Clearing out my parents loft during lockdown, we came across a set of dessert spoons with matching forks. They are only silver plated, so probably not worth much, but I am very interested in the marks. A1 seems to be the best quality of plating, and then the SS&S appears to be the maker, but then there is the bird on the other side, and the interesting handle. I never saw these come out for best when I was young, and of course there is now nobody left in the family left to ask any questions of. So here I am. Any clues?
A1 is, as you say, an indication of the best quality plating, although there is no objective standard for this - it depends on the manufacturer’s own judgement. SS&S has been noted on another site but is unidentified. It is not therefore possible to suggest any sort of date for your pieces. The bird was almost certainly added for the owner and may represent a family armorial.
Phil
Thank you. Armed with that, I have checked out other sites and the bird seems to be a dove holding an olive branch, which is the symbol of the Buchannan and Whannel family of Scotland. Off to do some more digging now as some other cutlery we found a while back has been hand engraved with a W, which could stand for Whannel. So much to learn about silver, history, and people! Thanks again for your time.