Old Sheffield Plate Teapot w/Hallmarks retry..

[badberrys]

Hi I tried posting this once before but don't see it up so.. This Pot stands 9 Inches Tall, 3 1/2 Inches at Base. Seems to have all of the attributes for Old Sheffield Plate - Double plated Lid with a seam -Copper Exposed from use, Tin Lined Body, Seam Shadow on one Side of handle, 'Rolled over' Seam on Bottom. The Piece is Monogrammed but rather than splicing in a Piece of thicker Sterling, they 'Infilled' from behind on the inside of the Pot with some type of 'White Metal'.
The 3 Hallmarks are Identical Stampings -they appear to be Gothic Script for either a 'D ,Q, or O'. They almost look like the UK date Codes for 1769 but the Cartouche shape is different. there is an American Smith named Dupuy who stamped his wares with three 'D's in a row but not so Gothic. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

[dognose]

Hi,

These marks are typical of makers of Old Sheffield Plate during the early period of this form of manufacture and it is interesting that you note the similarity of this particular device to the date letter used by the London Assay Office in 1769. It was for that very reason that London goldsmiths petitioned the Goldsmiths Company and the Government to halt this method of marking, fearing a serious threat to their livelihoods, and forcing the abandonment of OSP marking in 1772.
From 1773 until 1784 platers were not allowed to mark their wares. After this date an Act was passed allowing then to mark their products with a device associated with their names. By that Act any maker of items that were plated with silver, within a hundred miles of the city of Sheffield, had to register their mark with the Sheffield Assay Office (the distance of one hundred miles was established so that it would also encompass the city of Birmingham).
The Act was not strictly adhered to, and as time went on we start to see the type of pseudo marking we now associate with EPNS. The register was abandoned in 1836.
Your piece, if genuine, for there are reproductions about, can thus be dated to pre 1773. As for the maker, there are many of this period that remain unidentified to this day, often using three or four identical stamps.

Trev.

[badberrys]

thanks Trev. I'm pretty certain that it's the real thing, there's a few small spots where the silver has come detached from the copper - it's actually a pretty thick Layer of Silver and the Seams are obvious; Finial to Lid, Base to Body and the Bottom of the Base where the edge was 'Rolled over' to cover the seam - you can still feel it with a fingernail. I'm surprised that there would be 'Reproduction Fakery' when it seems that there isn't much value in these old plated pieces. I could post some more Photos but I thought the Limit was two. any idea what the function of the Piece was..? Tea for one..? Thanks again, Brett

[dognose]

Hi Brett,

I have no reason to suspect your piece is not genuine, just mentioning a fact, authentic OSP is keenly sought by some collectors.
It would be interesting to see some pictures, especially of the 'infilled' area.
As for what your piece was used for, I would have thought a small coffee pot or hot water jug.

Regards Trev.