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EMDS EP--Unknown manufacturer, help?

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Author	Topic: EMDS EP--Unknown manufacturer, help?
JBree Posts: 25 Registered: May 2003	posted 05-26-2003 12:40 PM Hi, Going thru material left by my Dad, I found a set of spoons marked EMDS EP. The EMD and EP are fairly simple block letters and the S is in fancy script. They are all inset, the EMDS in separate squares with cutoff corners, the EP is in an oval perpendicular to the others. I'm assuming EP is electroplate and I'm guessing that the fancy S might means sons or and sons, but I have no evidence to support that. They may have been acquired in Kentucky or Connecticut. I'm unable so far to id the manufacturer; any help appreciated. Jim [This message has been edited by JBree (edited 05-26-2003).] IP: Logged
Stephen Posts: 625 Registered: Jan 2003	posted 05-27-2003 12:58 AM Welcome to the forums. These sound like English plater's marks. The "S" could stand for Sheffield, and "EMD" could stand for E.M. Dickinson. I haven't found a photo of the mark you describe so this is just a guess. Do you know how old the spoons are or what the pattern is? If not, a photo of the spoon handle would help to give you a better answer. IP: Logged
JBree Posts: 25 Registered: May 2003	posted 05-27-2003 01:39 AM HI STEPHEN, Thanks so much for the quick reply. I photographed the marks and one of the table spoons today, need to develop and scan. All of the other material, mostly Rodgers, is American so the possibility of English is quite interesting. Re the age, guessing 1890's to 1930's. Will add the pic asap. Tx again. Jim IP: Logged
Stephen Posts: 625 Registered: Jan 2003	posted 05-27-2003 12:58 PM Re: "the other material, mostly Rodgers, is American". There is/was no known American plater named "RODGERS". I suspect what you have is marked something "Rogers" something. Am I wrong? IP: Logged
JBree Posts: 25 Registered: May 2003	posted 05-27-2003 07:36 PM Sorry, my wife is a Rodgers, the silverplate is Rogers: Wm Rogers Mfg Co and 1847 Rogers Brothers (mostly 'Vingage', I believe), also Embassy, Oneida Tudor Plate, Old Company Plate, National Silver Co, New England Silver Plate, and a few wonderful old dinner knives (c1860?) with broad blades but no markings, an S Kirk and Son Sterling baby spoon that's a beauty, another marked King Edward Silverplate NSC (both look fairly recent, 1930-40's),as well as the EMDS/EP spoons. A few other odd items, but that's the flatware. Jim IP: Logged
doobees Posts: 277 Registered: Jan 2003	posted 06-03-2003 05:24 AM Hi Jim, I contacted the Sheffiels assay office about your EMD. Heres what the librarian there had to say about your piece: quote: "Not sure about this one. The spoons are certainly electroplate - hence the EP, as your friend suspected. It may be the mark of E.M. Dickinson, of Sheffield. This firm was in business from 1889-1923, & they did make cutlery & flatware - so could well have made these spoons. However, they usually stamped their goods with their full name - E.M. DICKINSON, SHEFFIELD. The 'S' in fancy script often appears on electroplate - it usually seems to denote Sheffield, though Birmingham manufacturers sometimes used it as well. Perhaps they hoped people would think it stood for 'Silver'?! I have also have a look in Dorothy T. Rainwater's 'Encyclopedia of American Silver Manufacturers', but can't see anything similar there. This seems to back up Stephen's guess of the same maker. I guess we can't know for sure though, if even the Sheffield assay office is not absolutely certain. Hope it helped ------------------ Suzanne D IP: Logged
JBree Posts: 25 Registered: May 2003	posted 06-04-2003 12:38 AM Suzanne, That sounds like a lot of work! Greatly appreciated. The closest thing to EMDS in form are the electroplate designations from SilverMine: "If it has the numbers '900' '850' '800' or similar then this would be the silver content (per thousand) of the silver alloy used. Much European silver is made from this grade of alloy. If it has the letters "EPNS" "EP" "EPBM" "EPC" "SP"or "A1", 'Made in England' or 'England' then it is silverplate or electroplate." EMDS vs EPNS etc sounded promising..but it isn't right. I'm surprised that the well known English knife maker made flatware that somehow it wound up in a Kentucky boy's kitchen drawer! Tx again, Jim IP: Logged
doobees Posts: 277 Registered: Jan 2003	posted 06-04-2003 04:26 AM Glad to be of help... ------------------ Suzanne D IP: Logged
clarissas1976 unregistered	posted 08-14-2003 04:43 AM The spoons are American .. made by a company called Gorham silver ,, they are silverplate.. made approx 1890 ..try one of pattern matching sites as they offer a free pattern search .. Hope this helps.. IP: Logged
Anuh Posts: 190 Registered: Jan 2003	posted 08-14-2003 12:37 PM quote: Originally posted by clarissas1976: The spoons are American .. made by a company called Gorham silver ,, they are silverplate.. made approx 1890 ..try one of the pattern matching sites as they offer a free pattern search .. Hope this helps.. Just so we are all learning from the same book, can you tell us where you came by the information that EMDS was a mark used by Gorham? ------------------ Anuh IP: Logged
JBree Posts: 25 Registered: May 2003	posted 08-17-2003 01:47 PM Hi clarissas1976, I just got an answer back from Replacements.com re EMDS that they don't recognize the mark. Now I'm really intrigued as to how you put EMDS together with an American manufacturer, which makes more logistical sense than British, and even more so, specifically Gorham! Thanks again, Jim IP: Logged
Anuh Posts: 190 Registered: Jan 2003	posted 08-22-2003 09:39 PM quote: Originally posted by JBree: I found a set of spoons marked EMDS EP. The EMD and EP are fairly simple block letters and the S is in fancy script. They are all inset, the EMDS in separate squares with cutoff corners, the EP is in an oval perpendicular to the others. I'm assuming EP is electroplate and I'm guessing that the fancy S might means sons or and sons, but I have no evidence to support that. Re-reading your original post, Jim, and it makes me think that the S mark COULD be something else entirely. I don't know what, but maybe looking at it from that perspective would give us a different viewpoint. ;-D ------------------ Anuh IP: Logged

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