www.925-1000.com

Sadly, Thomas O'Connor & Son Ltd was eventually forced out of business due to losses incurred following a serious armed robbery in July 1983 which netted the criminals €2.5 million in gold and jewels. 100 employees lost their jobs which gives you some idea of the scale of the O'Connor operation ...

Sorry for delay in replying. I have to agree with agphile, it looks suspiciously like it was converted from a tablespoon. However, as you were aware of what you were buying, I'm sure you'll just enjoy it as an interesting piece.

I have a vague recollection of examining this spoon last year when on view. The same spoon appeared in the same place in 2008 but because of forum guidelines I cannot provide a link but you can easily find it and what happened or should I say what didn't happen. The date of 1762 puzzles me as John C...

I can't be sure but it is likely Douglas Bennett listed maker's marks in the order he believed they were used so script first and block letters later in the case of Edward Barrett. This seems to be borne out by a 1702 spoon having script letters and a 1725 marrow scoop having block capitals. As this...

I'm sure both John Hillery and James Heyland went through a number of punches throughout their long lives as silversmiths, 30 years and 28 years respectively. I don't honestly believe this box was a purse, being impractical for such use and it would undoubtedly have suffered badly with internal scra...

An unusual STERLING mark with incuse 'STERLIN' followed by what looks like a small and quite worn intaglio 'G'. So who could this mark belong to? It's on a fiddle pattern spoon, a pattern that arrived in Ireland about 1800, so that eliminates John Hillery and John Humphreys. This really only leaves ...

Isaac Solomon - Cork



Gordon

Michael McDermott - Cork http://i1288.photobucket.com/albums/b500/centauri1/Sterling%20and%20Silversmith%20marks/3.%20Michael%20McDermott%20makers%20mark%20conjoined%20MD-STER%20amp%20joined%20MD_zps4vb0qvga.jpg Michael McDermott - Cork http://i1288.photobucket.com/albums/b500/centauri1/Sterling%20a...

William Reynolds - Cork
Circa 1750


Gordon

George Hodder - Cork Date: Circa 1740 http://i1288.photobucket.com/albums/b500/centauri1/Sterling%20and%20Silversmith%20marks/680abe78-b1f1-4a45-82e6-62f9865d0c72_zpscdfsgaon.png George Hodder - Cork Date: Circa 1750 http://i1288.photobucket.com/albums/b500/centauri1/Sterling%20and%20Silversmith%20m...

Carden Terry - Cork Date: Circa 1775-80 http://i1288.photobucket.com/albums/b500/centauri1/Sterling%20and%20Silversmith%20marks/Carden%20Terry%20c1775-80_zpsyj5qkgxw.jpg Carden Terry & Jane Williams - Cork Date: Circa 1806-7 Two different STERLING punches used, both likely dating to around the s...

During a conversation a couple of months ago with an acknowledged Irish silver expert, he opined that the style of the tongs indicated a Dublin maker and not Provincial. This morning, a gentleman in the Dublin Assay Office advised me that the Antique Plate Committee, which met last month, could not ...

I spoke to a gentleman in the Dublin Assay Office this morning who told me he took the opportunity to refer this undocumented EB mark to Douglas Bennett when he visited the office recently and Douglas Bennett confirmed it is indeed one of Edward Barrett's marks.

Gordon

The Taking of Snuff in early to mid 19th century Ireland My Snuff-Box by W.P.M.: An interesting and amusing dissertation on snuff taking in Ireland published in 1834 during the reign of William IV. Well worth a read. https://books.google.ie/books?id=ra8RAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA260&dq=260+My+snuff+box...

An interesting thought Trev which I've been researching but unfortunately I can't trace any reference to this habit ever reaching Ireland.

Gordon

I've never come across a Cork STERLING mark like that before either. I have this George Hodder maker's and STERLING marks from a caster I own but the STERLING mark is not very clear on it. http://i1288.photobucket.com/albums/b500/centauri1/Irish%20Silver/SilverCasterGeorgeHodder_4_zpsdaf19d96.jpg

Lost some decimal points in the measurements quoted above! They should of course read 6.5 cm x 4.5 cm x 2.5 cm.

This is a rare Cork silver oval-shaped box with tight-fitting lift-off lid. The box measures 65 cm (2.5 in.) x 45 cm (1.75 in.) x 25cm (1 in.) and is obviously designed to be carried in the pocket. This seems a bit smaller than one would expect for a tobacco box although it is a possibility. If it w...

This is an old Dublin Hanoverian rat tail spoon in fine condition. It could be a Queen Anne or George I spoon as the X date mark on it was used from the 1st November 1713 to the 31st October 1715. This pattern of spoon was known in Ireland from 1710 and referred to as 'Hanoverian' after the accessio...

Here is the pic of the Dublin 1746 salver. Similar applied scroll border as yours.



Gordon