Silverplate teapot? Help...

[Avenger]

My grandparents had this item in their house for as long as my father could remember. It could have came with them from Europe when they entered the US in the early 1900's. I think its a teapot, although it is small and its design is very plain compared to others I've seen on the web. There are two marks on the bottom of the item, a "CD" which I think is the maker mark and a fancy "R" which I think is the date mark though I haven't seen an "R" like that on the site. On the top there are two marks as well but they seem too faint to make out. Maybe someone here can read them? I tend to think it is not sterling silver since I haven't found any of the marks that are described on the site that lead you to believe that it is silver. There are two rings on the handle which I think are made of wood. I am really interested in finding out what the item is and where it came from. It may help track my family's history.

http://i1049.photobucket.com/albums/s397/Avenger2000/Untitled-1.jpg

http://i1049.photobucket.com/albums/s397/Avenger2000/Untitled4.jpg

Marks on the bottom (clear)
http://i1049.photobucket.com/albums/s397/Avenger2000/Untitled2.jpg

Marks on the top (very faint)
http://i1049.photobucket.com/albums/s397/Avenger2000/Untitled.jpg

(admin photo edit - images too large - link only - see Posting Requirements )

[Avenger]

Another collector on the internet just suggested to me that this item is a George III teapot. After browsing through examples of them on the web, I agree. I've found ones of very similiar style. Could anyone help me with the hallmarks though? I've scoured through the site looking for that style of "R" for the date code to no avail. It is also possible that the marks on top are the city marks but they are very faint. This could be silver and not silver plate. Also thanks to the admin for editing the photo links. I missed the fact that they are a little too big.

[dognose]

Hi Avenger,

Welcome to the Forum.

Take a look at this post: viewtopic.php?f=18&t=28559

Does the 'CD' mark match your example?

Trev.

[Avenger]

Does the 'CD' mark match your example?

Trev.

I don't think its an exact match. I've seen a few other marks with a "CD" in them too. I'm starting to think that it may be British with the "R" being the date code although I haven't found a match for that style of "R" yet. I think that finding that "R" is the key to finding where the item came from.

[dognose]

From what I can make out from your images, there's nothing in these marks that relates to British hallmarking.

Can you try and capture some sharper images of the marks on the lid?

Trev.

[Avenger]

I'm going to get a hold of some silver polish and clean it up a bit. The marks on the top are extremely faint. If it isn't British and that "R" is a non-standard date code, then its going to be pretty hard to figure ut its origin if we can't make out the top marks.

[Avenger]

Coud this be German? I found a mark that looks very similiar in a German book online to this one beloning to Christian Drentwett. I haven't found the "R" yet but I see some examples of B's and R's that are of the same style that originated in Germany.

[Joerg]

Hi Avenger

if you examine the marks on the lid closely, do you think they are the same as the marks on the bottom? If yes this would be a good hint towards silver and not silver plated. Attached items on massive silver pieces hat to be marked with the same marks as the base piece.
The marking could be German. If you clean the marks and post a picture with a close up of the bottom marks, maybe a forum member can help.

Regards

Jörg

[Avenger]

Okay. I got some cleaner and polished the item. Below are the pictures of the results. On the bottom the "CD" and the fancy "R" are pretty clear. The marks on the top are faint but for the first one, I think you can just make out the "CD" so they may be duplicates of the bottom marks. Can anyone provide any further information on this item given these marks? I've been investigating that fancy "R" mark that may be a date or city mark but haven't yet suceeded.

Marks on the Bottom



Marks on the Top (Very Faint!)

[Avenger]

Hi Avenger,

Welcome to the Forum.

Take a look at this post: viewtopic.php?f=18&t=28559

Does the 'CD' mark match your example?

Trev.

Now that I've cleaned up the piece, that mark looks pretty close! Do you guys think it is a match?

[AG2012]

Marks are registered in ``INTERNATIONAL SILVER HALLMARKS`` - by Tardy, France, there is edition in English.
Marks were struck in Austria — Hungary in very early 19th century, i.e. by 1810, or so, a kind of ``duty`` mark. They appeared with various towns in the Habsburg Empire. There is no detailed explanation of their meaning, though.
Are you sure it is not silver? Simple design fully matches the period and being small means tea was very expensive at the time.

[Avenger]

Marks are registered in ``INTERNATIONAL SILVER HALLMARKS`` - by Tardy, France, there is edition in English.
Marks were struck in Austria — Hungary in very early 19th century, i.e. by 1810, or so, a kind of ``duty`` mark. They appeared with various towns in the Habsburg Empire. There is no detailed explanation of their meaning, though.
Are you sure it is not silver? Simple design fully matches the period and being small means tea was very expensive at the time.

Thank you so much for this information. The teapot is probably silver. I didn't know anything about it before and just took a guess. But shouldn't there be a silver purity mark on it or is that the unknown mark that we can't really make out?