Mr. Hoebink has a plated knive made by Walker and Hall, Sheffield. The EP means electroplate.

The mark is the mark for electroplated article from Walker&Hall

Mr Griffiths spoons may have been made in the former Soviet Union. CCCP is the initials for the USSR in the cyrillic (Russion) alphabet

1915-1940 is probably the span of a marriage. 25 years is the so-called silver anniversary and so a set of spoons -even though these are not silver, just cheap electroplate - would be an appropriate, if modest gift. (Who knows,it may have been a modest marriage.) Judging from what appears to be a rough scrape along the edge of the spoon, my guess is that someone cut the end off the bowl to achieve something of a bizarre example of handicraft.

In view of the actual question that Alan Yates asked I decided to get in touch with an existing British Assay Office, and the following is their reply which means that my book of hallmarks has been superseded.

'''''The EU directive didn't happen, much to our relief, but there have been changes to our hallmarks.
From the beginning of 1999, a British hallmark consists of 3 compulsory elements: the sponsor's mark, the town mark and a standard mark consisting of a number, showing the parts per thousand of the precious metal, by weight - eg 925 for sterling silver. Silver standard marks are in an oval, gold in a rectangle with cut corners, platinum in a pentagon.
The date letter is now an optional extra (this was brought about by a European Court ruling). The old pictorial standard marks, such as the lion, can be added to anything not below the standard on which the mark was used before (eg the lion can appear on sterling silver and, at least in theory, on Britannia and the new 999 standard, but not on the new 800.) There are some new standards for all the metals.
We have also agreed to accept the hallmarks of other European countries, if: they have been applied after testing, to satisfactory standards, by an independent body; and they are intelligible to a British purchaser. A list of countries has been issued by the DTI, but the validity of their hallmarks in the UK has not yet been tested in the courts, and we have no statistics for the number of items imported under this system.
Our website www.theassayoffice.co.uk may be helpful ''''

Alan Yates was right! Unaware of most of us the ancient English hallmarking system is dead...
Giorgio Busetto

top page - page map

---

 

"A PAGE per MONTH"

In this column we present a page (one page only) obtained from makers' brochures, books, auction catalogs or whatever other printed paper, which may be of particular interest for ASCAS members.
The images will be published at a "low resolution" level and for private and personal use only

This month ASCAS presents the images of a tea and coffee set in Renaissance style from the 1933 catalogue of A. Calderoni firm (Via Durini 31 - Milano Italy), suppliers of the King of Italy. The set comprises teapot, coffee pot, milk jug, sugar bowl and tray, weighing about 6100 grams (215 oz.) and claiming 2 months of work by artist silversmith.

top page - page map

---

In this column we presents an abstract from a page of the "What is? Silver Dictionary"
courtesy of

PRICKLING The technique of decorating a silverware by series of small dots by needle-point by persons who were unskilled in engraving. Prickling was often used for making monograms, initials or dates.... more (an ancient example of "prickling" is present also on the Roman Trulla illustrated in past month #30 Members' window)

top page - page map

	Web www.ASCASonline.org www.silvercollection.it

top page - page map

Closing our NOVEMBER 2006 edition of ASCAS Newsletter I hope you have appreciated its content.
Your comments, suggestions and advice will be of great help.

My thanks to Giovanni Cicery (Italy), Alessandro Colemann (Italy), Ludo D'Haese (Belgium), Martine D'Haeseleer (Spain), Jayne Dye (USA), Max Jimenez (France), Fred Lange (USA), Jacquie Mallory (Canada), Carole McKillop-Mash (Scotland UK), Lloyd Prator (USA), Leslie Salvage (England UK), Karin Sixl-Daniell (Austria), Malcolm Stander (South Africa) for their invaluable contributions.

Giorgio Busetto
Secretary

top page - page map

DISCLAIMER AND PRIVACY POLICY ASCAS is a community of people having a common interest in antique silver. It is a non-profit association without commercial links. Membership is open to whomever has a true interest in this subject matter. ASCAS has no real property and no fees are requested nor accepted from members. ASCAS keeps in touch with its members only through periodical newsletters, e-mails and web-site updating and ignores and is not responsible for any other activity pursued by its members. Likewise, ASCAS is not responsible for opinions, evaluation and images displayed, and in any form published or supplied for publication, by its members who, in any case, maintain the property of their works and assure the respect of national and international legislation about Intellectual Property. ASCAS does not have the full addresses of its members (only town, country and e-mail address are requested for membership). ASCAS handles and protects with care its members e-mail addresses, will not disclose the addresses to third parties, will use this information only to reply to requests received from members and for communications strictly related to its activity. These rules are expressly accepted by submitting the membership request.