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| I've been reading the posts about silver and it made me curious about the pieces I have. I bought some wright's silver polish today, since you all seem to use it, and used it on my bigger pieces.
I need a good website to look things up, I started googling some of the names on the back of some of these pieces, and there's lots to sort through. Anyone know what they are used for and it they are silver or silver-plated ... I think lots are silver-plated Various serving spoons?
On the backs:
1. Stratford Silver Co. AXI ?
1. butter knife? Rogers
Thanks,
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Follow-Up Postings:
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| Pam, #5, top row is a casserole spoon and the pattern is 'Aldine'. I can't see the patterns well enough to try to identify the others. |
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| Oops, that should be #4, not 5! |
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- Posted by antiquesilver (My Page) on Sat, Feb 20, 10 at 21:51
| The pieces marked sterling are just that - the remainder appear to be plated, judging by the makers. I can't see the details enough to id the patterns but I'll give an idea for their useage although it may not be exact since I don't know the lengths of the pieces. Top Row Middle Row Bottom Row HTH |
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- Posted by pamghatten (My Page) on Mon, Feb 22, 10 at 15:02
| Thanks both of you for the information .. lots of good info! There really is a untensil for every occasion, isn't there? LOL! Olive spoon/spear - I wondered why the end was sharp. Nut picks? Never would have guessed that. How would I ever determine what the material is on these? And any websites you could recommend so i can learn about the makers marks on them? I did learn that flash light was not my friend when photographing these items. Here are some bowls ... The small one is very light weight and shined up beautifully ... the other one looks like it's "hammered"? Bottom of little bowl, a candy dish? Bottom and side of "hammered" bowl: Is this plate and the plate is coming off? Very large bowl - I've always loved the detail on this bowl: |
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| The little sterling bowl looks like it has the Towle mark (is it a lion in a T?). Very cute. And is the big bowl punchbowl size? I don't know anything about this stuff, by the way. But I like your bowls. :) replacements.com has many of the marks listed, although not as many of the non-American companies. |
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| The large footed bowl is beautiful! |
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- Posted by antiquesilver (My Page) on Mon, Feb 22, 10 at 18:44
| Fabulous bowls!!!!!!!!!! The bottom one looks to be a very high quality (judging by the engraving) plated bowl by Poole Silver. As Fori said, the square one is by Towle & is obviously sterling. Saving the best one for last is the hammered bowl - sterling & hand-hammered by Tuttle Silversmiths, Boson. I can't see the marks well enough to tell but it looks like the smith may have signed it & there may be a crescent shape mark with initials of the US President who was in office when it was made; all of their work is in sterling. A good reference book for marks is Encyclopedia of American Silver Manuacturers by Dorothy Rainwater. It doesn't show patterns but it's my most go-to reference for marks, chronology, etc. RE: Olive spear - my guess is that if olives weren't in need of draining, one speared them instead of spooning them. Don't know about the nutpicks but probably steel plated with silver or chrome. |
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- Posted by pamghatten (My Page) on Tue, Feb 23, 10 at 8:23
| Thanks for the info again, you all have some amazing knowledge. I've had these bowls in the back of a glass cabinet, looks like I need to keep them out and enjoy them. antique - why does the side of the hammered bowl look like the silver is coming off? Is it? I'll take another picture of the marks without flash so maybe we can figure out how old it is. |
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- Posted by antiquesilver (My Page) on Tue, Feb 23, 10 at 9:15
| Pam, I can't see it well enough to tell what's happening but it's definitely a mystery. Is it possible that maybe it was lacquered & that's the delamination? For a better shot, take a photo - no flash - outside on a cloudy day; silver is a bear to photograph! |
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| I agree....pretty stuff! I definitly think the little Tuttle bowl has been lacquered. Try a little nail polish remover on a spot....rub with a cloth and then try polishing that spot. See if it removes the lacquer and allows you to polish it. And nail polish remover won't hurt the silver. Linda C |
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- Posted by pamghatten (My Page) on Tue, Feb 23, 10 at 12:28
| OK, will take more pics this weekend. The Tuttle bowl was almost black it was so tarnished ... And was this little bowl lacquered also? See by the initial
Why do/did they lacquer silver? Good to know about nail polish ... and I ordered that Encyclopedia, antiquesilver. |
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- Posted by antiquesilver (My Page) on Tue, Feb 23, 10 at 13:22
| It probably is lacquer if that's the other little sterling bowl. Lacquer is supposed to prevent air from coming in contact with metal thus preventing tarnish. The hollowware may look okay for a while but eventually air gets through & tarnish spreads under the lacquer; than you have to remove it before you can polish. Sometimes the lacquer will turn color & make the silver look yellowish. It's one of those love it or hate it practices amoung curators & others who have large silver displays but I don't think most individuals have it done anymore. You'll find the Encyclopedia very informative. |
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- Posted by pamghatten (My Page) on Sun, Feb 28, 10 at 14:50
| More pics ... I tried to take them outside, and it was too bright. Overcast, but we've had lots of snow so it's very bright. here's the bottom of the hammered bowl:
Here's another picture of the side where it looks strange to me, and I forgot to buy nail polish remover!
And anyone know what this pattern is? I find it interesting that I have forks and knives but no spoons. I'll have to ask my family if anyone else has the spoons. Still waiting for my books on silver to arrive ... Thanks! |
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- Posted by antiquesilver (My Page) on Sun, Feb 28, 10 at 18:30
| Well, it looks like I was dead wrong on this piece ** hanging head in shame**! I saw the pine tree & jumped to a happy conclusion that didn't exist. It's not made by Tuttle, almost certainly not hand hammered, & it's not sterling; it was made by Colonial Silver Co of Portland ME between 1899 & 1943. Judging by the marks on your bowl, it could be nickel silver, white metal, or possibly silver plated over either of these metals (although their plated wares were stamped as such), or nickel plated to order. Did it clean up with silver polish? I don't think that would improve anything but silverplate. I can't tell about the spot but it seems like a good guess that it's delaminating - strange that it looks lighter than the rest of the bowl, usually the base metal is darker. Or does it look like a spot without the 'hammering'(missed in the manufacturing process)& is polishing up shinier than the rest of the piece because it's flat? Sorry about the bad news. Knife & Fork - are they sterling or plate? Who is the maker? (To id a pattern, you always have to start with these two questions.) If they're plate, they look like a pattern called 'Fleur de Luce', but hey, I've been wrong before! |
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- Posted by pamghatten (My Page) on Mon, Mar 1, 10 at 8:58
| LOL ... antiquesilver ... No problem, just glad to know what it really is. That is how it looks after using silver polish, I would agree that it is delaminating. The base color is a flat color, while the surface color is shiny silver. Is polishing it adding to the delamination? I'll have to look at the maker of the fork and knife when I get home ... Thanks for the info! |
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| I agree, the flatware looks like Oneida/Community pattern Fleur de Luce, which came out in 1904. |
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- Posted by pamghatten (My Page) on Mon, Mar 8, 10 at 13:54
| It is. I got both books I ordered, and the one is an American Silverplate pattern book. I was able to compare and saw that it was the Feur de luce pattern. |
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