Price indication scratches …
Hello »
stickyb«
As I’ve already mentioned to you, in yours actual case there is much more information hidden as only the visible and official London Assay marks.
Thank you for hosting a high resolution photo — indeed it’s necessary and very informative too.
These ‘
scratched’ marks are hiding some historical information, e.g. mainly
prices, and at least an
owner’s name …
Almost scratches are readable if you turn the pot’s bottom left side (clockwise), about 90º plus.
Let’s start our 'walk':
At ‘
1oclock’ — is as I assume, scratched (upside down) an owner’s name:
BENNET
At ‘
3oclock’
(left side of the ‘Year indication letter’) could be some ciphers
(or that are fingerprints only?).
At ‘
5oclock’ — only in this case readable in (normal)
vertical position: In two lines, between some dividing horizontal lines, a Price indication, I assume:
17 // 1 / o
At ‘
7oclock’,
more to the inner circle — another Price indication, I assume:
25 / II . II o
At ‘
8oclock’ — in two lines a maybe owner’s and or place indication: …
o l l e r …
y (second line)
At ‘
9oclock’ — I assume that the marks letter could be a kind of
minuscule script r. That is a »
Journeyman-mark« - a silversmith who works in his own workplace for others, e.g. traders. He would be paid per finished item.
Right side of the »
Journeyman-mark« are some little price indication scratches.
At ‘
10oclock’ — as I assume, is a bigger scratched,
individual price indication area; which getting his numerals by individual notice, e.g. by a
pencil.
There I see as Price indication: $o (= Sovereign), sh (= Shilling), x (= Pence).
Very interesting is the Price Index of that time period. The Journeyman’s income was in that time period very low — he had maybe to make 100 tea pots, before he could buy one.
http://www.parliament.uk/documents/comm ... 06-009.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
»
Price Index 1750-2005«, p. 12-17,
p. 13 (14/21) for the Year
1847:
1847 Change in Prices on Year before (1846) =
+ 12.0 %
Then after 1847, from 1848 until 1852 on, has happen a steady decrease in Prices:
(in 1851 was the »Commonwealth Exhibition« in London)
1848 Change in Prices on Year before (1847) = - 12.1 %
1849 Change in Prices on Year before (1848) = - 6.3 %
1850 Change in Prices on Year before (1849) = - 6.4 %
1851 Change in Prices on Year before (1850) = - 3.0 %
1852 Change in Prices on Year before (1851) = - 0.0 %
1853 Change in Prices on Year before (1852) = + 9.3 %
1854 Change in Prices on Year before (1853) = + 15.1 %
1855 Change in Prices on Year before (1854) = + 3.3 %
1856 Change in Prices on Year before (1855) = - 0.0 %
You’ve an item, which is in style and additional scratches a real document of the Victorian time period.
I think you wouldn’t do any harm to this document, if you now like to make an unobtrusive additional owners notice [in the area above the “lion”, or below the Queens head]: Maybe yours name, date of buy, price — and maybe for the latter historians: »925-1000« topic 22684
For final let me say:
Thank you for yours presentation and cooperation!
Happy New Year 2011 - and collectors luck too!
Kind regards silverport