sterling flatware (?)

[grady]

I've had no success so far identifying this sterling flatware service for eight locally (Edmonton, Alberta).
And I'll be grateful for any assistance. I hope these two photos will be acceptable and helpful:
<http://photoblog.com/grady>
I've assumed Birmingham.
The middle hallmark is a puzzle to me. Under a jeweller's loupe it's a five-pointed leaf (no stem) flat based. And indented is a rather plain capital E.
The lion passant is interesting. It's quite crude; or possibly just struck with a very worn die.
Best guess: this came from England to Montreal as a wedding gift (1900-1910).
I'd particularly like to know the pattern name and year of manufacture (or of assay).

Thanks in advance for any help.
Grady (newly minted member today)

[dognose]

Hi Grady,

Welcome to the Forum.

I'm afraid your images cannot be seen. Have a read of this tutorial: How to Add Images and remember to use the preview button.

You also may like to read this topic: viewtopic.php?f=38&t=19623

Trev.

[grady]

Trev:

I have a triple handicap: dumb as a bag of hammers wrt IT, photography, and sterling flatware.
I've conformed with your rule against over-large image files by sending the photoblog link.
Are you unable to see the images there?
Hoping for the best,
Grady

[salmoned]

No, it's Canadian. P.W. Ellis & Co., Toronto, Ontario, CA [Anchor, E on maple leaf, Lion]

[silverly]

Resized on tinypic.com by selecting the message board option. After the image was selected via the browse selection, it was just a matter of clicking on upload and then cutting there and pasting here the IMG Code for Forums & Message Boards under the heading Grab Your Tag.

[dragonflywink]

Pattern is Westminster, can't help with the introduction date, but a number of similar simple threaded patterns were introduced by American manufacturers around 1910-20 - it does appear in a 1922 Ellis Bros. catalog.

Canadian silver mark section: http://www.925-1000.com/canadiansilver_01.html

~Cheryl

[grady]

silverly & salmoned:

Thank you very much for your generous help.

P. W. Ellis: no doubt !
Their catalogue: <http://www.archive.org/search.php?query=subject%3A%22Commercial+catalogs%22>
The hallmarks on "my" sterling appear on the catalogue cover, as well as on page 115.

My guess is that Ellis was an importer/wholesaler rather than manufacturer. And I'm guessing that their hallmarks were legitimised by their sterling having been made in England and assayed in Birmingham.
Does that make sense?
If so, I have now only to track down the English manufacturer.

Again: many thanks.
grady

[dognose]

You also may like to read this topic: viewtopic.php?f=38&t=19623

Trev.

Try reading the link!: viewtopic.php?f=38&t=19623


Trev.

[dragonflywink]

Ellis is pretty well documented as a manufacturer of silver wares, if your pieces were produced and assayed in Birmingham, then they would bear the proper British hallmarks rather than the Ellis trademark.

~Cheryl

[grady]

@ Trev:

Thank you very much, for both your patience and your generous help.
I expect you noticed that the Ellis catalogue you cited <http://www.archive.org/details/ellisgif ... 00elliuoft (1922)>
clearly identifies my pattern as Westminster (on page 59).

@dragonflywink:
I guess the last remaining question is: who made it? I'll be glad to be proven wrong; but for now my money's on: made in England / assayed in Birmingham.
I've seen that International Silver of New Jersey named a pattern of theirs Westminster; but it has small differences. Others' Westminster pattern is very different- Rogers', for example.
So for now I'm looking for a smaller silversmith in northern England.

Best regards to all.
grady

[2209patrick]

Hi everyone.

P.W. Ellis was a manufacturer.
Here's a scan from Doris and Peter Unitt's book on Canadian silver.



Pat.