I'm in the early stages of collecting silver folding fruit knives. Recently I acquired a silver folding fruit knife with three hallmarks. The middle one seems clearly to be the Birmingham anchor assay symbol. The first hallmark at first glance seems to be the duty mark of Queen Victoria--except, the face is looking right, when all my sources tell me it should be looking left. The third hallmark (counting from the bottom) is hard to make out, even using a loupe, but it appears to be some sort of bird (--a raven? a grouse? a pigeon?) My research so far suggests this could be a journeyman's mark, since it was a common practice for a time for master silversmiths to farm out certain tasks in the construction of knives to journeyman, who would have each their own identifying stamp. My questions:
1- Can anyone explain what could account for the reversed Victoria duty stamp? (One suspicion I'm having: American silver fruit knife makers most typically made them by modifying the castings of knife/fork/spoon handles, as with this one. Could this be an American forgery, passing itself off as English?)
2- Is that third hallmark probably that of a journeyman? Or does it have another meaning? Thanks
Birmingham silver folding fruit knife. Or is it?
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- Georgiy_Velchev
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Re: Birmingham silver folding fruit knife. Or is it?
I suggest visiting a website with catalogs of English silver hallmarks.
https://www.silvermakersmarks.co.uk/index.htm
https://www.silvermakersmarks.co.uk/index.htm
Best regards, Georgiy Velchev.
- Steve Warden
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Re: Birmingham silver folding fruit knife. Or is it?
The OP hasn't been around since Nov 2018Georgiy_Velchev wrote: ↑Fri Apr 19, 2024 5:12 pm I suggest visiting a website with catalogs of English silver hallmarks.
https://www.silvermakersmarks.co.uk/index.htm
Take care and God bless,
Steve
TSgt USAF, Retired
1980-2000
But any knife is better than no knife! ~ Mumbleypeg (aka Ken)
Steve
TSgt USAF, Retired
1980-2000
But any knife is better than no knife! ~ Mumbleypeg (aka Ken)
- Georgiy_Velchev
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Re: Birmingham silver folding fruit knife. Or is it?
The site opens on my phone.Steve Warden wrote: ↑Fri Apr 19, 2024 6:45 pmThe OP hasn't been around since Nov 2018Georgiy_Velchev wrote: ↑Fri Apr 19, 2024 5:12 pm I suggest visiting a website with catalogs of English silver hallmarks.
https://www.silvermakersmarks.co.uk/index.htm
Best regards, Georgiy Velchev.
- Steve Warden
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- Joined: Wed May 27, 2015 4:18 pm
- Location: Cherry Hill, NJ
Re: Birmingham silver folding fruit knife. Or is it?
I wasn't talking about the site. I was talking about the OP, original poster, Bluesman111, whose post you replied to to help him with his questions.Georgiy_Velchev wrote: ↑Fri Apr 19, 2024 7:22 pmThe site opens on my phone.Steve Warden wrote: ↑Fri Apr 19, 2024 6:45 pmThe OP hasn't been around since Nov 2018Georgiy_Velchev wrote: ↑Fri Apr 19, 2024 5:12 pm I suggest visiting a website with catalogs of English silver hallmarks.
https://www.silvermakersmarks.co.uk/index.htm
Take care and God bless,
Steve
TSgt USAF, Retired
1980-2000
But any knife is better than no knife! ~ Mumbleypeg (aka Ken)
Steve
TSgt USAF, Retired
1980-2000
But any knife is better than no knife! ~ Mumbleypeg (aka Ken)
- Georgiy_Velchev
- Posts: 106
- Joined: Mon Jan 06, 2020 4:56 pm
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Re: Birmingham silver folding fruit knife. Or is it?
I understand you, thank you! I hope that the OP will suddenly appear online and be able to get the information he needs.Steve Warden wrote: ↑Fri Apr 19, 2024 7:31 pmI wasn't talking about the site. I was talking about the OP, original poster, Bluesman111, whose post you replied to to help him with his questions.
Best regards, Georgiy Velchev.