www.925-1000.com

This silver plated swing arm basket is lacking any marks except for a tiny cryptic mark that looks like a flower? I check Bradbury's and this site but could not identify the mark -- if it is a mark! The mark I am referring to is shown in the last photo at the 11 o'clock position.

If not OSP, when would you say this was made? Thanks!

Hi Adam,

On the face of it, I see no reason why the piece should not be OSP, but judging for that style of manufacture from images alone in an absolute minefield.

A lack of marks is often the case with OSP, and often just a small workman's' mark is all there is to be found struck. In this case what we see, I don't think is a workman's mark at all. The patterns on these pieces, I believe, were stamped, if the marking does not reflect the pattern on the other side then perhaps what we are seeing on the under-side is a result of the pattern stamped, rejected, flattened, and then the metal used on another item, and then re-struck, leaving just a slight trace of the original pattern showing.









If the above is not the case, and is in fact a partially stuck elaborate maker's mark, then I think we can dismiss any thought of the item being OSP.

Trev.

Thanks so much! I think your explanation of a re-strike is possible. I found this additional mark which looks like a stamped number. Does this have any meaning as far as dating this? It looks like 401?

Such marks are usually internal factory pattern/batch/order numbers, often found on electro-plate items.

Trev.

Thanks. I will just assume it is silver plated and Victorian but not necessarily OSP.