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Gorham Flask

Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2018 4:56 pm
by 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!

Re: Gorham Flask

Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2018 6:02 pm
by dognose
Hi,

Your question cannot be answered without the required images.

Trev.

Re: Gorham Flask

Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2018 9:45 pm
by 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.

Re: Gorham Flask

Posted: Thu Nov 01, 2018 3:31 am
by 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.

Re: Gorham Flask

Posted: Thu Nov 01, 2018 7:35 pm
by nonsequitur
Image

Image

Re: Gorham Flask

Posted: Thu Nov 01, 2018 10:03 pm
by dragonflywink
The anchor alone is an electroplate mark, and well-documented as such - the ad below is from 1869...

~Cheryl


Image

Re: Gorham Flask

Posted: Sat Nov 03, 2018 11:06 pm
by nonsequitur
there is another site like this one that says those marks were used on sterling.

Re: Gorham Flask

Posted: Sat Nov 03, 2018 11:40 pm
by 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

Re: Gorham Flask

Posted: Sun Nov 04, 2018 12:11 am
by nonsequitur
question:

is the Q a designation for the year 1884?

Re: Gorham Flask

Posted: Sun Nov 04, 2018 12:16 pm
by 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:

Image

Image



~Cheryl

Re: Gorham Flask

Posted: Sun Nov 04, 2018 12:40 pm
by 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.

Re: Gorham Flask

Posted: Sun Nov 04, 2018 5:44 pm
by nonsequitur
Thank you Everyone!