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Hi everybody,

Here is a silver fork which I guess is Dutch; it came with others of identical design and engraving which were marked as London 1837.
Can anyone tell me what these marks mean?

Miles

Hi Miles,
Handsome piece! I believe that's a Portuguese mark for Oporto c.1830s, but don't count on that, let's hear from some others.

Regards, Tom

Yes, Porto, Portugal is correct. The first mark - P, crowned, above two towers - is that of Alexandre Pinto da Cruz, who served as chief assayer in Porto from 1810-1818. The other mark - RP - is that of the maker António José Riberio Pinto, working Porto, 1st half, 19th century.

Hope this helps!

Thankyou both very much.

I wish I knew the tale behind these forks and who commissioned the English silversmith (William Eaton) to copy them 19 years later.

Blakstone, could you please tell me where you found your information; it sounds like a book I should have on my shelf!

Miles

Handsome piece, I have never seen this shape before where it is squared off past the stem as this one is, might anyone be able to tell me what this design is called? (For some reason it reminds me of a snow shovel, so I guess I do not know why I like it since I hate shoveling snow.)

Regards- Byron

Hello

Porto mark: Assayer Alexandre Pinto da Cruz — in use first quarter of XIX century (mark-nr. 2395, p. 249).

Look: viewtopic.php?t=20654

»RP« in (__) = António José Ribeira Pinto (maker’s mark 1586, p. 162) — 1810-1818 (Active in primary half of XIX century [Register of Vicente Manuel de Moura]).

»RP« in [_] with slightly rounded corners, a dot centred above P’s vertical line = silversmith’s name unknown (maker’s mark 2849, p. 305) — 1810-1818

»RF« in (__) = João José Ferraz (1867 by Register of Vicente Manuel de Moura).

Source: «Marcas de Contrastes e Ourives Portugueses» ISBN 972-27-0773-6. Vol. I (XV century — 1887). Reprint 3rd ed. 1997, Lisbon.

Kind regards silverport

Hello Byron

Just now I've noticed your wish to get the book.

I hunted since now about 20 year to get it - on 2 June 2008 I've got »the ever last one out of stock« from the editor. That was my X-mas!

Sorry.

Kind regards silverport