Is this sterling or Electroplate?

[mikemike33]

I thought it was a bit heavy for EP, but there is an EP hallmark on it. Weighs 2.5 ounceshttps://imgur.com/dnoDWpg https://imgur.com/h2MwX20

[dognose]

Hi,

Welcome to the Forum.

Please embed your images as very few members will click on such links.

https://postimages.org (choose 'Share', then copy the 'Hotlink for forums' code) is recommended. Do not use Photobucket or Dropbox.

Trev.

[mikemike33]

(Admin photo edit - remember to use the preview feature)

[Essexboy Found]

Hello, as you say marked "EP" pretty well confirms an electroplated item. Obviously electroplated on which metal/alloy could decide the items weight. The other marks are of interest to me though. Can you possibly get a crisper image of the marks. Not necessarily bigger, but crisper and maybe daylight lit. The lettering indicating the maker, or possibly in this case a retailer of your fork, is in gothic style type and is not 100% clear. It could be W,T, pictorial mark and a G (maybe C or E). Others may see different letters. I am suggesting a retailer's marks as a last letter "S" is commonly found in Sheffield cutlery maker's marks.

Fishless

[mikemike33]

I got it with my macro lens. Is it Dutch?

[mikemike33]

I seem to be having so much trouble embedding an image with Imgur. Please forgive me. I'll keep trying.

[mikemike33]

[dognose]

I read it as 'W', 'C', Axe, 'G'. The separate end letter usually identifies the town, in this case, likely Glasgow. Another clue to its origin is that the piece is 'Single-struck', that is to say, that the pattern is struck on one side only, a characteristic often only found in Scotland and the far north of England.

As for the 'W' and 'C', for me the likely candidate would be William Coghill:


William Coghill - Glasgow - 1860

Trev.

[Essexboy Found]

Thank you mikemike33 for that excellent follow on photo. It gives a better chance of attributing the marks on your fork. Trev has suggested a prime candidate for the ownership of the marks and Trev's advert even proclaims electroplated fork manufacture. William Coghill is however better know as a silversmith and has made spoons, tongs and forks, that were assayed between 1859 and 1886 at Glasgow.

Various Post-Office annual Glasgow directories give William Coghill at various Glasgow addresses.

1853-1854 Coghill, William, silversmith, 87 Stockwell street; house, Newstead, Govan road.
In this same directory, another known Glasgow silversmith, Alexander COGHILL, was also at 87 Stockwell St.

https://www.925-1000.com/forum/viewtopi ... %0AGlasgow

1859-1860 Coghill, William, silversmith, Eagle lane, 53 Maxwell street;
This was also an address for a tobacco-pipe manufacturer Alexander Coghill (clay pipes?). Alexander Coghill's does not appear to have had much silver assayed after 1856.

1869-1870 Coghill, Wm., silversmith, Eagle lane; warehouse, 4 Stormont street
1869-1870 SILVERSMITHS Listing. Coghill, Wm. 4 Stormont St

1870-1871 Coghill, Wm , silversmith, 38 Queen street

1874-1875 Coghill, William, silversmith, 38 Queen St.
Another concern, Coghill, William, & Co., gold beaters, was also at 38 Queen St.

William Coghill remained at 38 Queen St until circa 1888.

Despite the numerous silversmith trade entries, any entries in the silver plating and electroplating categories for William Coghill appear scarce. Elkington and Kerr and Phillips, as concerns, recognisable as known makers of electroplated wares are to be found though, so did William Coghill retail electroplated cutlery from that warehouse at 4 Stormont Street and not actually manufacture it?

Fishless