Help with identifying cutlery set

[Irma]

My parents bought this cutlery set when they got married 60 years ago. My mother has passed away and my father is in a nursing home and suffering from dementia. I have no information on this set so I thought that I would get some expert advice. I would love to know when it was made and by whom.
This is a large set consisting of 2 layers
I have not counted everything but it looks like there is 6 of each plus a carving set

The engraving says:
County Plate
Made in A P England
Firth Stainless

There is a registration number engraved but I am unsure of the second letter because it looks like it is underlined: RD862376

This set does need a little cleaning. I only opened the box recently. No damage from what I can see, it just needs cleaning.
Any info would be greatly appreciated.

[Waylander]

Hi Irma

I'm not an expert in the area of Silverplate, but the marks on the knife blades are interesting, and may provide a rough date.

To quote from this page here (http://www.cutlers-hallamshire.org.uk/h ... less-steel):

"The Firth-Brearley Steel Syndicate was established to control the manufacture [of stainless steel] through patents. By the mid 1920s, the steel was commonly in use for cutlery and other engineering processes, often marked with the registered mark of ‘Firth Brearley Stainless’ or ‘Firth Stainless’."

Are there any marks on the knife handles? Sometimes the handles were silver plate, the knife blade stainless steel.

I'm sure an expert will come along soon and update/correct what I have said!

Cheers

Waylander

[dognose]

Hi Irma,

Welcome to the Forum.

This is an interesting and uncommon set. The maker was Arthur Price & Co.. The set was produced, as you thought, in the early 1950's and made in four patterns, Celia and Juliet in one shape, Linden and Tristan, in another. It had a production run of only 60 dozen pieces of each item. The carving sets were contracted out to John Biggin of Sheffield.

The reason the production run was so small, was that the line bombed, it just didn't sell. John Price, who was later to take over the business, wrote:

The project took over two years and cost several thousand pounds. My father commissioned Birmingham printers Silk & Terry to design and print a brochure, and an advertisement that was to appear in a trade publication 'British Jeweller'. A modest initial production run of 60 dozen pieces of each item in all four patterns was made. All sets were silver plated to a high standard and bore the name 'County Plate' as we were still too nervous to use our then little known company name. My contribution was to choose the name 'County'.

The advertisements broke. Brochures were mailed out. Samples were shown to trade buyers but no one bought. The project had been a complete failure and was the last my father was to tackle. He had devoted most of his energy and almost all his thinking time to the development of these patterns and he was shattered. The styles were simply wrong for the time and it could be argued wrong for any time. They simply lacked character.

So, an uncommon set. I doubt many would have survived complete as yours is.

See: http://www.925-1000.com/registry.html

Trev.

[Irma]

Wow - thanks for the replies. Very interesting to say the least.
There is one small teaspoon missing. Other than that one piece, everything else is there.
The set just needs a good clean.
I did contact Arthur Price and they confirm that it is one of there sets but they have lost all records 40 years ago so I cannot get any other info.
You have been very helpful :))

[Irma]

Just another thought.

(admin edit - see Posting Requirements )

[Irma]

Just another thought.

(admin edit - see Posting Requirements )

Sorry - did not read through properly :)