Well this may be a tough one.
London
1725
Makers Mark?
What is on the front? Is that a Crest of some sort?
Thanks
Mike
I’d call that an understatement. 
I agree that it’s London, 1725. But I don’t think there’s enough of the maker’s mark remaining to allow even a guess. Perhaps someone with exceptional pattern recognition…
The crest is clear someone’s family emblem, but I have no idea whose it might be. Heraldry is another discipline entirely. 
Here’s a version of the “crest” photo with the contrast cranked up, which might make image searching easier. I’m actually a little surprised that Google image search isn’t very good at pattern matching. I would have thought that current AI techniques would have improved it, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. It just doesn’t know what to look for.
Thanks. Seems to be a Falcon or Hawk above the shield.
Top left: two falcons on a wall
top right: stars
bottom left: one falcon
bottom right: blank
what that means I have no clue lol
Hi Mike:
Here’s the link to this item in the Toronto auction you say you never look at in your earlier comments about the also listed rose bowl.
Circa 1725 there were six London silversmiths who specialized in trays – trays being rather difficult to hammer flat without warp before sheet metal supplies. Only three produced in number.
This mark is highly likely to be one of them.
Where you have a date and an item but no discernible maker, the most effective search is textual using one or all of the big three writers and cataloguers on British silver. Often, as in this instance you are limited to shield or punch shape or outline. Having narrowed down the suspects, Phil’ can probably sort the wheat from the chaff on line.
And I find myself in a conflict of interest on this post as I am listed and approved to bid on this item.
Mike: Might I make a suggestion? if you are going to list for inquiry items you do not own but are currently up for auction, it might make it a lot easier if you provided the good folks you are tasking with your private searches on this public forum with the links rather than just cut and pasting the auctioneer’s images.
Christopher Wilson
Guildhall Antiques
Toronto.
I chuckled at the two phrases in the auction listing: crest (rubbed) and makers mark rubbed. In other words, “We can’t make them out, and we’re certainly not going to stick our necks out!”
Auction listings are a wealth of detailed, accurate information. Yes, I’m sure that’s true.
ETA: Second only to eBay listings, which can be taken as gospel. 
Hi Jeff:
Auctions are good at providing us with current status of the item. How long it has been up for sale, whether it is new to the market place and what the auctioneer has as reserve. Sometimes they are also good on weight and size. Beyond this they rely on their own disclaimer clauses in the now badly outdated Auction legislation.
Auctions, especially summer auctions where the expert staff is often away, tend to rely far too heavily on the assignor’s data and he relies on what he was told by the original seller and that is very often needing updating, to put it politely.
However none of that is the focus of my comment which is, if you are going to list third party property up for public sale then let everybody know otherwise we may be working against an undeclared interest.
As in the instant case.
CRWW
Hello CRWW,
Thanks for your response. I don’t look at or use LiveAuctioneer. Perhaps I should though. I live in Canada so I just look at AH Wilkens directly or others.
For your suggestion, well received. It’s fair, I believe in a sense, but I will push back a bit. If I find an item on ebay or Facebook market place, etc. do I have to post that as well? I just thought the title of this forum is: The largest internet forum dedicated to silver repair, hallmark research, antique silver identification, and restoration of silver objects. To be noted, I have posted photo’s directly from the auction sites previously (see my Russian Silver enamel post).
Fair enough you don’t need to comment if you are going to bid. But my primary reason to being here is research. Plus we are mostly talking about silver being priced at scrap value not numismatic and I’m trying to understand why. For the record, I have not bid on any of the items in AH Wilkens.
Hi Mike:
I had previously made a comment in much the same vein on the rose bowl when you assayed a similar gambit. I had noted your interest in Russian silver and thought further comment was superfluous.
The point is if you are listing questions about property that is not yours and is listed elsewhere for public auction then, withholding that rather basic information is counter-productive to your own interests and those of anybody inveigled into working on your behalf.
As an effective “pure researcher”, you will well know that when you cannot find answers by the direct approach you can often establish useful systems of determining a solution by indirect approach.
In this case once you know it is up for auction, figuring out how to seek answers to the question you pose has a broader path. No eye-strain or pattern shift-shaping may be necessary.
Hope this helps you a little in your future endeavours.
CRWW
Hello CRWW,
Thanks for your response. I am not a pure researcher just interested in why things are priced the way they are. I still struggle with your point. Ebay, Facebook market place are all public venues listing property for sale. Are you saying that if I find an item for sale anywhere in the world according to you I need to list the add, location, person selling, etc. on the post? Think about what you are saying. Is everyone on this site making that disclaimer? Now an auction in Canada that you are in I can see why it’s sensitive but please see the other side as well. I thought most people in here would be based in the UK!
On that note, I agree with you, if I post items it automatically alerts everyone which goes against me. Again, before I start bidding and buying this stuff, I’m trying to learn first. That’s the point of the this.
I did find my previous post I did on Russian Silver. In fact, you responded. Thanks for that. You will note I posted the picture with the auction house on it.
Got an interesting reminder of how important that is, just this morning. I was idly looking at online estate auction listings, and saw a pair of Gorham sterling candelabra. The auctioneer carefully listed the weight of each one. But the bidding wasn’t getting anywhere close to the melt value, not by a mile.
I quickly figured it out - these are candelabra, and that usually means one thing. While not spelled out, the listing included a nice, clear photo of the underside, which said, “STERLING / CEMENT-FILLED / REINFORCING ROD OF OTHER METAL.” Candlesticks are often weighted so you don’t knock them over, and incinerate your dining room.
In short, the listed gram weight means nothing whatsoever. Low bids explained.