posted 01-21-2008 11:44 AM            

Hello all,

This may be a easy question, but I'm going to ask anyway: I just picked up a pair of sauce ladles from 18th Century London. They are identical right down to the hallmarks, which are also identical except the maker's mark on one appears to have either been effaced or was never there. In my research on sauce ladles of the period, I couldn't find any examples where this was not the case. So, question: Was the second ladle ever marked with the maker? And if not, was this common practice on other sets? Thanks for your help all.

posted 02-11-2008 05:38 AM            

I've read your topic again and found dating information about the spoons. Nice old spoons by the way!(Where is the rest outside the marks?). The date letter concern 1794 but perhaps you knew that already.

Same patterns, made by the same maker that's my opinion.

In the 18th century they also made mistakes with production to forget to put the stamp in the silver sometimes.

I've one spoon with two silversmith marks

stamped over each other. Who sold that spoon?

Have you already described the makers mark, which initials are standing inside the mark?

PB and AP ?(or do you know now which silversmith it has made?). I have a old digital camera and with lenses from old dia-or film projector/s you can use these ones to use them for photographing close silvermarks.

(by pressing a lens at your camera body).

and focus by hand, try to rest with the hand
at a fast object. I think that the digital cameras from nowadays (of course the more expensive one's) have also a micro photographing possibility. But I prefer to try out with some old lenses.(or I'm not able to buy that better material like also the silver you see mostly at the topics).

I try to start a foundation in Holland but nobody will spend his time and money, I think!