is this tiffany silver?

[Guest]

i think it could be a tiffany mark but not to sure, it's stamped on the back of a locket , the date letter could be a E or f , sideways anchor and a lion, with t&co, all the decoration on the front of the locket has been cut into the surface then filled with diffrent coloured enamels and hand painted for detail

thanks Ray

click on thumbnail for a larger photo

[Guest]

please can someone tell me what the date is thanks

[Neruda]

Fools rush in etc., but am I alone in having a problem with this piece?

The anchor means it was assayed in Birmingham. The date letter looks like a small gothic-style "e" which should be for 1879. This would fit with the style of the piece - which I might add, is very attractive!
However, there should be a diagonal-stroke on the "e". And the versions of this stamp that I have seen have a circular border - not the rectangle here.



So, is this something funny? Could "e" mean "export", for example? Or is it simply a variant?

[Guest]

i think it is and F , thats what throwing me , the style of the F is in the wrong cartouche

[Neruda]

This is the f

So it does seem that circular and rectangular borders were used interchangeably.

(sorry, I've edited this - the lower mark was wrong!!!)

[Guest]

yep thats the F

[AGAG]

Ive had a piece of Tiffany with this era datestamp and was also a little worried about the retangular nature of the cartouche, this I was told a few years ago to be fine, as not always oval cartouch used in latter part of 19th C
PS Definitely F letter

[Guest]

just an update from the birmingham assay office from an email

The date letter on your locket is the Birmingham gothic f for 1880. T&Co is Thomas & Co, silversmiths, of 37 Albion Street, Birmingham.