,
This would probably be a Scottish silversmith, I see silvermakersmarks has it as unidentified Edinburgh.

I don't think there is any evidence of John Nicholson heading over that way.

Cheers,
Ben

Thanks Martin!

Great find in a random box! Wish I had managed that!

Happy New Year!

Ben

Hi team,

I did once see a list on a forum (maybe this one?!) that presented a suggested order for the rarity of Scottish Provincial Silver.

Is there a generally accepted list somewhere?

Or is there one of our members who would be happy to share theirs?

Thanks,

Ben

Hi Jannie, I'm not sure if you've translated the arabic on your tray? It is indeed Sudanese silver. And normally will have three pieces of information in the arabic: 1) the silversmiths name 2) the city it was made 3) the year it was made. The year is interesting, it uses arabic numbers, but goes fr...

Hi team, I've had these spoons a little while, they are very heavy in true Chinese Export style. They also have two extra marks. One I think is the fineness mark for Lisbon (.833) from 1886-1938. Does that seem right? The second is also Portugese, marked PART, Tardy describes it as Private. Does any...

Hi team, Just picked this up. Has a colonial feel to it. Interesting the number of scallops around the edge. It has three marks to it. The first pretty much unrecognisable and the R.B twice. (The fourth is just mark the centre for the making of the piece I think). Has anyone seen this mark before? O...

Hi team, Got this little pair recently. Unsure if they are Scottish provincial? Or colonial? Different set of marks on each...one has the initials MD and two others (peas in a pod?!). The second the same two and a third potential mark. https://www.925-1000.com/pics/Ximg.jpg https://www.925-1000.com/...

Hi there,

From a distance, this looks like a good match for Alex Munro's mark in Langdons.

Cool pair of spoons!

Ben

Hi,
Just looking over some old posts and found this one.

I think we can rule out Irish Provincial, as they never used the English lion.

So I think that does leave it with a probably North American heritage.

Ben

Hi, I see a spoon from this set (if not the same spoon!), is being sold with the second set of marks being described as Pewterers Marks (namely those of a member of the Bush family of Bristol-almost certainly Robert Bush (who worked from 1764-1802)) . Indeed some examples of their stamps are similar...

Well that's disappointing! But a pretty clear match.

At least its my first piece of forged silver (that I know of!).

I might get a silversmith friend of mine to punch a cross over the top of the fake hallmarks.

Still its a nice looking piece at least. :/

Thanks Gordon.

Hey everyone, Here's another one for the mystery spoons. Celtic point, so maybe Scottish Provincial? Marked - (Fleur De Lis) (Unknown - a wreath?) (A) Has anyone seen it before? Any gut feelings or places to look? https://www.925-1000.com/pics/Ximg.jpg https://www.925-1000.com/pics/Ximg.jpg Thank-yo...

Hey Forum Folks, Here is an interesting spoon. Probably colonial, possibly Canadian? It is in oar pattern. It has four marks - Lion (right facing) M A Lion (left facing) Has anyone seen this mark before? Any clues? https://www.925-1000.com/pics/Ximg.jpg https://www.925-1000.com/pics/Ximg.jpg Cheers,...

Thanks Gordon.

A bit of a mystery!

I'll contact the Dublin Assay Office and report back if I hear anything.

Ben

Hi team, Another maker's mark I haven't been able to track. This one is on an Irish sugar bowl, dated Dublin 1798. The decoration may be a little later? Most probable maker appears to be James England (1791-1815), but it is an unusual maker's mark with the dots surround the initials IE in a not rect...