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Thanks Sasropakis . I have seem bumerke before. that seems to make sense.

Thanks for your ideas. I did think about runes. Some of the other marks are more “runic” if that makes sense. That will be my next path to follow. I have seen these straight line devices on other Scandinavian and Baltic silver, but never been able to trace them.

I have a number of 17th century Norwegian spoons which do not have a punched maker’s mark. They do however have distinctive scratched marks. They are all in a similar place on the spoons and seem to be some kind of identifying device. They are too regular to be marks of usage. They are difficult to ...

Working on the apprentice theory; how about this Walker & Hall example as a "freedom" piece?

Here is an oddity. It is a Victorian halfpenny which has been silver plated and stamped with the Atkin Brothers maker’s mark. It also has the initials FG. It has a hole, which appears to have been punched rather that drilled. So what might it be? Maybe one of the workers who made himself a fob or po...

Hello Traintime.

That is 1916.

Paul.

Thanks Peter.

Thank you gentlemen.

Thanks Trev. I can't decide whether that is a horse bit or a pair of spectacles. The quest continues!

Paul.

Can any one help me with the marks on this Mediterranean looking bowl? I have searched in vain.

Paul.

Does anyone know if a reference book has ever been published about Hanau silver?

I spotted this trefid spoon in a recent auction. I didn’t buy, it but I am intrigued by the marks, which I cannot find anywhere. Any suggestions?

Geraldo Pace was the Consul for Silversmiths between 1857-1863. His mark was a bird. This might explain the last mark. with a bit of distortion in the stamping. From 1857 a number was struck to indicate the year, starting not with a 57 but a 1. So the 6 would be for 1862.

Paul.

Thanks Qrt.S. Moscow was my first thought, but the town mark, rubbed as it is, does appear to be symmetrical, whereas Moscow’ George and Dragon is asymmetrical.

I am hoping someone can work out what these rather rubbed and skwewed marks are on a large Russian spoon. Its date is 1864, measuring 185mm in length and is of a good gauge silver at 62 grams. https://i.postimg.cc/CBqYqdpD/IMG-0673.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/1V1ScPyd/IMG-0674.jpg

That was close Phil. The Y is actually 1951.

Thank you. Another mystery solved. I really must get a copy of that book.
Paul.

I just found it. It is Francesco French.

The are two spoons from Malta. Both have the same maker’s marks AVC. One has the date code 33 and the other 20. The “20" spoon has a mark which seems to be a canine head and the other a lozenge shape. Although there are plenty of examples of spoons by AVC there do not seem to be any attribution...

On a recent edition of a TV antiques programme one of the "experrts" said that you could tell the difference between silver and silver plated pieces because silver was warmer to the touch than silver plate. I have been handling silver for over 40 years and have never heard of this before, ...