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Author Topic:   Mystery maker WB
wev
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Posts: 4121
Registered: Apr 99

iconnumber posted 03-14-2002 07:22 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for wev     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
One of our readers sent along this interesting mark for identification, but I don't recognize it. The only WB I find as a possible is William Ball of Baltimore, but I don't remember seeing a sheild mark associated with that city's makers. It looks vaguely like that used by Bailey & Co, but that doesn't strike me as likely. The spoon's form has a bit of a French flavour to it - a New Orleans maker? Or perhaps one of the odd Scottish provincial offices or the Channel Islands, though I find nothing like it in Jackson. Any thoughts?

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Melissa
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iconnumber posted 03-15-2002 10:26 AM           Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Hi, this looks a bit like one of the shield marks of Zofingen Switzerland (pg 392, Tardy's). Certainly does have a European flavor.

anyone else?

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Brent

Posts: 1507
Registered: May 99

iconnumber posted 03-15-2002 01:11 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Brent     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I agree completely with Melissa. The spoon looks very European to me, and the mark is a dead ringer for one of the shield marks from Zofingen, Switzerland, used in the 19th century. I think it is a Swiss spoon.

Brent

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Arg(um)entum

Posts: 304
Registered: Apr 2002

iconnumber posted 10-18-2002 06:00 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Arg(um)entum     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Actually, the spoon is from Lausanne. Only two of the marks (the 1st and 5th) listed by Tardy under Zofingen belong there, the rest should be with Lausanne.
I apologize for the lateness of this comment. It was several months after the above exchange that I re-read it, looked up both Divis and Tardy, and after some cogitating decided that Tardy was likely wrong on Zofingen though they agreed on the single one shown for Lausanne (give this much credit to Tardy). Being new to silver and this forum, I decided I better not rattle Tardy fans hereabouts without more corroboration.
Now, I finally had a chance to look at a few books including some listed as sources by Tardy and they have removed my last doubts: Zofingen did not use Lausanne's shield for long stretches of time. They are all documented for Lausanne by deVevey. Tip of the hat to wev whose claim of a french flavour was dead on!

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Melissa
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iconnumber posted 10-18-2002 09:23 AM           Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Rattle away! I have made a notation in my Tardy's and look forward to more comments from your corner. It's how we learn, and why I love this forum.

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