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Here's an Example of a teaspoon by Hampston Prince & Cattle from 1803 with the unusual case of the lion passant facing right! Bradbury suggests this occurs in 1803 & 1806, does anyone have any suggestions why this may have occurred?




Kind Regards,
Rhodri

Hi Rhodri,

I think Martin Gubbins was probably correct when he wrote:

A well known oddity of York hallmarks is the sterling mark which is sometimes shows the lion facing right in the period 1798 to 1808 and perhaps in later years too. Except for the hallmarks of Newcastle in the 1720's and very occasionally in the next two decades, this anomaly is peculiar to York and is therefore an immediate form of recognition . There appears to be no significance in this right-facing lion and it is likely to be no more than a mistake by the engraver in employing a punch mark, rather than another punch, for his model.

Source: York Assay Office & Silversmiths 1776-1858 - Martin Gubbins - 1983

Trev.

Hello, happy new year. It might be a new year but I going for this old subject. Below is a photo of a teaspoon I just got hold of.



It is not a Hampston, Prince and Cattles, but I think it is a Prince and Cattles from 1805.
I have added a composite photo of some images I have kept from about the last 10 years featuring right looking lions. It includes another example of the marks on my new spoon.



I am hoping these additions do not go the way of all the other Tinypics images.

Fishless