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Confusing Gorham Marks
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larrywseale




Joined: 23 Jan 2012
Posts: 4
Location: United States
Posted: 23/01/2012 
Post subject: Confusing Gorham Marks		 Reply with quote

Hi All:

I used to think I knew a (very) little about silver but I'm stumped.

I have a Gorham creamer & sugar with "strange" marks

From what I gather, the left facing lion passant & block G were was used around
1855-1860. The "date" mark that comes closest is 1896.

Any suggestions? Thanks


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larrywseale




Joined: 23 Jan 2012
Posts: 4
Location: United States
Posted: 24/01/2012 
Post subject: re: Confusing Gorham Marks		 Reply with quote

I'm now convinced that the date mark (shell) is 1896 & the references I've found regarding the left & right facing lion passant are wrong; here're proof that Gorham continued to use these marks well into the late 1890's.

So much for the experts Sad

Now, if I could find a pattern name.............
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uncle vic
Moderator



Joined: 25 Sep 2006
Posts: 696
Location: Baton Rouge, LA USA
Posted: 24/01/2012 
Post subject: re: Confusing Gorham Marks		 Reply with quote

Agree the shell is the 1896 mark...the symbol marks were used until the early 1930s then changed to decade marks. Gorham used date marks generally only on higher end steling holloware. Try matching up the pattern mumber on replacements.com.....a long shot but I've done it before.

Regards,

Uncle Vic
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larrywseale




Joined: 23 Jan 2012
Posts: 4
Location: United States
Posted: 25/01/2012 
Post subject: re: Confusing Gorham Marks		 Reply with quote

Thank you.

Sadly, replacements is usually my 1st stop but no help in this case Crying or Very sad

I had originally hoped it might be Maryland, patented in 1896, but I was unable to find a single example of the pattern in a hollowware piece. Don't even know if Gorham made Maryland hollowware.

The confusion on the marks is not the lion, anchor, G - The "experts" seem to agree that by 1868 when Gorham went to the sterling standard & started dating their hollowware, the lion passant always faced right. All the references I could find indicate that the left facing lion is pre Civil War or perhaps until 1868.

What's a poor ole country boy to do when he can't match the pattern & see's a left facing lion, a sterling stamp & a date marks that seems to be 1896?
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larrywseale




Joined: 23 Jan 2012
Posts: 4
Location: United States
Posted: 25/01/2012 
Post subject: re: Confusing Gorham Marks		 Reply with quote

PS

I also searched for a 3965 Gorham pattern, again no luck.

Perhaps it was such a poor selling pattern that Gorham destroyed all evidence they had ever made it Laughing
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uncle vic
Moderator



Joined: 25 Sep 2006
Posts: 696
Location: Baton Rouge, LA USA
Posted: 25/01/2012 
Post subject: re: Confusing Gorham Marks		 Reply with quote

Give Stan a call at Lauren Stanley, he is an expert on old Gorham stuff.

http://www.laurenstanley.com/index2.html

Regards,

Uncle Vic
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