George Walker was joined by William Hall in 1848 and they became Walker & Hall in 1853. I beleive the company was taken over by Mappin & Webb in the 1960 although the name may have continued.
I believe F H A & C is the mark of F H Adams & Co, although there should be a small "o" after the "C". My understanding is that this mark was entered in 1920. Before this the company used F H A LD, and after 1937 F H A & H when it entered partnership with Holman. I would therefore check ...
The Colonial Silver Company was at Portland, Maine. Apparently it was the successor to the Stevens Silver Company in 1899 and remained in business until the 1940s. My guess is CPEM is "old English" lettering and should read EPBM, electro-plated britannia metal - a type of pewter used in the 19th and...
My understanding is that this is a mark for imported silver used on all watches and on other pieces of silver imported from countries which did not have a marking system equivilent to the French. .
Holabird Auctions have or had an auction featuring a variety of M M Fredrick items. From the on-line catalogue I quote, for information NOT commercial promotion: "734. Nevada. Storey. Virginia. M. M. Fredrick Silver Flatware Collection, 1872. The collection contains 41 engraved pieces. Probably...
MIZPAH is the Hebrew for Watchtower. It is also, apparently an acrostic for "May The Lord watch between me and thee while we are absent one from another." These brooches often have a Scottish theme - thistles etc., so I guess they were used for fastening kilts or tartan shawls. So, did the family em...
I'm afraid I doubt your spoon dates to 1732. The enamel bowl does sound more like circa 1900. Also, I believe that the town mark for Chester until 1778 was a shield divided on the left with three lions and on the right with half of the three sheaves. Another point to check is whether the lion's head...
The WMF mark on your piece dates from 1909/10 to 1925 when the ostrich was dropped. OX means Oxidiert, oxidised, and AS is Antikversilberung, antique silver finish. My guess too is that it was a shooting trophy, re-engraved in the Nazi period. Although it is also possible that the swastika insignia ...
The latters around the central shield EPBM stand for Electro-Plated Brittania Metal. Brittania metal was basically a superior pewter popular in the latter 19th century for silverplating. My guess is your piece is English - possibly Sheffield.