Please help - London swilversmith's mark S*O for year 1780.

[Dmitry]

Hello, friends. I have a silver-hilted English sword, with a London Date Letter (e) = 1780, and the silversmith's mark [S*O] in a shield. I wasn't successful in finding that person's name. Your help in identifying the silversmith would be invaluable! Thank you!

[georgiansilver]

Could you please post pictures of all the marks on the sword hilt to get an accurate answer. Best wishes, Mike.

[dognose]

Hi,

Welcome to the Forum.

As Mike suggests, it will be a great help if you can post a full picture of the marks and the piece itself.

The likely maker is Sarah Owen who entered her mark as a Hiltmaker on the 8th October 1779. Her address was entered as 12, Magpie Alley, Fetter Lane.

Trev.

[Dmitry]

Gents, here are the rest of the marks and the view of the hilt itself, which is done in a popular ca. 1775-1785 English military fashion, with a lion's head pommel and slotted guard.

[dognose]

Hi,

Thanks for posting the extra photos.

Sarah Owen looks good to me for the hiltmaker. The only thing I find unusual is the 'Crowned Leopards Head' mark, I have never seen one with the head so disproportionately small as compared with the shield. Although I have no doubt it's genuine.

Let's see what Mike thinks.

Trev.

[Dmitry]

Thank you!

The level of knowledge on this forum is phenomenal!