Hi there,
I believe i have a Sheffield Silverplate cocoa pot, or coffee pot. I believe i’ve managed to identify one of the markings BROS as Cooper Brothers. I know the picture doesnt display the letter on the left very good, its an old style “C”. As for the rest of the markings, i’m at a loss and would really appreciate some help in identifying them. Also, any chance on knowing of what value it may be?
Thank you very much.
Chris S
Hi Chris,
I can’t seem to see your pics for some reason, could you attach them again for me, and i will do my best to help.
best regards
Daniel
Hi again Chris, sorry about the late reply, but i’ve been off colour the last few days.
So…
What a striking jug! It is very much an arts and crafts piece, so instantly I would date it at around 1895-1905. The handle is wonderful, you certainly couldn’t have that made nowadays.
The makers mark of C Bros does look very much like Cooper Brothers mark, I can’t quite see the C, but I should think you are correct in thinking that. The EP mark shows that the piece is Electro Plated, so it will be made of nickel. The S mark is an odd mark that doesn’t actually mean anything, but was used by a lot of platers to try and mimic the number of marks seen on a sterling silver piece.
The F mark was probably the initial of the name of the silversmith who actually made it (Cooper Brothers employed a number of smiths), although it could have been put on at any point, maybe as an early form of ‘magic marking’ the item in case it was ever stolen.
The 1033 mark is likely to be a stock number so that the item could be reordered easily.
As for value, it is very hard to tell without picking up the item myself, as water jugs and coffee pot prices are affected dramatically by the condition. If it is in good condition, I would estimate the pot to be worth around £125. I would just say though, that if you sold the pot, you could quite easily spend 10 years looking and never find anything like it again, or find it after 8 years and be asked £500 for it!
Hope that helps a bit. Its a lovely item so thanks for showing it to us.
Best regards
Daniel
Hi Daniel,
Thank you very much for the quick reply.
Its a great pot, and my Grandfather will be impressed with the worth of it, as it was originally his.
Chris
