Need Confirmation That I'm Goin In Right Direction!

[robertrobert]

Hello, my name is Robert and I just joined.
I've been using the website for some time, trying to become more familiar with the English sterling marks.
I need someone to confirm that I'm going in the right direction with this one.

The mark


The pieces (2 spoons in original presentation case from silversmiths in Wakefield)


So far I have determined that the items are sterling, that the city is London, the date letter "i"
I don't know how to convert and the maker's mark is GJDF, which I find when searching the internet.

If I need help, please help me!

Robert
.

[Granmaa]

The date is 1904 and the makers are George Maudsley Jackson and David Landsborough Fullerton.

Miles
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[buckler]

The reading of English hallmarks is a skill worth acquiring. My advise is to get a cheap hall mark book - one of the little £5 pocket ones is fine. Do not worry about books for makers marks yet, a proper set of the two books essential for London alone , Grimwade and Culme are very expensive. Grimwade in particular is out of print and hard to find.

Having realised that you get the Lion passant only on English silver and that the Scots and Irish are different you should now concentrate on getting your dating right
First look at your item. What date stylistically does it seem to be ? Remember that early styles are often reused later , but a piece very rarely pre- dates its style !

Now look at the marks.
Is there a Lion Passant- if so English.
Is there a Sovereigns head - if so is it a George (facing to right) or a Victoria (facing left)?
The former dates the piece to the 1785 to 1837 period, the latter to the 1837 to 1890 period. There are minor complications like 20th century commorative marks and the incuse Geotge of 1784 but these are rare .

Look at the Lion himself. Does he face looking to his left (Lion Passant) or does he look straight at you (Lion Passant Guardant). If the piece is London the latter Lion is post 1822.

If he is Guardant, look at the surround (the actual outline of the punch).
If it has a little nipple at the bottom edge it is post 1755. If it has two indents , one each side, and two or three cusps to the bottom , then London 1740 -1756. If totally rectangular pre- 1740 or provincial.
Look in your book for the marks for 1697 to 1720 when the sterling standard was replaced exclusively by the Brittania standard.

Look at the Lions Head mark (which was not always exclusive to London). Is he crowned or not ?

You should by now have an idea of date and, if there is a town mark, of the town. If in doubt - assume London unless proven otherwise .
Having done all these THEN look at the date letter. The type of lettering, and the form of the punch should enable you , in 90% of cases to get the dating.

There are exceptions to the above of course - well you dont want it to easy !


Hope this helps to put you on the right track.

Please also remember there are fakes out there, either contemporary (especialy Colonial pseudo marks) ones and modern forgeries and lots of rare oddities.

Good luck
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