posted 08-19-2003 06:27 PM            

I recently purchased a huge lot of sterling ware for my upcoming webpage and discovered at least two pieces (the ones I've found are a carving knife and fork) that appeared to carry a mark that said GDWT, but upon closer examination of the mark, I believe it is 6 DWT Sterling. There is no other mark on these that I can find.

Does anyone know of a maker who marks his Sterling that way? I'm trying to identify the pattern, and wanted to check Replacements, Ltd., but without a maker's name, that is a full week's work!

Any help would be much appreciated. I can't find the pattern in either Tere Hagen's or Maryann Dolan's book. One of these days, I'm going to save enough to afford to buy The Book of Silver!

------------------
Anuh

posted 08-20-2003 04:21 PM            

It has been my experience that pieces marked with DWT markings are silver plated and the number refers to how much silver was used to plate a certain # of pieces.

I do not know that these are American pieces.. They may be British.

Hope this helps..

posted 08-20-2003 07:16 PM            

Furthermore, none of the dwt markings I've seen on silverplate (and I sell a LOT of silverplate) do not contain the letters dwt. They simply show the amount of silver which was used to plate a gross (144 pcs.) of flatware in a given piece.

Had this not been marked Sterling, I would never have raised the question in this forum. But I DO appreciate your input nevertheless. I might have been a person who knows absolutely nothing about silver at all, instead of only a little.

------------------
Anuh

posted 08-20-2003 09:08 PM            

The handles are seamed and both sides carry the same exact marking - which is either GDWT or 6DWT Sterling (no mention of plate). For the use of the word to legally avoid the fraud laws, many earlier producers used such indicators as you mention - PURE COIN Plate and plated with GENUINE STERLING SILVER or even simply Sterling Silver Plate!

But to make the question less confusing, I will restate it. What company used a mark which reads either GDWT Sterling or 6DWT Sterling? Surely there must be a record of that somewhere! ;-D

------------------
Anuh

posted 08-21-2003 12:10 AM            

Well it sure looks like a 6.. and by the way, none of us knows what we are doing.

Since the knife handle has seen better days and looks like scrap, why don't you file it, acid test it and let us know the results. Is it silver or is it plate?

Respectfully, sort of,

posted 08-21-2003 12:22 PM            

It won't bring much, but it would bring more than I could get as scrap. And since I have the SET, it will bring just a few dollars more!

I've never seen plate made this thin!

------------------
Anuh

posted 08-21-2003 12:24 PM            

DWT is the designation for pennyweight.

20 dwt per troy ounce.

This might indicate that 6 dwt of silver were used to plate a certain number of spoons.

Hope this helps.

posted 08-21-2003 12:58 PM            

I don't recognize the mark either - sometimes someone with a "sterling" punch will add that mark to a non sterling piece, but from your photo, the mark looks original.

Since we are all groping in the dark here, let me support your contention by observing that it looks from the type damage to the surface of the handle that it is constructed of a thin layer of metal over a softer fill material - typically such construction is used for precious metals (sterling or coin silver, maybe even gold); electoplated handles are usually of thicker metal, and hollow - in most cases they would not show such damage; most likely it can be ruled out here. Close plating or Sheffield plate, in which a sheet of silver is fused to a base metal by hammering or rolling before manufacture, could show this kind of damage as well, if the base layer is thin enough, and might be a possibility here, although I admit my experience with these processes is somewhat limited.

posted 08-21-2003 01:24 PM            

I often buy sterling-rimmed coasters for a song because people can't find the very faint marks that are put on them, and think they are plate. It's not uncommon for me to buy them for a quarter at thrift shops. The metal on this carving set has exactly the same kind of damage I often see on them and it looks to me like the thickness of the metal is not much greater (if any) than on my latest acquisition of Frank Whiting sterling rimmed coasters - and they were well marked for this type of item!

I'm enough sure of their being sterling that this isn't an issue for me. I am far more interested in finding out who marked their wares that way, if it's at all possible. If I could identify the pattern, I would have the maker; if I can identify the maker, I could probably find the pattern name. Oh, well, a classic Catch-22!

------------------
Anuh

posted 08-22-2003 09:08 AM            

If you are in or plan to be in the Baltimore area next week, bring a piece of this to the Baltimore summer Antiques fair. There will be 500 dealers, of which 100 or so will have only silver. One of them should be able to help you.

posted 08-22-2003 11:28 AM            

------------------
Anuh

posted 08-22-2003 07:36 PM            

It seems that there were cutlery makers who offered carving sets with a variety of handles including sterling. As these firms were not primarily makers of sterling, they seem to have used idiosyncratic marks that confuse us no end today. I can imagine that the set you have was from some such firm.

The mark 6dw can refer to something other than the handle. It may simply be an inventory code: dw is for silver, pw for plate, cw for celluloid, on and on.

By any chance is the blade 6 inches long? Getting into these areas becomes really chancey. What is the mark on the blade and the tines? That would give some hint of what is going on here. T

hese types of sets seem to have been made to be sold for the blades not the handles. The pattern is not one I recognize as a plated one.

Very interesting discussion.

posted 08-22-2003 08:54 PM            

I am well aware of the hostess market and have a number of pieces already which probably were the result of that market. Most are not clearly marked with mfg. name either, but then on this type of item, most are not marked with mfg. name regardless. I'm thrilled when I find a piece that does carry at least the maker's mark, if not the name. Most of the marks I can find identification on!

The mark is 6 DWT, which does make it read as if it referred to the pennyweight of the silver itself. I suppose it is just possible to have silver foil thin enough to weigh only 6 dwt for a handle (or maybe, since it is marked twice, once on each SIDE of the handle, it actually weighs 12 dwt)?

The fork's front end measures 4.5" and is just marked Stainless; the knife blade measures 6.5" and is marked Stainless Steel. I always cover those bases for clues first. Having a senior moment right now - forgot to take my Gingko Biloba today - the part of the haft that protects the hand (what is the proper name for that?) is unmarked also.

In those lots, I have many pieces with carbon steel blades and tines and I much prefer them, myself. Those blades, at least, will hold a sharpened edge!

------------------
Anuh

posted 08-23-2003 12:46 AM            

Baltimore started the Antiques fair either in 1981 or 1982.. I forget which. It is still the show I do that has the most quality silver in it, and the most knowledgable dealers.

Even Mr. & Ms. Martin show up from the haven in NYC.

It may be a long shot, but why don't you ask the folks at SILVER magazine to post your quandry as a question.

posted 08-24-2003 11:17 PM            

1. American
   
2. Sterling, very thin, over a pitch or cement core.
   
3. Inexpensive
   
4. Not a product of any of the major manufacturers
   
5. In a pattern that may well be impossible to put a name to

Brent