Identifying STERLING marks

[Argentum2]

Would anyone have any ideas about associating this STERLING mark with a maker's mark?

Is there a list of STERLING marks that can be attributed to specific makers?

[Argentum2]

For instance:

Carden Terry used these STERLING punches





Patrick Ryan used this one:



John Nicholson used this one:

[Argentum2]

Or this example used by John Warner:

[dognose]

Hi Argentum,

Such a list would be an interesting project, I'm not aware of such a resource existing. I suppose one spanner in the works may be a possible shared use of a punch, especially amongst the less prolific smiths.

It would also be great to know how many die-cutters were working in the provinces that were capable of producing such punches.

Trev.

[Argentum2]

Even with shared use of punches, a list of punches positively associated makers would narrow the gap somewhat, as would be a list of those capable of making such punches.

[Argentum2]

Here is a punch used by John Nicholson and Nicholas Nicholson:

[Argentum2]

John Hiliary's STERLING punch

[Argentum2]

A STERLING punch used by the Carden Terry & Jane Williams commercial partnership:

[Argentum2]

An example used by George Hodder:

[Argentum2]

John Tolken's punch:

[Argentum2]

Michael McDermott:

[Argentum2]

Joseph Gibson:

[Argentum2]

William Clarke

[Argentum2]

An example used by Richard Stevens:

[Argentum2]

An interesting punch used by William Teulon:

[scorpio]

Would anyone have any ideas about associating this STERLING mark with a maker's mark?

Is there a list of STERLING marks that can be attributed to specific makers?

Can you please post photos of the item of silver this mark is on. Now I may be mistaken but I have a vague recollection of seeing this particular STERLING mark online recently and the item had the crest of an eagle's head looking left. I recall thinking at the time that maybe the crest was a bald eagle and the silver American rather than Irish. Is this the same item? Perhaps tracing the crest would help identify the origin of this silver item.

[Argentum2]

I saw that item and the crest looked that of Westropp of Carrigaline, Co. Cork, I think.

[Argentum2]

The American identification crossed my own mind but ultimately I excluded it on the basis of other examples of the Westropp crest and on the decline of heraldic crests on American silver after the misadventure of 1776.

[Argentum2]

This version is of Westropp of Attyfin park in Limerick:

[Argentum2]

An example used by John Warner