number marks under Sterling

[kcrszeto]

Hi I am green to recognize American Sterling Marks. Can anyone explain to me what are the numbers on the 3rd line under sterling standing for ? For instance, I have a Gorham Sterling silver tray. The first line marks Gorham. The second line have 3 symbols that I know for the sterling, Gorham and date. The third line marks " Sterling " The next line marks "A12753" . Please advise what is the meaning of A12753. Thank you in advance.
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[dmay]

In general, the third line of numbers on a piece relates to an inventory or pattern number of the manufacturer. Generally speaking, the number is not helpful to determining the date of a piece either because the numbering system was not chronological or because the inventory numbering system for the manufacturer is no longer known or available.

The exception to this is Tiffany, where the pattern number is chronological. It is still not definitive as to determining date, because the pattern number relates to the date that the pattern was first introduced, and many patterns were made for a number of years.

Your listing indicates that you are already familiar with the Gorham date numbering system; several other companies used dating marks, and this site is a good source for information on those marks.

Hope this helps!
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