Gorham Flask

[nonsequitur]

Hi, I have a Gorham Flask that is marked:

[anchor]
G MFG CO
Q

I am getting different opinions about whether this can be 925 purity (not plated).
There is a website that gives examples of the marks Gorham used for sterling silver items and the above is one of them. The site is a popular one and if that example is wrong, it maybe should be corrected. Is it against posting rules here to put a link to that site?

I do not want to put acid on the flask as it is in such good condition.

Thoughts? Thanks!

[dognose]

Hi,

Your question cannot be answered without the required images.

Trev.

[nonsequitur]

I am still not sure if I can post a link to the site that lists Gorham silver marks especially the picture of the example mark listed as one they used for sterling that created my question.

[Traintime]

What is needed is an image of your mark on your flask, embedded for viewing (not a link to it). Reference links are useable as additional material, but never from a site with commercial aspects (ie selling stuff). You'll find it easier than it sounds.

[nonsequitur]

[dragonflywink]

The anchor alone is an electroplate mark, and well-documented as such - the ad below is from 1869...

~Cheryl

[nonsequitur]

there is another site like this one that says those marks were used on sterling.

[dragonflywink]

Well, everyone makes mistakes - the primary reference for Gorham, Carpenter's 'Gorham Silver: 1831-1981', will also tell you that it's a silverplate mark...

~Cheryl

[nonsequitur]

question:

is the Q a designation for the year 1884?

[dragonflywink]

The 'Q' is the date letter for 1884.

The images below are from Carpenter's 'Gorham Silver: 1831-1981' (1981), pages 87 and 288 respectively:







~Cheryl

[Traintime]

There is a footnote just below the date code chart: https://www.925-1000.com/Gorham_Date_Code.html

So, yes to date codes on silverplate..not on flatware which may have other codes (weight of plate). Meriden also instituted code cyphers (0, 00) for their plate in that era. Your "Q" would match 1884, assuming it is definitely a "Q" rather than a cypher.

[nonsequitur]

Thank you Everyone!