Gday Michael Welcome to the Forums. Date wise, you're looking at 1877 - check out Phil's page here (http://www.silvermakersmarks.co.uk/Dates/Chester/Cycle%201864-1883.html) and click on the link for 1877. You'll see the match is identical, including the (somewhat odd) link marking through the "...
Probably now beyond my (non existent!) knowledge of US silver. Any attribution is reliant on Graham's book being correct (and it is not one I am familiar with, although that doesn't mean anything). I'd await a more expert opinion.
Do you have a better photo of the maker's mark? It looks more like the cartouche for Henry Wilkinson & Co (also, the Horace Woodward & Co maker's mark - as c.f. the Horace Woodward maker's mark - was only registered in 1893).
Yes, that is correct - your piece would be silverplate, not sterling silver. Bass were well known silverplate makers. In the US, if a piece was "Sterling" it was usually marked as such (to provide comfort to the purchaser etc). Also, the marks are wrong for British sterling silver - for on...
Looks like Sheffield sterling silver to me. As far as I'm aware, ES & Co is currently not identified with certainty (one website has this mark identified as E SIlver & Co of Bond St London), but their work has been seen from 1930s - 1950s. Date wish, your piece was assayed in 1949. The other...
Hi all I've got 6 of these spoons marked with "E.Simmons". Quality is a bit ordinary to be honest. Purchased in a "job lot" with a bunch of other spoons (all, with one exception, American silver, mostly coin). Any ideas who "E.Simmons" was? Suspect the retailer, but can...