MORDECAI, Benjamin (Grimwade p.600)

[silverly]

11 May 1770 Benjamin Mordecai of Clerkenwell Middlesex silversmith & c paid apprentice indenture duty for Levy Philips.

[buckler]

14 August 1767
Described as Benj. MORDECAI of Clerkenwell, Silversmith when he took Levy Phillips as apprentice .

[dognose]

An example of the work and mark of Benjamin Mordecai (Mountigue/Montigue), tablespoons, assayed at London in 1785:








B·M - London - 1785


B·M

This particular mark, with the central pellet, appears only in the Bucklemakers' Register, but has, on occasion, been noted on spoons assayed between 1779 and 1791 at least.

[buckler]

To avoid confusion there was not a separate Register for the marks of bucklemakers. Prior to 1773 they were normally recorded in the Smallworkers Register, and after that in the new all-embracing Register, which included a column specifying the main category of the silversmith such as plateworkers, smallworkers, spoonmakers, watchcase makers, goldworkers, bucklemakers etc.
From personal experience I have found that silversmiths who had several entries over the years often tended to list their marks in different categories, but did not use each punch solely for items in that category.