identifying siver sauce boat

[tootal]

could someone please help me identify the following
a silver sauce boat, decoration like rope on the rim otherwise fairly plain.
base marks are as follows


H.S

An imbossed crown

ALPHA

H B & H ( i think) in patterns the last being a shield

6 4 1 0

and a rego number

thanks in anticipation

[2209patrick]

The HB&H shield mark might be a silverplate mark used by Harrison Brothers & Howson, Sheffield, England.



Pat.

[tootal]

thank you for your accurate reply, the silver sauce boat is indeed harrison broths, and howson, but it is too heavy to be silver plate, could the H.S. imbossing and the rego no. suggest this is one of their silver products. it does have some scratching, does silver scatch easily? and can it be dated?
thankyou in anticipation

[2209patrick]

You're welcome.
The marks I posted previously are their silverplate marks.
If your sauce boat were silver it would have a set of marks including a lion passant, the Sheffield crown, a date letter and a GH makers mark.



Pat.

[Matulda]

thank you for your accurate reply, the silver sauce boat is indeed harrison broths, and howson, but it is too heavy to be silver plate, could the H.S. imbossing and the rego no. suggest this is one of their silver products. it does have some scratching, does silver scatch easily? and can it be dated?
thankyou in anticipation

I can't give you much new information on Harrison Brothers & Howson except that the firm was established in the middle of the 19th century (different sources say 1849, 1853 and 1871), but I would like to comment on your other questions. Nothing is "too heavy" to be silver plate, because the weight depends on the metal underneath the silver, which can be nickel, brass, tin, zinc or an alloy. Silver plate simply means that a metal or alloy is covered by a thin layer of silver, since about 1840 usually by electroplating. And yes, silver is a soft metall that scratches easily, more easily the higher the silver content is.