Chester silversmith - Peter Pemberton I, or II or III

[buckler]

This small buckle, with only a PP mark and no assay marks, was dug at Chester Racecourse. Which is no proof of it being Chester as another buckle with an early Hibernia has also been found there ! Size of buckle 30 mm by 34mm.
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Mark is similar to Ridgway & Priestly page 339 #6464 which is pre Plate 1 and thus late 17th century.

I would guess at this buckle as being 1750 at the earliest - and can only surmise the maker could be Peter Pemberton III or IV. Perhaps he used one of his grandfathers punches !

All pure speculation .
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[MCB]

Hello Clive,
I keep my list of maker's marks in alphabetical order from all AO's. It shows only one PP in a rectangle registered in the period 1750-1800, that for Peter Passavant in London in 1785, but the source for that entry is Grimwade's Goldworkers list at page 375. The buckle is unlikely to be by him I think which leaves no one with such a mark having been mentioned in published works or AO web sites as far as I can tell.
It strikes me as odd in view of Ridgway & Priestley's thoroughness that no registered marks were apparently found in the Chester office for the later Pembertons although we know from Jackson's publication pages 405 & 406 that PP II and PP III were Chester Goldsmith Company members. It leaves me wondering if they were actually very active silversmiths such that it wouldn't be so surprising to find they used an unregistered rectangular punch in the style of PP I for what they did mark.
Regards,
Mike
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[buckler]

Thanks. I have this one marked as a " perhaps" attibution - which in my terms is a 25% probability score - no more ! The possibility of a grandfather's punch being used is not that likely, but for material not put via the assay office, is not impossible .
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