Hi
Needing some help with identifying the marks on these fiddle forks please if anyone can help? Thanks in advance
They’re both electroplated, not sterling. The second is probably by William Page & Co, Birmingham.
Both date from before 1896. After that date, it was illegal to use a crown mark on plated items.
ETA: On the first one, the crown and EP is a generic mark for electroplate. The A1 refers to the maker’s best grade of plating (thickness). That said, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a B! Similarly, the A on the second one also indicates the grade of plating.
1 Like
Thanks for getting back to me. I was trying to work out the makers mark with the thistle, it looked like p, then an animal? I, y. Do you know what these stand for?
I take it B means not so great quality then?
Thanks
I don’t see a thistle, a P, or an identifiable animal in either of the images you’ve posted, so I’m not sure what you’re referring to.
The first image, upside-down, is A, then 1, followed by two rubbed blobs, the first of which might be lion, or a dog, or a llama (!), followed by the generic electroplate mark. The maker doesn’t appear to be identified at all.
The second image shows the mark for William Page, followed by FP in a shield (don’t know what that is), followed by something I can’t identify, followed by a fleur-de-lis, then A for the quality.
You have to remember that silver plate markings were virtually unregulated - makers could stamp whatever struck their fancy on their pieces. They often chose punches that lent an air of authenticity to what was otherwise a fairly pedestrian product.
As I said, I’ve never seen something marked B. They’re always either A or A1. No one advertises the fact that they make second-rate products. 