Hurst Franklin & Co Traveling Communion Set

[Mbpostma]

Hello,

I recently picked up this traveling communion set and am looking for any information about it. Specifically, I’d really like to get a date of creation.

The set does not bear any hallmarks except for on the rim of the holy water flask, and I don’t see a date mark there. Is there a reason a date mark might be missing?

I don’t think all the pieces are original to each other but that’s not a problem for me. It’s still lovely set. Thank you all so much for your help.

[Aguest]

:::::: Rims and top-pieces sometimes do not bear the date mark, I don't believe this to be uncommon, there might be a lightly-struck date mark next to the leopard-head town mark but now that I look again, it might simply not be there and my eyes are playing tricks on my brain again. :::::

::::: Hurst seems to have specialized in Ecclesiastical Silver and noted to have been producing objects as early as 1943. ::::::

::::: Although I cannot speak to the dates of all of these objects, I have had a similar traveling communion set from the mid-1950s and even though it did not bear silver hallmarks at all, it was in fact solid silver. I couldn't understand this until I got some help from a British Army Museum. In case these silver objects were to fall into the hands of the enemy, the silver in my traveling communion set did not bear official English silver hallmarks. You might want to check the silver content of these silver objects before automatically assuming they are silver-plated. This set may not have been used in wartime, but just in case it was, there is a chance that these objects are actually unmarked sterling silver. This may or may not be relevant to your particular traveling communion set, but I just wanted to share this story just in case you do happen to have actual English string silver that do not bear official hallmarks. Also, sometimes the top cup of the chalice is sterling silver and the rest of the chalice is silver-plated. Again, this set may have nothing to do with the British war effort, but so many of these sets were associated with various conflicts during the 20th century such that it might help to share this story. ::::::::::::::::::

[Mbpostma]

:::::: Rims and top-pieces sometimes do not bear the date mark, I don't believe this to be uncommon, there might be a lightly-struck date mark next to the leopard-head town mark but now that I look again, it might simply not be there and my eyes are playing tricks on my brain again. :::::

::::: Hurst seems to have specialized in Ecclesiastical Silver and noted to have been producing objects as early as 1943. ::::::

::::: Although I cannot speak to the dates of all of these objects, I have had a similar traveling communion set from the mid-1950s and even though it did not bear silver hallmarks at all, it was in fact solid silver. I couldn't understand this until I got some help from a British Army Museum. In case these silver objects were to fall into the hands of the enemy, the silver in my traveling communion set did not bear official English silver hallmarks. You might want to check the silver content of these silver objects before automatically assuming they are silver-plated. This set may not have been used in wartime, but just in case it was, there is a chance that these objects are actually unmarked sterling silver. This may or may not be relevant to your particular traveling communion set, but I just wanted to share this story just in case you do happen to have actual English string silver that do not bear official hallmarks. Also, sometimes the top cup of the chalice is sterling silver and the rest of the chalice is silver-plated. Again, this set may have nothing to do with the British war effort, but so many of these sets were associated with various conflicts during the 20th century such that it might help to share this story. ::::::::::::::::::

Wow what a story that would be! I’ll do some more digging as I’m able. Thank you so much for sharing.