London Assayed - But Made Where? - SMP Silver Salon Forums

SM Publications

Silver Salon Forums - The premier site for discussing Silver.

SMP | Silver Salon Forums | SSF - Guidelines | SSF - FAQ | Silver Sales

In this Forum we discuss the silver of the United Kingdom, as well as British Colonial silver and Old Sheffield Plate.

Past British - Irish Sterling topics/threads worth a look.

How to Post Photos

Want to be a Moderator?

SMP Silver Salon Forums
tline

British / Irish Sterling
tline3

London Assayed - But Made Where?

profile | register | preferences | faq | search

SSFFriend: Email This Page to Someone!

next newest topic | next oldest topic

Author	Topic: London Assayed - But Made Where?
TBC Posts: 134 Registered: Jan 2005	posted 12-29-2006 06:58 AM Greetings, I hope all contributors had a Merry Christmas and I wish everyone the very best for 2007. My wife bought me this magnificent silver bowl for Christmas: It stands 3.75 inches tall in the centre (4.75 inches to the top of the handles); it is just over 5 inches wide and 7.5 inches is the length of the bowl (from handle to handle it is just over 10.5 inches). It has its original cobalt blue glass. It carries import marks for London for 1929: The maker's mark is ABD inside an "8" shaped cartouche: And so to my question. The underneath of the bowl has the following mark: It is of a lion rampant, similar to that for Glasgow silver, but inside a traced cartouche as opposed to inside a shield. Does anyone have any idea as to where this piece was made? I am inclined to think it is outside of the United Kingdom, since I cannot imagine why a silversmith in Glasgow would make a piece only for it to be assayed in London? Your assistance would, as always, be appreciated. Kind Regards, Tom IP: Logged
tmockait Posts: 963 Registered: Jul 2004	posted 12-29-2006 11:57 AM TBC, Happy New Year to you as well. My eyes have not gotten better with age! Any chance of enlarging the pictures? I don't have an answer, but you might e-mail the London Goldsmiths Hall librarian, who actually answered an earlier query I had. Perhaps the piece was assayed where it was to be sold? Good luck, Tom IP: Logged
TBC Posts: 134 Registered: Jan 2005	posted 12-29-2006 04:30 PM Hi Tom, Great to hear from you again. I've enlarged the pictures (not sure how I did it but they are bigger!) I seem to have replicated my original post, in bold without photos too - perhaps the forum folk can delete the second. I received another gift too Tom - a pair of large salts from 1789 with their original blue glasses! How is your collecting going? Best wishes again for 2007. Rgds, Tom IP: Logged
tmockait Posts: 963 Registered: Jul 2004	posted 12-29-2006 05:39 PM Interesting, but I cannot add much. The punch looks wrong for Glasgow. I wonder if it was made outside the British Isles entirely. It's been a busy year, so I have not done much collecting. I have serveral trips to Eastern Europe set for 2007 (Romanis, Moldova, Latvia and Ukraine), so we will see if I can add to my collection then. All the best, Tom IP: Logged
Clive E Taylor Posts: 450 Registered: Jul 2000	posted 12-30-2006 11:31 AM The import marks for 1929 indicate that the piece was imported from from outside what is now called the United Kingdom. Thus it was not made in Glasgow. The beast shown, which does look very much like a Continental assay mark, is I think not a lion rampant, but another creature, perhaps a Griffin or Wyvern as it appears to have a beaked head. We do not see many of these in England so I'm not sure ! My guess is Eastern European made fot the English market . Happy New Year to all. IP: Logged
TBC Posts: 134 Registered: Jan 2005	posted 12-30-2006 12:41 PM Clive, Many thanks. I agree that it is most likely to be Central or Eastern European. Should anyone else recognise the mark, I'd be most obliged to hear from them. A very Happy New Year to you and yours. Warm Rgds, Tom IP: Logged

All times are ET	next newest topic \| next oldest topic
Administrative Options: Close Topic \| Archive/Move \| Delete Topic
	Hop to:

Ultimate Bulletin Board 5.46a

^1. Public Silver Forums (open Free membership) - anyone with a valid e-mail address may register. Once you have received your Silver Salon Forum password, and then if you abide by the Silver Salon Forum Guidelines, you may start a thread or post a reply in the New Members' Forum. New Members who show a continued willingness to participate, to completely read and abide by the Guidelines will be allowed to post to the Member Public Forums.
Click here to Register for a Free password

^2. Private Silver Salon Forums (invitational or $ donation membership) - The Private Silver Salon Forums require registration and special authorization to view, search, start a thread or to post a reply. Special authorization can be obtained in one of several ways: by Invitation; Annual $ Donation; or via Special Limited Membership. For more details click here (under development).

^3. Administrative/Special Private Forums (special membership required) - These forums are reserved for special subjects or administrative discussion. These forums are not open to the public and require special authorization to view or post.

| Home | Order | The Guide to Evaluating Gold & Silver Objects | The Book of Silver