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tlineopen  British / Irish Sterling
tline3open  Gorham Birmingham UK - teaspoon

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Author Topic:   Gorham Birmingham UK - teaspoon
wessex96

Posts: 56
Registered: Feb 2009

iconnumber posted 04-18-2010 08:31 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for wessex96     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
[26-1974]

This spoon was made in the Gorham factory in Birmingham, UK. I had the impression that the designs of all Gorham items manufactured in the UK originated in the US.

Can anyone confirm this?

Also, can anyone help with the name of the pattern of this spoon?

Thanks.

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jersey

Posts: 1203
Registered: Feb 2005

iconnumber posted 04-18-2010 12:09 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for jersey     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Hi Wessex !

The. Pattern is Empire 1906.

Gotta run company coming.

Jersey

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wessex96

Posts: 56
Registered: Feb 2009

iconnumber posted 04-26-2010 01:00 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for wessex96     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Thanks for that, Jersey. I could not find the pattern in Carpenter's book.

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jersey

Posts: 1203
Registered: Feb 2005

iconnumber posted 04-26-2010 06:30 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for jersey     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Hello again Wessex!

The confusion here is, if I am not mistaken is in the Gorham mark. Apparently it is the marks used in the UK, which turned the lion around. It confused me too till a did a search for Gorham marks in the UK. Your piece is silverplate not sterling.

Perhaps another forum member can explain this better.

Jersey

Jersey

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agphile

Posts: 798
Registered: Apr 2008

iconnumber posted 04-26-2010 06:47 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for agphile     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Jersey

I read the marks as Gorham, Birmingham,1915, sterling (not plated). Marks like this would be illegal on plated items in Britain

David

[This message has been edited by agphile (edited 04-26-2010).]

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wessex96

Posts: 56
Registered: Feb 2009

iconnumber posted 04-26-2010 06:56 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for wessex96     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Yes, I agree the marks are for Birmingham, UK, for sterling silver. (However, I have read that the Gorham 1906 Empire pattern was often used on silver plate in the US.)

Ian

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DB

Posts: 252
Registered: May 2006

iconnumber posted 04-27-2010 09:11 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for DB     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Re Gorham in England, a short excerpt from John Culme: The Directory of Gold&Silversmiths, Jewellers and Allied Traders 1838-1914.

Gorham products first appeared in England marketed by the agency John Henry Buck in 1894, ,then 1904 Gorham opened a showroom under the management of Abraham Cotton in London, in 1909 they took over a Birmingham factory, previously owned by Hary Emanuel and registered the above manufacturer's mark.Remarkably Gorham salesmen did not carry samples but just great books with full-size photographs - a long description of how Gorham's factory worked (they made sterling and electro-plated goods) is given here also. Gorham maintained their Birmingham factory until WWI and was a large exhibitor at the Jewellers Exhibitions of 1913 and 1914.

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jersey

Posts: 1203
Registered: Feb 2005

iconnumber posted 04-27-2010 02:28 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for jersey     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
This is what I may be confused about. This refers to a tip I read about Gorham marks.
The lion on Gorham silver, does not always mean that the wares are sterling, as it does in England. All American sterling silver is marked STERLING and sometimes also has 925 or 925/1000 in the mark, to indicate sterling silver. If you have an item with the Gorham 3 symbol mark, and it doesn't say STERLING, or MARTELE, it is silverplate.

Jersey

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dragonflywink

Posts: 993
Registered: Dec 2002

iconnumber posted 04-27-2010 03:00 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for dragonflywink     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Ummm, rushing at the moment, but have to say that "tip" is just so off in so many ways....regardless, this piece, as mentioned, bears the proper British hallmarks.

~Cheryl

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Scott Martin
Forum Master

Posts: 11573
Registered: Apr 93

iconnumber posted 04-27-2010 03:42 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Scott Martin     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
From our pocket guide (click image to enlarge):

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jersey

Posts: 1203
Registered: Feb 2005

iconnumber posted 04-27-2010 04:55 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for jersey     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Thanks Scott


The marks on the spoon are Anchor, Lion, small letter g, in that order. Those I don't find those marks in that order anywhere.

Help!

Jersey

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dragonflywink

Posts: 993
Registered: Dec 2002

iconnumber posted 04-27-2010 05:42 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for dragonflywink     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Jersey,

I believe that you're seeing the anchor, lion and "g" as Gorham marks. They are British hallmarks, the anchor for the Birmingham assay office, the lion-passant indicating that it's sterling, and the lower case "q" (not "g"), indicating the year of assay - 1915 (the cartouche shapes are also important); if this piece had been assayed a year later, the letter would have been an "r" instead of the "q". The Gorham maker's mark in this case is the "G·M·Co".

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jersey

Posts: 1203
Registered: Feb 2005

iconnumber posted 04-27-2010 06:17 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for jersey     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Thanks Cheryl!

That's just what I thought, that the hallmarks were English. It was the Gorham co mark that had me going.

Did not know they did that.

BTW who are you rooting for in the Nhl to win the cup?

I'm going with my Godson who's a Hawks season tkt holder. My GF in England is for the Capitals & my other GF is for the Penguins. This is all our choices now that our favorite Devils blew it again.

Jersey

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