Seeking elusive london maker

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London 1756 table spoon, but can’t find an NH listed anywhere (or an HN for that matter). Any help much appreciated.

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2morrow. Now I’m tired.

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It’s most likely HN but neither HN nor NH are listed in the “bible” of London marks (Arthur Grimwade’s “London Goldsmiths, 1697-1837: Their Marks and Lives”). Unfortunately there are 2 rather large gaps in the records as 2 registers of marks kept by the assay office have been lost, namely the 1739-1758 Smallworkers’ Register and the 1758-1773 Largeworkers’ Register. It is most likely that the registration of this HN/NH was recorded in the 1739-1758 register and that the identity will therefore never be found.

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1756 GEORGIAN STERLING SILVER ANTIQUE SPOON Hanoverian London HN 61gr | eBay

For a piece made in London in 1756, the hallmark sequence would typically be:

  • Maker’s Mark: “HN” (often in a script or roman font, sometimes with a crown above).

  • Date Letter: A Roman capital ‘A’ (specifically, a Gothic ‘A’ or similar capital script representing the 1756–1757 hallmarking year in London).

  • Standard Mark: The Lion Passant (walking lion).

  • Town Mark: The Leopard’s Head (crowned, for London).

Specific Findings for “HN” in this period:

  • 1756 Items: Records show George II sterling silver items from 1756 featuring the HN mark.

  • Alternative Identifications: While “HN” can sometimes be confused with later makers like Hannah Northcote (who was active later in the 18th century, around 1798), the mid-1750s mark is often attributed to specialized silversmiths like Henry Nash.

    Antiques ReporterAntiques Reporter +2

Old London silver, its history, its makers and its marks

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Thanks Phil, much appreciated. The mark doesn’t even seem to turn up as an unidentified one either.

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Thanks Bart, that was me that bought that spoon!

Henry Nash is intriguing, but I can’t find anything about him on my searches. That old London Silver book is great too. I just read the whole thing. Thanks again

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U welcome, Paul! Indeed, Henry Nash is a mystery…

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I suspect that Henry Nash is a figment of some ignorant dealer’s imagination: “I can’t find a name to go with this HN mark, let’s make something up - nobody will argue because they won’t know either.”

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