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tline3open  Silver Serving Platter/Tray - Marks??

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Author Topic:   Silver Serving Platter/Tray - Marks??
PamNYorker

Posts: 4
Registered: Apr 2004

iconnumber posted 04-12-2004 11:48 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for PamNYorker     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
[01-1459]

I am not familiar with silver.

I have these two silver trays and I don't know if they are silver plated, or sterling.

Also, I don't know what the marks mean. On one side it says: HBEP, 8950. On the other side it has two lines of symbols.

If anyone knows any history of these, it would be appreciated?


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Patrick Vyvyan

Posts: 640
Registered: May 2003

iconnumber posted 04-12-2004 01:30 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Patrick Vyvyan     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Take a look at this thread: Bell mark? Can anyone ID this mark?
Bell Mark, it seems were an English company which moved to the United States in the 1940s.

The EP in the letters almost certainly indicates Electro-Plate (ie silverplate)

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wev
Moderator

Posts: 4121
Registered: Apr 99

iconnumber posted 04-12-2004 02:02 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for wev     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Actually, it looks like one of the various Barbour Silver Co. marks shown in Rainwater. Unfortunately the books illustration is a poor line drawing, so we'll need assistance from someone with better knowledge of the company's marks than I have.

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Patrick Vyvyan

Posts: 640
Registered: May 2003

iconnumber posted 04-12-2004 02:05 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Patrick Vyvyan     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
After a little more searching, it seems that the bell mark has been in use from the late 18th century, first on Old Sheffield Plate and then on electroplate, by the following succession of companies:

The firm of manufacturing silversmiths and retailers, W & G. Sissons was founded in Sheffield, 1784, by Samuel Roberts and George Cadman as Roberts, Cadman and Co.

Cadman died in 1823 and in 1826 the firm became Roberts, Smith & Company with the commencement of the partnership which comprised Samuel Roberts, his nephew Evan Smith, his cousin's son, Sidney Roberts and William Sissons. The agreement was for ten years and provision was made for the entry of Samuel's son, Samuel, if desired. It is not known if Samuel junior entered to the partnership under that provision, but he took his father's place to become senior partner from July 1833 when he, Smith and Sissons entered into a twelve year agreement, continuing to trade as S Roberts, Smith & Co., and still in the premises in Eyre Street.

By 1841 it had a London showroom at Duke Street, Adelphi.

When Roberts retired in 1848, the new partners, Evan Smith and William Sissons Snr. traded under the name of Smith, Sissons & Co.

In 1858 Smith retired and William Sissons was joined by his sons, William and George and the firm continued as W. & G. Sissons

The firm was continued by Walter Sissons and Charles Sissons recorded at St. Mary's Road; Sheffield (1887 and 1896) and also at their new London showrooms at Southampton Stn1et, Strand (1887) and Charterhouse Street, Holborn Circus (1896).

During the early twentieth century the business was converted into a limited company and in 1943 was transferred to a subsidiary company trading under the name of Bell Reproductions Ltd.

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Patrick Vyvyan

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Registered: May 2003

iconnumber posted 04-12-2004 02:10 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Patrick Vyvyan     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Wev, you posted your reply while I was still working on my second.
The Bell mark certainly originated in England, but you may well be right about Barbour as many North American silverplate manufacturers used marks derived from England.

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PamNYorker

Posts: 4
Registered: Apr 2004

iconnumber posted 04-12-2004 02:15 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for PamNYorker     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Thank you so much for the information.. it is appreciated! I have never researched silver before.. and I can see there is so much history. Do you think it is possible for me to date them?

Pam

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wev
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Registered: Apr 99

iconnumber posted 04-12-2004 02:23 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for wev     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
If it is the Barbour mark, they would date between 1892 (its founding) and 1898 (its absorbtion into International Silver).

Do the two small squares just below the lion/bell/plume contain an arm holding a hammer?

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PamNYorker

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Registered: Apr 2004

iconnumber posted 04-12-2004 02:29 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for PamNYorker     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Thank you again so much for your help!
Yes.. the two small squares just below the lion/bell/plume contain an arm holding a hammer. The item does not say on it Barbour.. so could it still be Barbour? Was there a period of time they did not put their name on the silver?

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wev
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Registered: Apr 99

iconnumber posted 04-12-2004 02:39 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for wev     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
That is consistant with Barbour's mark. The firm also used the small letters in seperate boxes; versions include B S C E P (Barbour Silver Company Extra Plate), B C E P (Barbour Company Extra Plate), B H E P (Barbour Hartford Extra Plate, I suppose), etc. These all date prior to the International Silver merger, I believe, when the name was more consistantly spelled out.

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PamNYorker

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Registered: Apr 2004

iconnumber posted 04-12-2004 02:44 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for PamNYorker     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Hi.. The platters say HBEP, could they still be Barbour? Also.. under the HBEP it says 8960. Do you know what that would stand for? thank you again so much!

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Kimo

Posts: 1627
Registered: Mar 2003

iconnumber posted 04-13-2004 10:43 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Kimo     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
The number should be the manufacturer's model number. These were used by the manufacturers and retailers to refer quickly and accurately to a particular style and size of an item.

[This message has been edited by Kimo (edited 04-13-2004).]

[This message has been edited by Kimo (edited 04-13-2004).]

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