International Silver Navy Oddball

[Traintime]

If this teaspoon would have carried any of the common stainless steel marks like SILCO, the Windsor pattern would have been expected. However, this sample bears one of Insico's marks usually associated with their plated wares. In addition is a large stamped "A" that I don't recall ever encountering before. The Pirates Lair site (no links rules) identifies some 35 U. S. Navy plate patterns and Windsor is only found in a 19th century item with the naval stamp being serif letters (sort of branding iron style like old U.S. cavalry type), not these plain block versions used later. I do know that the military had experimented with some other improved metals at one point, but they just did not hold up like stainless steel and thus they were abandoned quickly. A soap & water washing to carefully remove any adherents but no more left a light tarnish ring around the inner rim (with the typical rainbow effect) suggesting this is plated rather than stained. In the second photo group we will see damage at the bowl tip with corrosion, splitting and pitting around the bowl rim, and another invasion just above that "A" mark on the lower handle. Since this has not been documented among those known plated patterns, any ideas on what it might be are sought and welcomed.

[Traintime]

Set 2: Damage at end, rim, and handle....

[Traintime]

One thought that had occured to me was that there have been naval training centers away from the oceans and this may have been employed in those places resulting in it being overlooked. If it was a war emergency experimental metal, it might have simply been tossed before anyone took notice and this could be a piece carried off by a sailor trainee or a staff member.

[Traintime]

Considering the possibility that the "A" is not being emplyed as a grade mark, but rather a designator of a possible experimental metal product base (Alloy, Aluminum, and several non-English words) this SMP info. on the Alfenide plant-versus-product question seemed to kill the chance that Insico was digging abroad for a better composite: https://www.smpub.com/ubb/Forum21/HTML/000473.html