Here is a fiddle pattern spoon with some unusual marks. I can't attribute any of the marks, but one is an anchor (similar to the mark of Greenock, Scotland). The provenance of the spoon is Scottish which makes me think the marks are Scottish. Any ideas as to origin and maker would be greatly appreciated.
http://s251.photobucket.com/albums/gg31 ... 120146.jpg
http://s251.photobucket.com/albums/gg31 ... 120147.jpg
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Scottish Provincial marks?
Hi,
Scottish provincial marks are always something of a minefield, with silversmiths moving from town to town, tinker's marks, poor quality punches (often but not always) and only a localised system of standards.
There are at least three towns that used the Anchor mark, Greenock, Paisley and Dumfries (Fouled).
The definitive work on the subject is Richard Turner's excellent "A Directory of Scottish Provincial Silversmiths & Their Marks" but I cannot find a match for this mark.
The latter years of the 17th Century and the early years of the 18th Century saw the emigration of many Scottish silversmiths to the colonies, they often continued to use similar marks to that they used in their mother country, several went to India including William Henry Twentyman who used the "Fouled Anchor" mark and John Mair the "Thistle" mark, others used the "Lion Rampant".
Your spoon appears to have the makers mark of JH. Among the silversmiths that set up in India was John Hunt who was working in Calcutta in the early 1800's, I don't have a copy of his mark to hand and I offer this as only a very slim possibility.
Hopefully someone will offer something more concrete.
Trev.
.
Scottish provincial marks are always something of a minefield, with silversmiths moving from town to town, tinker's marks, poor quality punches (often but not always) and only a localised system of standards.
There are at least three towns that used the Anchor mark, Greenock, Paisley and Dumfries (Fouled).
The definitive work on the subject is Richard Turner's excellent "A Directory of Scottish Provincial Silversmiths & Their Marks" but I cannot find a match for this mark.
The latter years of the 17th Century and the early years of the 18th Century saw the emigration of many Scottish silversmiths to the colonies, they often continued to use similar marks to that they used in their mother country, several went to India including William Henry Twentyman who used the "Fouled Anchor" mark and John Mair the "Thistle" mark, others used the "Lion Rampant".
Your spoon appears to have the makers mark of JH. Among the silversmiths that set up in India was John Hunt who was working in Calcutta in the early 1800's, I don't have a copy of his mark to hand and I offer this as only a very slim possibility.
Hopefully someone will offer something more concrete.
Trev.
.
J.H, anchor spoon
I do not think that it is a Scottish spoon, however it may be Indian Colonial.
John Hunt & Co, of Calcutta, 1808 - 15 used a similar anchor and their mark was J.H with the pellet in a high position, (see Wilkinson Indian Colonial Silver, page 100).
The mark shown is not as squashed as this one, but makers had several punches.
.
John Hunt & Co, of Calcutta, 1808 - 15 used a similar anchor and their mark was J.H with the pellet in a high position, (see Wilkinson Indian Colonial Silver, page 100).
The mark shown is not as squashed as this one, but makers had several punches.
.
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Essexboy Fisher
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Re: Scottish Provincial marks?
Hello and happy New Year 10 years on. I believe the photo below is an illustration to go with Dognose’s “early Colonial India silversmiths” comments.
When I first saw these marks on a spoon offered for sale, I was trying to think which Provincial Scottish silver centre used a “spanner” like icon. It then dawned on me that the spanner was a “key” and as I had previously seen another spoon, an Indian Colonial spoon, with a key mark it needed only a few moments on “925-1000” to suggest these marks to belong to “John Mair” of Calcutta. His working dates are indicated as 1789-1796 for Calcutta, but in another post by Dognose, a John Mair is listed as apprenticed in 1776 to James Gordon of Aberdeen.
Yours,
Fishless
When I first saw these marks on a spoon offered for sale, I was trying to think which Provincial Scottish silver centre used a “spanner” like icon. It then dawned on me that the spanner was a “key” and as I had previously seen another spoon, an Indian Colonial spoon, with a key mark it needed only a few moments on “925-1000” to suggest these marks to belong to “John Mair” of Calcutta. His working dates are indicated as 1789-1796 for Calcutta, but in another post by Dognose, a John Mair is listed as apprenticed in 1776 to James Gordon of Aberdeen.
Yours,
Fishless
Re: Scottish Provincial marks?
Hi Fishless,
The mark you show is indeed the mark of John Mair of Calcutta.
Trev.
The mark you show is indeed the mark of John Mair of Calcutta.
Trev.
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