Serving piece and spoons British silver, need some help

British Silver Reading Silver Hallmarks
1

I think I have identified spoons, with the exception of letters, which seems to be BHA. It is clear Birmingham 1901. But what’s with BHA, there is not such stamp I can found references for. Can anyone please confirm.

For the second image, serving piece, it looks like JB over W & AA, but I can not make any reference to these either.
servingstamps.jpg
spoonstamps.jpg

2

B.H.A is Barnett Henry Abrahams of Houndsditch in London. The assay is correct as Birmingham, however, I make the date as a ‘v’ of 1895.
I can’t make out your 2nd image.
Regards
John

3

I can confirm the date of the Abrahams spoon is 1895.

The other mark is P & M who are Parkin & Marshall of Sheffield. This is an electroplate mark so the item is not silver.

4

Thank you Silvermakersmarks. The stamp looks like P&M shown in silvercollection.it. For electroplated they used additional marks, which are absent on the piece.

PARKIN & MARSHALL
Sheffield
Active at Telegraph Works, 23 Furnival St, (1770-1892), Sylvester St, (1893-1914) and Milton St, Sheffield (1915-1924). The firm started electroplating in 1861. The firm used the trade mark XL ALL and SHARP EDGE

I have just tested deep scratch with acid and oxidant. It remained bright bloody red with no signs of blue, green, yellow or turquoise for that matter. Could it be the piece before 1861?

5

Thank you, John. Probably it’s a picture not so clear. The small letter between lion and anchor is small “b”, will it make it 1901?

6

The letter on the Abrahams piece is ‘v’ as John said, not ‘b’. You will also note that the anchor is sideways; this is typical of the 1875-1899 cycle.

Additional marks were at the discretion of the maker and one or two illustrations should not be presumed to be the only form of the markings used. There are no hallmarks so it is not silver. Note that when you test for silver with an acid kit you are bound to get silver from the plating in with the mix.

7

This is getting confusing - the ‘second image’ that i was referring to, was your query below.

and that the one shown in yr post wasn’t a ‘JB over W & AA’ … phew …

Hope that clears it up
regards
John

8

My apologies for my stubbornness. It’s not that I want it to be solid silver. I am in search for truth.

  1. I have made deep cut in the handle and applied Schwerter’s solution. No sign of any other color, but solid “blood”.
  2. I have tested the flat piece and it is confirmed plated, as green and blue appeared almost immediately.

Handle feels like silver, looks like silver and acid tests like silver. I have tested many silver plate and silver items and silver plate gives immediate coloring after plating is scratched. Unless it is 2mm deep plate, what is very unlikely.

Could it be silver handle and plated “flat piece”?