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Author Topic:   Flatware Identification
hollybcn

Posts: 7
Registered: May 2003

iconnumber posted 05-17-2003 06:40 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for hollybcn     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
[01-1077]

Hi!

I am new here and new to hallmarks etc. I have been given a set of Sterling flatware and wonder if anyone can tell me about it! Here are the marks on a spoon: A T in a diamond, Pat 1911, A lion facing right, an anchor in a square, and what looks like the initials "CTB" in script, followed by the word "Sterling".

I would appreciate any info as I live way out in the boonies and the nearest town (1 1/2 hrs.) does not have a very big library!

Thanks!


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vathek

Posts: 966
Registered: Jun 99

iconnumber posted 05-18-2003 07:20 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for vathek     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
There's no Gothic letter G after the anchor?

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hollybcn

Posts: 7
Registered: May 2003

iconnumber posted 05-18-2003 01:14 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for hollybcn     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I don;t know what a Gothic "G" looks like, but the symbol, or initials after the anchor are not understandable to me. The left side looks like a large C, with a T in the middle, but the cross piece of the t slope down, attached to the bottom of the T, is a small B. Sorry I can't seem to describe this properly! I appreciate your help!

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hollybcn

Posts: 7
Registered: May 2003

iconnumber posted 05-18-2003 05:04 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for hollybcn     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I have tried to reproduce the hallmarks for someone to interpret!

Thanks!

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swarter
Moderator

Posts: 2920
Registered: May 2003

iconnumber posted 05-18-2003 06:59 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for swarter     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Welcome to the Forum, Holly:

The third symbol is indeed a Gothic form of the letter G. As you are new to the subject, you will learn these are not true hallmarks, which can only have been officially applied at a Guild Hall such as Goldsmith's Hall England. Except for a brief period in Baltimore in the early 1800's, no true hallmarks were ever used in the US. Official silver marks were used in Great Britain and many European nations. The Lion - Anchor - G marks on your piece are therefor known as pseudohallmarks, and constituted the registered tradmark of the Gorham Company, one of the most successful of the American manufacturers of silver products.

[This message has been edited by swarter (edited 05-18-2003).]

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hollybcn

Posts: 7
Registered: May 2003

iconnumber posted 05-18-2003 07:43 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for hollybcn     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Thanks so much for the info swarter! Does this mean that the set is not of much value? Or what exactly does it mean? Is U.S. silver of lesser interest or just not as old? Thanks!

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Dale

Posts: 2132
Registered: Nov 2002

iconnumber posted 05-18-2003 07:51 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Dale     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
The value depends on what pattern it is. The t in diamond indicates that this was a lighter than average version of the pattern. Gorham has produced many patterns, and each one has its own price structure. If you could post a picture of it, someone here should be able to identify it. Then you could search eBay and the matching services to get an idea of value.

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hollybcn

Posts: 7
Registered: May 2003

iconnumber posted 05-18-2003 09:10 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for hollybcn     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Thanks again for the help! Here is a picture of a spoon, if anyone recognizes the pattern, I would appreciate it!

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dragonflywink

Posts: 993
Registered: Dec 2002

iconnumber posted 05-19-2003 01:29 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for dragonflywink     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Hi Holly,

Your pattern is Plymouth.

Cheryl wink

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hollybcn

Posts: 7
Registered: May 2003

iconnumber posted 05-19-2003 11:39 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for hollybcn     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Thanks Cheryl! I appreciate all the help offered by the participants of this forum! Great place!

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Kimo

Posts: 1627
Registered: Mar 2003

iconnumber posted 05-20-2003 09:07 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Kimo     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Hi Holly.

To respond to your question on the value, one of the rules of the forum is to not discuss values. However, your set does have value and you can go to websites that specialize in selling old silverware pieces to help people replace missing pieces in their sets or expand their sets. Keep in mind their prices are full retail since are getting the convenience of one-stop shopping. They are easy to find by using a standard search engine.

Another good place to see values is to spend some time on Ebay which is where you will see both bargains and sometimes a little overpaying.

One last thing, your set is monogrammed which makes it special to you but if you were to try to sell it you would find that it would bring less than a non-monogrammed set since most people tend to not want other people's monograms on their silver and chances are pretty small that any particular monogrammed letter would match the last name of a potential buyer and even smaller that the style of engraving would match that of the engraving on the buyer's set.

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hollybcn

Posts: 7
Registered: May 2003

iconnumber posted 05-20-2003 10:37 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for hollybcn     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Thanks for the info Kimo, It is most helpful! Sorry about breaking the rules, here, I should have read them first!

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