2013 ASCAS membership
No fees are requested for ASCAS membership.
Members still interested to ASCAS and its activity are invited
to send an e-mail to
confirming their 2013 membership (the simplest way is to
use the 'reply' button on our December e-mail).
I apologize for this little effort asked to whomever appreciates
and supports ASCAS activity.
No action is required to unsubscribe. Members not confirming
their membership will be automatically deleted from the sending
of our monthly Newsletter and will be suspended on
February 2013.
Please accept my best wishes for a happy Christmas and a
prosperous New Year and my thanks for your present or past
appreciation of my work.
Giorgio Busetto
ASCAS Secretary
Dr. David N. Nikogosyan
presents:
Hollow Ware Marks of Warsaw Silver Plate Factories
Operated in the Russian Empire:
Bros. Henneberg, Bros. Buch, Wola Factory, Plewkiewicz &
Schiffers.
Recently, I published two Members' Windows in the ASCAS
Newsletter Journal devoted to hollow ware marks used by
the Warsaw silver plate companies Józef Fraget and
Norblin. These firms were founded in the first quarter
of the XIXth century, in 1824 and 1819, respectively,
and they both pioneered galvanic silver-plate production
in Russia in 1850-1860. Other Warsaw firms also started
to apply this cutting-edge technology, first Brothers
Henneberg and Brothers Buch (between 1872 and 1882) and
later, (in 1885-1888), Wola factory, Roman Plewkiewicz,
and Schiffer. By the end of the XIXth century
practically all Russian manufacture of silver-plated
tableware and utensils was concentrated in Warsaw.
It should be remembered that, before 1850, in Russia all
silver-plated objects were produced by soldering of a
thin sheet of silver to a red-heated copper plate with
subsequent rolling. Such a copper base with a fused
silver layer was called "SILVER PLATE" or simply "PLATE"
("PLAQUÉ" in French, "PLATER" in Polish)......
click here
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Welcome to new ASCAS members:
William Coultas - England UK
Janet Elliott - Australia
Lorri Genovese - USA
David Haynes - Australia
Michele Kaltsas - USA
James Lightfoot - USA
Ines Maria Marcelli - Italy
Renée Paine - USA
Members' Window # 103
Alan Yates presents:
Silver of Colonial interest
My first piece of Indian colonial silver was purchased
in Durban (South Africa) in 1982, a good Hamilton & Co 'melon
shaped' tea pot which I still own to this day. The price
then was lower than the equivalent piece of Victorian
English silver. Those were the days of Grand Apartheid
and I bought it at auction from Sotheby's when they were
'in association' with the local firm of Stephan Welz. I
have managed to find a perfectly matching sugar bowl but
I am still searching for a matching milk jug.
In this page I present a pocket watch of Indian interest
bought from an English dealer.
It has a trademark with a lion inside a double circle
with the inscription "FL Bombay & Calcutta".....
click here
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Walter W. Snyder writes:
... I'm trying to find out when this sauceboat was made. I
believe it is French, but the hallmarks seem to be not very
clear. The A with a crown would indicate the "ancien regime",
but the A seems to be a fake. The other marks, a P with a crown,
a fleur de lys with a crown, a v in a circular hallmark, 88 with
a crown and the marks WK or KW seem to be a strange combination.
I have found no French silversmith with the initials KW or WK.
I have been told that the sauceboat is probably from the late
19th century and the hallmarks are not a normal combination. It
seems that they are forged to give the impression that the piece
is older.
Thank You,
Walter W. Snyder
Your item is an excellent example of "Hanau Silver" (Germany
late 19th – early 20th century) made by Wolf & Knell - Hanau (founded
1887). Information about Hanau Silver is available in ASCAS
website at
http://www.ascasonline.org/articolo13.html
Giorgio Busetto
***ANSWER PUBLISHED IN JANUARY 2013 NEWSLETTER***
Alan Yates writes:
... I'm trying to identify the origin and any other possible
information about this silver coffee pot. I have researched in
many sources but all to no avail.
The item is a good quality silver coffee pot with hardwood
handle, clearly modelled on the standard English Georgian shape.
It is a good weight (35 oz.), 24 cm high. From appearances only,
my guess is Colonial, c. 20th century. But from where? The marks
are small but clear.
Thanks for any suggestion you can supply.
Alan Yates
The mark looks that of Bruckmann & Sohne (see at
http://www.silvercollection.it/germansilverhallmark22.html
I trust in ASCAS members with a better knowledge of German
silver for further information.
Giorgio Busetto
***ANOTHER ANSWER PUBLISHED IN JANUARY 2013 NEWSLETTER***
***ANSWER PUBLISHED IN JANUARY 2013 NEWSLETTER***
***ANSWER PUBLISHED IN JANUARY 2013 NEWSLETTER***
I have researched the mark on this silverplated pitcher but
haven’t found anything. It's 8" high x 7.75" wide x 3-5/8" deep.
Not all areas of the mark are legible, but this is what I can
read:
_. J. DE_AN
NEW YORK
8 OZ.
PLATE
Thanks for your help
Debbie Rindge
***ANSWER PUBLISHED IN JANUARY 2013 NEWSLETTER***
Wayne Holmes writes:
... please could you tell me what the hallmarks mean on the
silver spoon I found under some old floor boards in an old
house?
Thanks
Wayne Holmes
In this column we presents a page obtained from makers'
brochures, books, auction catalogs, advertising or whatever
other printed paper, related to silver, that may be of interest
for ASCAS members.
The images will be published at a "low resolution" level and for
private and personal use only
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This month ASCAS presents a 1902 advertisement of
International Silver Co, acting as successors of Holmes
& Edwards Silver Co, Bridgeport, Conn.
HOLMES & EDWARDS
STERLING INLAID
Long Service
Spoons and Forks
"Silver plated ware that's guaranteed for
twenty-five years. It means that sterling silver
is inlaid at the points which are subject to
hardest wear, giving these goods the durability
of solid silver at less than half the cost. Sold
by jewelers everywhere....."
The firm began its activity in 1882
succeeding to Rogers & Brittin. The plant was
taken over in 1898 by the International Silver
Company continuing to operate in Bridgeport
until 1931 when moved to Meriden.
The process of inlaying solid silver at points of greatest wear was patented by William A. Warner of Syracuse, NY
(No 309,-013 of December 9, 1884 and No 337,099 of March 2, 1886). A solid block of silver was inlaid at the critical points
preventing the base metal to be exposed to wear. Holmes & Edwards acquired the patent rights and continued to
use the process for a long time in its flatware production.
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"A WORD per MONTH"
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BUTTER DISH
BUTTER COOLER
REVOLVING BUTTER DISH
Silverplate butter dishes were made in the US from
about 1855, but was not until 1880 that they were made
in great number and variety.
In America the production of butter, until the rise of
factory production about 1860, was a household affair
and wooden round, cup-shaped butter molds or 'prints'
were used by farmers.
It was to accommodate this 'prints' that most butter
dishes had the shape of a round vessel with a high-domed
cover and a pierced platform, so that the melted ice
used to cool the butter could drain into the container
below......
more
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"A SILVERSMITH per MONTH"
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MERIDEN BRITANNIA COMPANY
The business was organized in
1852 by Horace C. and Dennis C. Wilcox who were
marketing under the name of H.C. Wilcox & Co Britannia
ware produced by several small factories in Meriden.
By 1855 Meriden Britannia Co supplied Britannia, Albata
and German silver ware, both plated and unplated, to
many other firms.
In 1862 Meriden Britannia Company bought the hollowware
division, tools and dies of Rogers Brothers Mfg Co (incorporating
Rogers, Smith & Co).
The production of the '1847 Rogers Bros' line continued
under the direction of William Rogers and in 1865 the
plating shop was transferred from New Haven to Meriden
and merged with Meriden Britannia Co in 1866.......
more
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"A BOOK ON MY SHELF"
In this column we present books, new
or ancient, dealing with silver in all its aspects (history,
marks, oddities...). This isn't a "book review" but only a fair
presentation of some useful "tools" that anyone may have in the
shelf of his bookcase.
ASCAS members are invited to contribute to this column
(click to enlarge images)
In the "book on my shelf" of this month Dr. David N.
Nikogosyan presents:
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GLASS HOLDERS
SOVIET, RUSSIAN, FOREIGN
Identification Guide
by Sergey Kruglov
This magnificent album authored by Sergey Kruglov
and published by Russian Publishing House Hobby Press is
a bilingual Russian/English hardcover book (456 pages)
describing metal tea glass holders, one of the most
popular objects widely used, together with "samovars",
in Russian tea-drinking culture.
This book is a first serious investigation in this area.
The main goal of the book is to describe metal,
enamelled and filigree Soviet tea glass holders, which
are presented in 2000 high-quality colour photographs.
Less attention (about 500 colour photographs) is given
to Russian silver-plated tea glass holders (mostly made
in Warsaw) together with items from neighboring
countries such as Germany, Austro-Hungary and France.
The author also presents the marks of all items. There
is a historical 40 pages introduction and a 50 pages
part devoted to the producers of all presented tea glass
holders. The bibliography consists of 71 sources. It is
certainly a "must" book for any serious collector of
that kind of table ware.
The contact e-mail of Sergey Kruglov is kruglov.catalog@gmail.com
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Closing our December 2012 edition of ASCAS Newsletter I
hope you have appreciated its content.
Your comments, suggestions and advice will be of great help.
My thanks to Renata Camozzi, David Dishart, Wayne Holmes, George
L. Lee III, Dr. David N. Nikogosyan, Debbie Rindge, Walter W.
Snyder and Alan Yates for their invaluable contributions.
Giorgio Busetto
Secretary
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).
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These rules are expressly accepted by submitting the
membership request.
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