Tom - It's interesting that the exemption mentions teaspoons when they are one of the most frequently completely marked objects. I have seen a fair number of larger items with no marks that were English; also partial or variant marks. Often people who come to this site hope to get a neat, clear-cut ...
"15 ct" refers to the gold content of 15 karats (carat being a variant spelling) or 15 of 24 parts i.e. 5/8ths gold. As to the other mark I can't say without seeing it but it would not be French (the French do not allow 15k as it is not high enough gold content, and in any case would have ...
different makers' marks for the parts suggest that one part broke or went missing and was replaced, or was added (usually later) for some other reason; it may even mean that the silver was incorrectly put back together after cleaning (if it came from a household with several similar items) .
My first instinct is to say Chinese based on the appearance of the prunus branches. The "pricking" is the reverse of part of the pattern. Go over the entire piece with a magnifying glass underside and all, looking for anomalies. You may find several; then examine the anomalies with a loupe...
Let's see whether we can re-institute this apparently very effective system. We had a serious theft some years ago and apart from none of its being recovered the attitude of our police was rather indifferent, it seemed to suggest well, you have insurance so why cry over it? .
There is quite a lot of silver that is unmarked. COntrary to the assurances one is supposed to get when reading about the sanctity of hallmarks there are - have been for centuries - many many items that have no markings whatsoever . So one has to look at other aspects of the item one is studying. Th...
hello look at http://www.925-1000.com/dlLondon.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; and compare the maker's mark as well as the shape of the cartouche with yours. If they match in all respects, it not only is London 1879, it also is Charles Edwards. Important to remember: there may be...
Hello in the arcane parlance of the museum world, 900 is just above what is referred to as "low-grade silver". It is not quite sterling, but it is above the accepted silver standards of quite a few countries. As to the mark, it should be seen - even a drawing would be preferable to a verba...
I have thought it over quite carefully. Whatever the saw is for, it is not for mangling cucumbers at table. At the time of this item's manufacture, cucumbers were grown in glass houses and conservatories using a glass trumpet to ensure the straightness of the vegetable; when the cucumbers were slice...
the mark in question may sound to be like the Maltese cross; Malta, however, does not have a 917 fineness, whereas that fineness has been in use in India - and possibly other jurisdictions.
thanks, Jim - you might get more information from a museum. I don't really know what city you are near - you might try sending a letter to the chinese department of the Royal Ontario Museum, Avenue Road, Toronto -- you'll have to get the exact address from their site - don't email them, send a photo...
currently a google search turns up Indian coins that are marked for 917 fineness. Before you think what can that possibly have to do with viking ships - I have a Kashmiri silver vessel which is shaped remarkably like a Viking ship and is terminated in what appears to be a 'dragon's head'. the Royal ...
this is a pie stand for use at home and perhaps in a small cafe - we used to go to a restaurant in the middle of nowhere in Eastern Ontario where the hostess kept three or four pies in the rack - she also had a collapsible one.