Can't find I de W mark on Sterling dish?

[jaimesonh]

Wonderful site and forum. Thanks all.

I have been looking for the mark below. I have looked at all the American and Mexican marks and most of the prior posts, and I hope I haven't overlooked it. I would hate to waste your time.

This is a small dish approx 5.5" in diameter not counting handles, and about 1.25" deep.

The mark appears to me to be a vertical line, the letters "de", and a stylized letter W. Maybe it represents "I de W".

If anyone has seen this mark before and can tell me the maker, I would appreciate it.






Thanks,

Jaime
Austin, TX

[2209patrick]

I'm not sure about this, but that might be the deM mark used by William L. DeMatteo, Alexandria, Virginia. You might contact them to find out. Here's their website:
http://www.handandhammer.com/

[jaimesonh]

Super! Thank you for the info. I have sent them an e-mail and I will let everyone know what I find out.

Thanks again
Jaime

[jaimesonh]

I sent an e-mail to hand-hammer on 4/18 and they have yet to respond. I called today and the young lady that answered the phone asked me to describe the mark. She quickly said it was not one of their marks, but I really didn't get a chance to ask whether it was perhaps the mark of one of the previous De Matteos... she was kind of short with me.

So if anyone else has seen this mark before, please let me know.

Thanks - JH

[admin]

Just for the record, the marks of the DeMatteo's have been pretty well documented and this is not amongst them. I've handled one piece with this mark and the quality of workmanship and sterling gauge, though not bad, were both somewhat lesser than that seen in the work of the elder DeMatteos. I think your first reading of the mark as "I de W" (or JdeW) is on target and hope that someone will eventually ID it.
Regards, Tom

[OddSterling]

Could it be French? Isn't "de" used in the French language basically as our English "of".

Is that totally off base? Just a thought.

B