Is it a genuine Tiffany iridescent glass vase? Tiffany marks are no guarantee of authenticity unless the design of the piece itself matches known documented examples.

Many might wonder, when watching appraisers on the “Antiques Roadshow,” just how they can determine so much information by simply flipping a porcelain cup, silver platter or glass vase upside down? Well, welcome to the appraiser’s world of marks, a world that might seem arcane or mysterious to the budding collector of any type of antique or collectible, but once understood, can save hours of time and frustration trying to figure out exactly what you are holding in your hands.

The fact is, markings that are stamped, painted or impressed on the underside of most items can tell a great deal about a piece other than just its maker. Each mark—be it for pottery, glass or metal items—are important reference points that are used to decipher vintage, authenticity and origins.

What the appraiser is looking for in these markings are basic reference points that they have learned through years of research and study that begin to solve the mystery of each of antique or collectible item. What few people are aware of is that it’s not just the names of well-known companies—such as Rookwood, Tiffany or Gorham—that stamped on the piece that tells the whole story, but a number of things used within the mark itself.

The actual dating of a piece is much like detective work, and the company name itself only gives the appraiser a rough time line of when the company was known to operate. Other factors, such as the color of the mark, how it’s applied or the numbered codes within the design can often date a piece to the exact year it was produced. Famous companies, such as Wedgwood, Minton’s, Derby and Worcester, have all used a variety of numerical or symbol codes that, with a quick look in a reference book or library, will provide the exact date of production.

Now, it’s not possible for even the most accomplished appraiser to memorize all the marks they run into; just for ceramic items alone there are tens of thousands. Therefore, a reference source is a must for some rare or unusual or even reproduction pieces with fake markings that occasionally flood the market. Most marks, though, follow some basic guidelines that most often were a result of various trade, copyright and patent laws between countries and the companies that worked with in them.

Even without a reference library of pottery/porcelain marks, for example, there are a few “pro points” that you can copy or memorize to help you date pottery and porcelain:

• The lack of any country of origin markings indicates a production date pre 1891;
• Small, hand-written marks tend to be pre-1800s;
• Kite-shaped marks with “Rd.” in the center are English and were used from 1842-83;
• Printed/stamped marks in colors other than blue tend to be post-1850;
• The use of the word “Royal” on English ceramics before a company name tend to be used after 1850;
• The use of the term “LTD” or ” Limited” appear after 1860;
• The use of the word “Trademark” tends to be used after 1862;
• The use of registration numbers such as “Rd No.10057” began in 1884;
• Items marked “Nippon” generally date from 1891-1921;
• The name of a country with the stamp indicates where the piece was mad; dates from 1891.
• Company marks in gold, or the mention of “24K Gold” on gilded pottery or porcelain is generally mid-20th century.

These are not hard and fast rules, as there are some exceptions, depending on the individual company. In the case of the stamp shown here, it’s one of these exceptions.

This mark was used on French Quimperware pottery made by the De la Hubaudière factory from 1883 to 1895.

This mark was used on French Quimperware pottery made by the De la Hubaudière factory from 1883 to 1895. It is hand-painted, whereas the “rules” would indicate it should be a pre-1800 piece. Another would be a lack of a “Country of Origin” mark, such as “Germany,” indicating a pre-1891 production date. Many ceramic imports have used paper and foil labels that indicate the piece’s origin, which were often removed after sale or have simply worn off over time.

Marks On Metal

The foundry mark “Chiurazzi Naples” from the bottom of a bronze figurine.

Some guidelines that apply to ceramic items also apply to many antiques & collectibles made of metals from bronze to silver, such as the use of “Country of Origin” marks, British Design Registration marks or “Rd” numbers, and the words “Limited/LTD” or “Trademark.” Like ceramics, many metal Decorative Arts items—such figurines, bookends or lamps—are made of spelter or bronze and will also often have company or foundry markings that can be referenced to determine a date of production and origin. Again, these are not hard-and-fast rules, but basic points to start the reference process.

One issue that confuses novice collectors regarding metal items more than anything else is “silverware,” a term that one would think implied the item was indeed constructed of silver, but since the 1840s, that hasn’t been the case. Until silver electroplating was perfected and patented by Henry and George Richard Elkington in 1840, most silverware was exactly that: 80- to 92.5-percent pure silver. The Elkinton’s patented process allowed the appearance of “silverware” by using only a very thin layer of pure silver—usually from 1/1,000 to 2/1,000 of an inch (0.03 to 0.05 millimeter) thick—on a base metal such as copper, brass or Britannia metal (a type of hard pewter).

As with ceramics, some basic guidelines will identify most silver plated items from genuine silver pieces, To the average person, Coin or Sterling silver don’t look much different than silver-plate pieces. Where the difference lies is in the markings. By international convention, most countries have laws regarding the marking of precious metals such as silver and gold, generally referred to as “Hallmarks”—stamped marks from which the purity, the maker, city and date can be determined. Hall Marks had their origins in England, where all silver has been marked since the 14th century, and are a great aid in determining the history
of a piece today.

These hallmarks on an English-made Sterling Silver trophy tells that it was made in 1873, among other details.

American silver is often marked with the word “Sterling” (925/1000ths pure silver), “Coin” (about 900/1000ths pure silver) or with numerical markings that indicate the same thing “925” or “800.”

Here’re a few markings that right away will tell you the item is silver-plated. The wonderful thing about them, though, is they actually spell out their true metal content, as can be decoded as shown below. So if your “silverware” has any of the markings listed below, you can rest assured it’s not “Sterling.”

EP - Electroplate
EPBM - Electroplated Britannia Metal
EPNS - Electroplate on Nickel Silver (nickel silver is a nickel/brass alloy)
EPC - Electroplated Copper
EPWM - Electroplated White Metal
EPNS-WMM - Electroplated Nickel Silver with White Metal Mounts

Marks on Glassware

Although some of it has been warn away, the Steuben fleur de lis mark on the rim of a glass lampshade is still visible.

Most glassware markings will require sources of reference to identify them. Most are very minimal, a change in the style of the company marking being the only indicator of a vintage based on the marking alone. A great deal of glassware up to the late 19th century was handmade and unmarked, but a lack of markings as an indication of glassware made pre -1890s should not be used.

Other than Art/Studio Glass, mass-produced glass tableware and commercial bottles—a great
deal of even contemporary glassware—comes with paper or foil labels which are not terribly durable and come off with the first washing. Determining the origins and vintage of glassware often depends very little on the lack of markings, but on the style and type of glass, compared to documented examples in reference material and company catalogs.

Patent Marks and Serial Numbers

The patent mark on an antique clavicle splint registed by A.M. Day, Bennington, Vt., in 1853.

Any time a manufacturer designs a unique item or an improvement on it, a “patent” is applied for with the regulatory agencies of that country’s government. The patent provides protection from anyone else from copying that product for a period of several years (the period varies depend on the country of origin). Many manufactured items, such as cameras, radios, phones, etc. will have one or more patent markings on them, generally in the form of an “applied tag” or label to
indicate the date of the patent. To determine a rough date of production for the item, look for the last patent date on the label and add 1 to 17 years (the period of time the patent would have covered). Another alternative is to look up the patent numbers here (for American patents).

Last, but not least, is the serial number. Many items, such as clocks & watches, will have serial numbers through which a period of production can be determined with a great deal of accuracy. Companies such as Rolex, Waltham, Hamilton, Elgin, Illinois Watch, Omega and many others all used them. In most cases, the serial number you need is stamped on the movement rather than the case.

The serial number (see at top) of this Elgin pocket watch can tell you when it was made.

Mike Wilcox, of Wilcox & Hall Appraisers, is a Worthologist who specializes in Art Nouveau and the Arts and Craft movement.

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This vintage late-19th-century cast-iron bank featuring an eagle with eaglets from the Carl and Barbara Moulton estate will be among the items up for auction on April 17, 2010.

CHESAPEAKE, Va. – The third part of the Carl and Barbara Moulton estate sale—comprising the couple’s lovely Chesapeake home, plus over 700 lots of antiques and collectibles—will be sold at the home itself in an on-site auction slated for Saturday, Apr. 17, 2010.

“I’m not going to say we saved the best for last, because there were some truly outstanding items sold in Parts 1 and 2,” said Tom Perry of Tom’s Auctions & Appraisals, which will facilitate the sale. “But when you add the home itself to the mix and still have wall to wall merchandise, it’s hard not to get excited. Folks need to mark their calendars. This will be one sale they don’t want to miss.”

The house, which will come up for bid at 1 p.m., is a 2,800-square-foot structure situated on a large, 0.65-acre corner lot in the Great Bridge area. It has seven rooms—including three bedrooms and 2 ½ baths—plus a two-car garage and a detached garage. Features include antique stained glass windows, beautiful ceilings, leaded glass kitchen cabinets and a stone fireplace.

Bidders will be treated to dolls, toys, Black memorabilia, pictures and prints, sterling silver, furniture, jewelry and more.

“We’re talking about 55 years of collecting,” said Perry. “Mr. Moulton was an antiques dealer, an auctioneer and a pawn shop owner.”

The merchandise is eclectic, ranging from a rare cast-iron eagle with eaglets mechanical bank to gorgeous Bradley & Hubbard lamps to a group of porcelain piano babies (marked and numbered) to an original Civil War-era print titled “Our Heroes” to an outstanding walnut cylinder roll secretary.

Furniture will include a beautiful Hinkle Harris dining room set table with six chairs, an exceptional burl mahogany sideboard, marble-top washstand, a drop-leaf end table, an oval walnut table, an inlaid tilt-top tea table, matching pairs of Victorian chairs, a marble-top coffee table, a marble-top hall tree, two oak curved glass curio cabinets, an oak center post kitchen table with leaf and four arrow-back chairs, an oak child’s rocker, a Victorian stool, an antique Chippendale-style mirror and a cherry twin bed.

Decorative accessories will feature a cast-iron Scottie dog doorstop, a trunk made by the Norfolk Trunk Co., a signed Lalique figural piece, some nice rugs (area and Oriental), signed paperweights, glassware, Roseville, steins, ivory pieces, canning jars, stoneware clocks, vintage telephones (stick and wall), a Grey Telephone Co. 1909 pay phone, a pitcher and bowl and a panel glass lamp.

Coca-Cola collectors will have a field day. The list of Coke items includes buttons (one featuring Santa Claus), thermometers (one dated 1939), fishtail advertising signs and other advertising signs, a “Coke Is It” clock and a “Drink Coca-Cola” sign. Also offered will be Pepsi-Cola advertising items, Royal Crown advertising items and Dr. Pepper advertising items.

The list of collectibles is just as impressive. It includes Hummel figurines, Bunny Bread and Sunbeam Bread advertising signs, a Texaco sign, a Georgia state flag, a Norfolk restaurant picture with “Seasons Greetings,” a Ford advertising sign, a Route 66 sign, antique license plates, a Bell Public Telephone porcelain sign, a U.S. Navy bell and a 1903 framed calendar.

Also offered will be a pair of Hood’s calendars in early walnut Victorian frames (one from 1893, one from 1900), a framed picture of Robert E. Lee taken from a 1940 “Saturday Evening Post,” four battle prints, an 1834 50-cent piece, a tiny Bradley & Hubard lamp with shade, walking canes, bottles, old marbles, iron handcuffs, decoys and about 12-15 wind-up toys, some in boxes.

Silver pieces will include a highly decorated footed bowl made by Jenkins & Jenkins, Inc. (Baltimore, #504), teaspoons, forks, baby spoon and fork sets, a food pusher, serving spoons, a sugar spoon and a knife. Also sold will be a “Little Black Sambo” book, daguerreotypes, silver dollars, around15 antique dolls , a Kool Cigarettes display, a set of Willie & Millie salt and pepper shakers, an Aunt Jemima note pad and original artwork.

Rounding out the day’s offerings: several railroad watches (some 14kt gold: Bunn Special, Hamilton, etc.), a Virginia Civil War button stick pin, gold and silver watch fobs, a Dick Tracy Detective Club badge, a Mickey Mouse bank, Shirley Temple items, a group of chauffeurs’ licenses from Virginia and West Virginia, about a dozen quality name pocket watches and a Presidential mug.

Mr. Moulton (known as “Colonel” Moulton to his friends and business associates) was a larger-than-life figure who owned and operated Carl’s Antiques in Chesapeake. He also kept booths at several area malls, in addition to being an auctioneer and pawn shop owner. He specialized in jewelry, coins, period American furniture, stoneware, collectibles and militaria.

For more information about this auction, call 757.539.2498, e-mail to tombuys [at] tomsauction [dot] com or visit Tom’s Auctions & Appraisals Web site.

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A genuine English Hallmark

To the average person, Coin or Sterling silver don’t look much different than silverplate pieces, but where the difference lies is in the markings. By international convention, most countries have laws regarding the marking of precious metals such as silver and gold, generally referred to as “Hallmarks”—stamped marks from which the purity, the maker, city and date can be determined. Hall Marks had their origins in England, where all silver has been marked since the 14th century, and are a great aid in determining the history of a piece today. American silver is often marked with the word “Sterling” (925/1000ths. pure silver), “Coin” (800/1000ths. pure silver) or with numerical markings that indicate the same thing “925″ or “800.”

An example of a psuedo hallmark

Where the trouble started was when late 19th century makers of American silverplate began to realize they could improve their sales if they marked their products in a similar way to English hallmarks, such marks giving the impression of quality “just like Sterling.” Today, Appraisers and Dealers refer to these as “Pseudo Hallmarks,” which take many forms, but they generally appear as two or five punched marks in Old English script.

The wonderful thing about them though is they actually spell out their true metal content, as can be decoded as shown below. So if your “Silverware” has any of the markings listed below you can rest assured it’s not “Sterling”

EP - Electroplate
EPBM - Electroplated Britannia Metal
EPNS - Electroplate on Nickel Silver (nickel silver is a nickel/brass alloy)
EPC - Electroplated Copper
EPWM - Electroplated White Metal
EPNS-WMM - Electroplated Nickel Silver with White Metal Mounts

Photographs courtesy of www.silvercollection.it

Mike Wilcox, of Wilcox & Hall Appraisers, is a Worthologist who specializes in Art Nouveau and the Arts and Craft movement.

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In general, the term Sterling Silver is meant to distinguish items that are composed of mostly solid silver as opposed to Silver-Plated that have only a thin surface layer of silver. However, there are several other distinctions, some using terms that can be confusing and often lead to a misunderstanding of an item’s composition and hence its value.

One of the most important metallurgical terms that are also used in Antique and Modern Silver are the words ALLOY and PLATED. Alloy refers to a composite metal that consists of two or more distinct pure metals that are fused together so as to make them inseparable by mechanical means. Plated on the other hand, refers to metals that have a layer deposited and adhered to a Base Metal to give it the appearance that the entire item is made of the same material used in its Plating. The base metal for most antique Silver items in today’s market is usually Copper, Nickel Silver, Stainless Steel, Brass, or Bronze.

Sterling Silver is actually an Alloy. Because silver is soft in its purest form, Silversmiths mix silver with copper to make it harder and more durable. Additionally, copper gives the resulting alloy a nicer sheen and is more appealing. This is how the Fineness Hallmarks used on silver have come to have meaning and each country considers certain levels as minimum standards (some changed over time) and are usually enforced when on Jewelry and other Silver items. For example, in the United States the first legal Sterling Silver standard was introduced by Charles Tiffany in 1852 and was soon adopted by the US Federal Government as 0.921 parts of Silver and 0.079 parts of Copper. In the United Kingdom, the Sterling Standard was established much earlier, in 1238 (enforced after 1300), and refers to a minimum of 0.925 parts of Silver and 0.075 parts of Copper. Items made of at least 99% pure silver are usually referred to as Fine Silver. In America, Coin Silver refers to a minimum of 90% silver content.

It is interesting to note that, in spite of its name, Nickel Silver does NOT contain any silver. It is actually an alloy of copper, nickel and zinc in varying proportions, usually 2:1:1 or 3:1:1. It is similar to the Chinese “Paktong” as imported to Europe prior to the 19^th century and until Nickel was more readily available from various Colonies. In the west, it was developed first in Saxe-Meiningen, Germany, in 1824, hence its other name as German Silver. Since then, Nickel Silver is used extensively as a Base Metal on Silver-Plated items hence the common abbreviation EPNS (Electro Plated Nickel Silver) or EPGS (Electro Plated German Silver).

Which brings us to Silver Plating…

A very successful method of Silver Plating was Sheffield Plate, which although already known since antiquity, was formally patented for industrial use by Thomas Bolsover of Sheffield in 1742. The initial name for this method was Copper Rolled Plate, which refers to the basic technique employed at the time of rolling a layer of Silver onto a layer of Copper, sometimes on both sides. This produced a very compact and large silver sheet, usually rolled in ingots, that was still thin enough to be malleable for the Silversmith when forming intricate designs. The term Sheffield Plate became popular ca 1770s and was later referred to as Old Sheffield Plate to distinguish it from other methods developed after 1830s. Initially, the majority of Sheffield plated items had the base metal covered on the external side only (Single Plated) whereas the other side was covered with Tin. However, market demand for Double Plated items, especially on hollowware was soon evident and most specimens surviving today as Antique Sheffield Plate are double plated.

Because of repeated increases of taxation on Solid or Sterling Silver during the period between 1784 to 1815, other promising methods of Silver Plating were soon developed that were less expensive and easier to replicate in industrial quantities. Most of these techniques employed the use of fine and very thin layers of Silver, sometimes referred to as Silver Leaf, that were pressed against the base metal 3-5 layers at a time and then heated and burnished to a smooth finish. Since it took a total of 40 or 60 Silver Leaf layers to get each item ready, this method was still laborious and expensive. This method is now known as French Plating because it was mostly popular amongst French platers during the 18thC. Other similar forms of Silver Plating were also developed around the same time, including Roberts Plate ca 1830, British Plate ca 1835, and Merry Plate in 1936.

However, the most important change in Silver Plating came about with the invention of Electro Plating, a method that simply requires placing the item to be plated along with a small ingot of solid silver in a bath of mild acid and applying electric current. This set-up enabled an evenly uniform deposit of solid silver on the plated item, and varying the current and time during the process, allowed for very precise control in the thickness of the plated silver. Electro Plating was first discovered by John Wright of Birmingham in 1840, but was officially patented by Elkington & Co. around the same time. It has since been in extensive use and has remained the dominant way of Plating Silver to this day. Most Electro-Plated wares have a plating thickness of about 3-30 microns; Flashed or Silver-Wash wares have less then 3 microns.

Silver plated items were not required to have hallmarks by law. However, many companies used their own logos and often included the type of Plating that was used on each piece, usually as initials EPS, EPNS etc. This practice eventually became the norm and now most Silver-Plated items found in the market are marked with their respective maker’s trademarks. Unfortunately, some companies intentionally used marks that were very similar to true Sterling Silver Hallmarks in order to gain market acceptance at the time, but this was only during a very brief early period since authorities and other merchants whose marks were imitated, prosecuted this use.

Finally some other terms related to Silver include:

Standard Silver Plate: The equivalent of using 2 troy ounces of Pure Silver for every 144 Silver spoons being ElectroPlated.

Quadruple Plate: The use of 4 times the Standard electroplating amount of Pure Silver, i.e. 8 oz for every 144 silver spoons

Britannia Silver: A Sterling Silver alloy of 0.9584 Pure Silver Fineness

90g or 90G or G90 or 90 or Hard Plating: Refers to Elctro-Plating of over 30 microns thickness; found mostly on German Cutlery & Utilitarian Flatware ca 1920s onwards.

Alex and Elizabeth are WorthPoint Worthologists.

Thank you,
Janice Konsler

Tea balls, also known as tea infusers and tea eggs, were most popular around 1890 to 1910. Tea balls are perforated metal ball-shaped containers in which tea leaves are placed. The infuser/tea ball is placed in a cup or pot of hot or boiling water, allowing the tea to brew without loose tea leaves spilling into the pot or cup. A chain is commonly attached to the container of the infuser to make retrieval from the pot or cup easier.

The number and shapes and different styles is quite astounding. A fierce competition between silversmiths produced some of the most beautifully crafted tea balls that are now highly sought after by collectors.

Tea balls were not produced in the United States until after 1880 but quickly became popular in many American homes. Two well-known American makers were Tiffany and Gorham, but many other companies made high quality tea balls as well.

In the early 1900s, New York tea merchant William Sullivan began sell his tea in silk sachets instead of small tins to reduce the cost. With his cost cutting move he unknowingly developed the tea bag. From that point on, tea balls/infusers quickly fell out of favor to the convenience of tea bags.

How to use a tea ball
One of the most common mistakes made when using a tea infuser is to over fill it. When it’s packed too full the tea leaves aren’t able to open up fully and release their flavor. In addition, tea leaves will escape and end up floating around in your tea cup. Only fill the bottom half of the infuser; this can best be done by using the bottom half like a spoon to scoop up the tea leaves, then tapping the infuser lightly to shake out any excess tea. After it’s filled, close the infuser and you’re all ready to make your cup of tea.

What size tea ball should you use?

Use a 1.75″ ball for small cup sizes
Use a 2″ ball for large cup sizes
Use a 2.5″ ball for a small teapot
Use a 3″ ball for a large teapot or iced tea pitcher

Additional information

A great book on tea balls is:
Sterling Tea Balls Date: 1997
Shapiro, Dottie and Seymour. Silver Tea Balls. Great North Coast Tea Company, PO Box 2974, Gary, IN 46403, 1997.

A fabulous website you have to visit,with the largest collection of tea infusers you will ever see in one place : http://www.teainfusers.com

thanks for any help I can get,
Elizabeth
eschmi25 [at] gmail [dot] com

Here is a cute British sterling vinaigrette circa 1818. It was made by John Shaw under the reign of George IV. How do we know this?

The hallmarks on this piece are the keys to identity.

The man in profile is King George IV who reigned during this time. The anchor mark tells us that it is from Birmingham, England. The rampant lion facing to the left is the telltale sign on all British pieces for sterling. The lower case “u” within a square tells us that it was made in the year 1818. Lastly, the “JS” initials are that of John Shaw; the Shaws were known for making vinaigrettes and snuff boxes.

British sterling all carry such identifying hallmarks. If you have any pieces like this, you can research them in two good references – ” Tardy’s International Hallmarks on Silver” or “Jackson’s Hallmarks: English Scottish and Irish Hallmarks on Silver & Gold From 1300 to Present Day.”

A vinaigrette is a little box that hangs on a chain like a pendant. Beneath the intricately pierced grill is normally found a pad of perfume. A lady of the era would raise the box to her nose and sniff the perfume to offset the odors of the 19th century street. Sometimes, ladies would carry a more piercing smelling salt mixture in their vinaigrette to revive themselves if they suffered from fainting spells.

This vinaigrette is rare by its being in the shape of a wallet or small purse. It also has a fancy “grate” – the reticulated silver square inside the box which was used to hold in the sponge containing vapors. The value of a vinaigrette can be determined by the form and also how fancy the grate is. It is not uncommon to find the best examples priced at more than $2,000. These pieces are getting harder to find and the value can be determined by auction or how much a collector is willing to pay.

We have always created objects in commemeration of those places we love to gather and honor. None can be more prolific than the American sterling souvenir spoon.

Spoons have had a long representation of nourishment and life and such spoons were created over the centuries such as “marriage” spoons in honor of the union of a man and a women. Here we have a selection of mid 19th. century sterling souvenir spoons that celebrate holidays like Christmas and commemorate historical and famous places. For as many towns and landmarks that we have in this country, you can probably find a souvenir spoon. Some are machine produced and others have fine hand etched bowls. Back in the souvenir spoon hay – day of the mid 19th – early 20th centuries, souvenir spoons were mostly owned by the wealthy or middle class. However,such spoons like the ” Walter Baker & Co. Breakfast Cocoa ” were given out as promotional items to valued customers.

I have always appreciated the detail and artfulness of the old souvenir spoons. As with many collectibles today we are in a buyers market. I have seen a slump in prices of these beautiful display pieces and as we know “everything old is new again”. I think now is a great time to find deals on these pieces and they will probably have a resurgence in their value as well. I hope you enjoy the pieces I have listed.

Best Wishes ~~ Edward F. McDonough III